Vironex’s High Resolution Site Profiling Division offers a full array of proven direct push technologies – providing the consultant with the detailed site data necessary to thoroughly understand subsurface site conditions and develop a successful remediation plan. These technologies include our Membrane Interface Probe (MIP), Hydraulic Profiling Tool (HPT), Electrical Conductivity (EC), supported by EVS 3D Imaging.
In addition, Vironex can support you in developing a collaborative dynamic workplan that allows you to draw upon our successful experience and results on hundreds of sites across the country.
MIP (Membrane Interface Probe)
The MIP provides ECD, XSD, PID, and FID response data using heated trunk lines plus Soil Conductivity to identify petroleum and chlorinated hydrocarbon source zone contaminant distribution in both the saturated and unsaturated zones – including the extent of down gradient contamination. Vironex’s unique MIP configuration enables the consultant to obtain relative contaminant concentrations, as well as the ability to speciate contaminants through a carbon trapping system, and traditional confirmation soil, groundwater, and soil gas sampling with field screening technologies for real-time field results. Field data, images and reports can be transmitted real-time from the field directly to the consultant’s desktop. They can also be uploaded daily to a secure website and accessed by project stakeholders not at the project location.
Our MIP systems are based on custom designed MIP Sprinter vans with pre-strung dual rod strings to minimize down time from broken probes or saturated trunk lines, the ability to implement the MIP through dual wall casing to prevent cross contamination, integrated low-noise generator, refrigerators for storage of confirmation samples, internet access, air conditioned, printer capable of generating MIP logs and 3-D imaging in the field.
Post Injection Trouble Shooting: Vironex uses MIP data to estimate overall contaminant mass reduction based on pre-injection MIP results – allowing for optimization of additional injection events.
Special Capabilities include continuous trapping and speciation system, traditional confirmation soil, groundwater, and soil gas sampling, 3-D imaging, detailed reporting, integration of MIP data into in-situ remediation injection strategies.
HPT (Hydraulic Profiling Tool)
One of the key parameters for a successful remediation design – whether injection or extraction – is to know the hydraulic conductivity of the target intervals containing contaminant mass. Traditionally, consultants have relied on data from monitoring wells that extend over multiple lithologies and, as a result, don’t provide a good understanding of hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous sites. Soil conductivity can be used to define the soil type; however, hydraulic conductivities can range orders of magnitude for the same soil type
Hydraulic conductivity is key to understanding the pressures, flows and reagent volumes the target interval can accept through injection. The HPT is similar to the membrane interface probe (MIP) in that it is a rugged tool that can be pushed or hammered into the subsurface. While the MIP is extracting real time VOC’s from the subsurface, the HPT is continuously injecting small amounts of water and measuring the pressure response with a downhole transducer. Additionally, the HPT can be used to select injection, extraction or monitoring well screen intervals – measuring static water conditions and hydraulic conductivity across a site. The HPT also provides a simultaneous log of electrical conductivity with an integrated Wenner array.
EC (Electrical Conductivity)
Vironex is able to measure the electrical conductivity (or resistance, as resistance is the inverse of conductivity) of soil. Generally, electrical conductivity is inversely proportional to particle size. That is, clays usually have higher conductivity than sands. Another rule of thumb is the smaller the particle size of the soil, the lower the permeability. Thus, electrical conductivity measurements yield important lithological information and identify the locations the may be permeable and non-permeable zones. As discussed above, coupled with the HPT, definitive identification can be made.
EVS 3D Imaging (Environmental Visualization Software)
Vironex uses Environmental Visualization System (EVS – C TECH Development Corp.) software to display the results of MIP and HPT investigations in three dimensions (3-D). EVS improves site assessments and enhances your ability to analyze and present data for investigation and remediation planning.
EVS software unites advanced gridding, geostatistical analysis, and fully 3D visualization tools into a software system developed to address the needs of remediation consultants. The software can be used to plot and interpret all types of analytes as well as MIP/HPT output (ECD, XSD, PID, FID, EC, HC) in any environment (e.g. soil, groundwater).
Additional features include high level animation support, terrain fly-over, advanced geologic modeling, interactive fence-diagrams, 4DIM & VRML II output, and database connectivity.
Fence diagrams can be interactively created by slicing through true 3D models representing chemistry and/or geology.
Volume rendering offers another fully three-dimensional visualization technique for representing volume contaminant zones.
Data Integration into Remedial Phase: Vironex Integrates the MIP and HPT and to develop a targeted injection approach.
Data select allows Vironex to use the trends in the existing soil or groundwater contamination data to determine the optimal location for additional sampling. This is accomplished by focusing on those areas of the site with high uncertainty. Uncertainty is computed using a proprietary C Tech algorithm that assigns high values where concentrations are predicted to be high and confidence in that prediction is low.
Consultant 3D Visualization Software: Rather than receiving generic photos, software can be used to view your site in a 3D format which can be: rotated, zoomed and exported into various picture formats.