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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Development of the site characterization and analysis penetrometer system (SCAPS)

Conference ·
OSTI ID:55399
;  [1];  [2]
  1. North Carolina A and T State Univ., Greensboro, NC (United States). Civil Engineering Dept.
  2. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS (United States)
The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) engineers have designed and developed a state-of-the-art Site Characterization and Analysis Penetrometer System (SCAPS) for use in mapping areas of soil and ground water contamination. As the name implies, the SCAPS is organized around a cone penetrometer. The system is mounted in a 20-ton, all-wheel-drive truck designed with protected work spaces to allow safe access to toxic and hazardous sites while minimizing exposure of the work crew. The system utilizes two penetrometer sensor probes which can measure soil properties, as well as detect contaminants. The first sensor probe is a patented fiber-optic fluorometric contaminant sensor. This sensor has been successful in the detection of petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) contaminants in situ. The second sensor probe is a soil resistivity probe which can detect contaminant qualities through induced electrical currents. The SCAPS system has potential for application in a variety of problem areas, including detecting variations in contaminant concentrations as a result of seasonal changes in the ground water regime and verification of the efficacy of in situ remediation work.
OSTI ID:
55399
Report Number(s):
CONF-9310328--; ISBN 1-56676-232-4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English