TDR calibration for the alternative landfill cover demonstration (ALCD)

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/537308· OSTI ID:537308

Lopez, J; Dwyer, S F; Swanson, J N ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Environmental Restoration Technologies Dept.

The Alternative Landfill Cover Demonstration is a large scale field test that compares the performance of various landfill cover designs in dry environments. An important component of the comparison is the change in the moisture content of the soils throughout the different cover test plots. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is the primary method for the measurement of the volumetric moisture content. Each of the covers is composed of layers of varying types and densities of soils. The probes are therefore calibrated to calculate the volumetric moisture content in each of the different soils in order to gain the optimum performance of the TDR system. The demonstration plots are constructed in two phases; a different probe is used in each phase. The probe that is used in Phase 1 is calibrated for the following soils: compacted native soil, uncompacted native soil, compacted native soil mixed with 6% sodium bentonite by weight, and sand. The probe that is used in Phase 2 is calibrated for the following soils: compacted native soil, uncompacted native soil, and sand. In addition, the probes are calibrated for the varying cable lengths of the TDR probes. The resulting empirically derived equations allow for the calculation of in-situ volumetric moisture content of all of the varying soils throughout the cover test plots in the demonstration.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 537308
• Report Number(s): SAND--97-2317; ON: DE98000452
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CALIBRATION
COVERINGS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LAND POLLUTION ABATEMENT
SANITARY LANDFILLS