Assessing the Performance of Surface and Subsurface Engineered Barriers

这一行动为国家研究委员会“评估地表和地下工程屏障的性能”的研究提供了部分支持。这些系统被用于在采矿堆浸处理中保留液体，确保各种废物的安全处置，补充污染场地的补救方案，以及其他应用。最近技术和认识的进步，以及对过去屏障性能的评估，为改进当前的设计、评估和监测方法提供了机会。表面和地下密封系统包括盖子、底部衬垫和用各种材料（如混凝土、土工膜、压实粘土）建造的垂直屏障。本研究将开发和描述一个用于评估地表和地下工程屏障的改进框架。1997年，国家研究委员会完成了一份讲习班报告，“环境管理的屏障技术”（NRC, 1997）。讲习班讨论集中在几个主题上。目前的研究将建立在其中的一些主题上，并将为评估工程障碍提供一个改进的基于组件的框架。它将由地质和岩土工程委员会主持下的一个特设委员会进行，地质和岩土工程委员会是地球科学和资源委员会下属的一个常设委员会。特设委员会将由大约10名在城市/危险/放射性废物遏制等领域具有专门知识的专业人员组成；水文地质;环境工程;采矿;地球化学;岩土工程、地质工程;仪表/传感器技术;地质学;风险评估;还有环境监管。特设小组将考虑当前和新兴工程障碍类型的性能和有效寿命，并将总结科学和工程的风险评估方法，系统安装，性能监测和可持续性的状态。此外，该研究将确定数据缺口和研究需求。这项研究将通过定义设计和实现的关键组件，定义屏障性能和有效寿命，从而帮助确保保护公众健康，减少屏障失效的潜在风险，最大限度地提高系统可靠性，并最大限度地降低总成本，从而使运营商和监管机构受益。此外，该研究对数据差距的评估将有助于将研究项目的重点放在最能直接提高绩效的工作上。该研究报告将根据核管理委员会的政策向公众发布，并将在NAS万维网上发布。

This action provides partial support for the study by the National Research Council "Assessing the Performance of Surface and Subsurface Engineered Barriers." These systems are relied upon to retain fluids in heap leach treatment in mining, to ensure safe disposal of a variety of waste, to complement remediation programs for contaminated sites, and for other applications. Recent advances in technology and understanding, as well as assessment of past barrier performance, provide an opportunity to improve upon current design, evaluation, and monitoring methods.Surface and subsurface containment systems include caps, bottom liners, and vertical barriers constructed with a variety of materials, e.g., concrete, geomembranes, compacted clays. This study will develop and describe an improved framework for assessing surface and subsurface engineered barriers. In 1997, the National Research Council completed a workshop report, "Barrier Technologies for Environmental Management" (NRC, 1997). The workshop discussions focused on several themes. The current study will build on some of these themes and will provide an improved components-based framework for assessing engineered barriers. It will be conducted by an ad hoc committee under the aegis of the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering, a standing committee under the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. The ad hoc committee will consist of approximately 10 professionals with expertise in areas such as municipal/hazardous/radioactive waste containment; hydrogeology; environmental engineering; mining; geochemistry; geotechnical/geological engineering; instrumentation/sensor technology; geology; risk assessment; and environmental regulation.The ad hoc panel will consider the performance and effective lifetimes of current and emerging types of engineered barriers and will summarize the state of science and engineering for risk assessment methodology, system installation, performance monitoring, and sustainability. In addition, the study will identify data gaps and research needs. This study will benefit operators and regulators by defining the key components of design and implementation that define barrier performance effective lifetimes, thereby helping to ensure protection of public health, reduce potential risks for barrier failure, maximize reliability of systems, and minimize overall costs. In addition, the study's assessment of data gaps will help to focus research programs on efforts that will most directly result in improved performance. The study report will be available for public distribution in accordance with NRC policy, and will also be posted on the NAS World Wide Web site.