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ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TECHNIQUE TO ASSESS THE INTEGRITY OF GEOMEMBRANE LINERS
Citation:
Shultz, D., B. Duff, AND W. Peters. ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TECHNIQUE TO ASSESS THE INTEGRITY OF GEOMEMBRANE LINERS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-84/180.
Description:
Two-dimensional electrical modeling of a liner system was performed using computer techniques. The modeling effort examined the voltage distributions in cross sections of lined facilities with different leak locations. Results confirmed that leaks in the liner influenced voltage distributions on the surface of the lined facility. Based on this, a small physical scale model of a lined facility was constructed. Tests were conducted to measure the influence of leaks on the surface voltage distributions of water-filled and earth-filled liner systems. Several leak and current electrode configurations were examined. Plots of measured surface voltages indicated the presence and location of a leak. These tests verified that the electrical resistivity technique could be used for detecting and locating leaks in liners. Larger-scale testing was performed at a 1-acre lined water impoundment. An experimental measurement system was designed and constructed to facilitate data acquisition for various leak locations, water depths, and leak sizes. These data showed the technique to be capable of detecting a 1-inch diameter hole in the liner with an error in location of potentially less than 1 foot.