The Influence of Surface Covers on the Performance of a Soil Vapor Extraction System

This study looks at the influence of surface covers on the performance of a single pumping well system. Pilot tests were conducted on a sandy soil to determine the influence of surface confinement based upon both induced vacuum and pore gas velocity design criteria. The results demonstrate how covering the surface can significantly alter the associated air flow patterns and velocity distribution. Comparison of streamline iso-contours obtained in covered scenarios reveals that the surface seal tended to prevent air from entering the subsurface near the extraction well and force air to be drawn from a greater distance. Calculated and measured pressure differentials, for open and semi-confined scenarios, clearly show that adding a clay layer as a surface cover increased the vacuum induced within the soil. Pore gas velocity analysis showed that when the cover clay layer was used, the zone of capture of the soil vapor extraction system increased. The radius of influence of soil vapor extraction (SVE) systems, based on the attainment of a critical vacuum or pore gas velocity, can then be increased by including a surface seal in the design of such systems. The focus of this study is limited to air flow patterns contrasted between covered and uncovered conditions and not on the nuances of a full scale remediation implementation.