Paper_HORIZONTAL VIBRATING WIRE PIEZOMETER INSTALLATION – A NEW DIRECTION IN GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Start Date
15-5-2024 2:00 PM
End Date
15-5-2024 2:30 PM
Description
HORIZONTAL VIBRATING WIRE PIEZOMETER INSTALLATION – A NEW DIRECTION IN GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION Authors Mr. Dan Ombalski - United States - Ellingson Mr. Brian Shinall - United States - Ellingson Mr. Michael Lubrecht - United States - Ellingson Mr. David Bardsley - United States - Ellingson Mr. Dave Rugh - United States - GSI Environmental Abstract Coal combustion residuals (CCR) within basins or impoundment can become unstable during construction and mitigation activities such as building floating roads, bridges, or dewatering activities. One way to evaluate the stability of the CCR materials is to monitor pore water pressure utilizing vibrating wire piezometers (VWPs). VWPs are one of the few tools that provide real-time pressure data to geotechnical engineers that allow evaluation of the risk of failure. VWPs are traditionally installed in vertical boreholes or buried directly into embankments, meaning, in the case of CCR, personnel and drilling equipment must access the potentially unstable ash surface, putting them both at risk. Ellingson has successfully used horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs to install VWP into unstable ground underneath a tidally influenced marine channel; by drilling laterally from a stable ground surface. VWP sensors are highly durable and can provide decades of high resolution reliable data without replacement. Pressure data from VWP sensors allows for evaluation of pore pressure and estimated hydraulic parameters. This drilling and instrumentation technology allows an HDD rig to be set up on safe and stable ground outside of a CCR basin and install VWPs in potentially unstable ash without risk to employees or equipment.
Document Type
Event
Paper_HORIZONTAL VIBRATING WIRE PIEZOMETER INSTALLATION – A NEW DIRECTION IN GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION
Grand Rapids, Michigan
HORIZONTAL VIBRATING WIRE PIEZOMETER INSTALLATION – A NEW DIRECTION IN GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION Authors Mr. Dan Ombalski - United States - Ellingson Mr. Brian Shinall - United States - Ellingson Mr. Michael Lubrecht - United States - Ellingson Mr. David Bardsley - United States - Ellingson Mr. Dave Rugh - United States - GSI Environmental Abstract Coal combustion residuals (CCR) within basins or impoundment can become unstable during construction and mitigation activities such as building floating roads, bridges, or dewatering activities. One way to evaluate the stability of the CCR materials is to monitor pore water pressure utilizing vibrating wire piezometers (VWPs). VWPs are one of the few tools that provide real-time pressure data to geotechnical engineers that allow evaluation of the risk of failure. VWPs are traditionally installed in vertical boreholes or buried directly into embankments, meaning, in the case of CCR, personnel and drilling equipment must access the potentially unstable ash surface, putting them both at risk. Ellingson has successfully used horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs to install VWP into unstable ground underneath a tidally influenced marine channel; by drilling laterally from a stable ground surface. VWP sensors are highly durable and can provide decades of high resolution reliable data without replacement. Pressure data from VWP sensors allows for evaluation of pore pressure and estimated hydraulic parameters. This drilling and instrumentation technology allows an HDD rig to be set up on safe and stable ground outside of a CCR basin and install VWPs in potentially unstable ash without risk to employees or equipment.
