The Journal of Engineering Geology ISSN:1226-5268(Print) 2287-7169(Online) 지질공학

Plasma blasting which is generated by high voltage arc discharge of electricity is applied to soil mass to improve permeability of soil and cleaning efficiency of oil contamination. A new high voltage generator was manufactured and three types of soil including silty sand, silty sand mixed with lime and silty sand mixed with cement were prepared. Small and large soil columns were produced using these types of soil and plasma blasting was performed within soil columns to investigate the variation of soil volume penetrated by fluid and permeability. Soil volume penetrated by fluid increased by 11~71% when plasma blasting was applied in soil. Although plasma blasting with low electricity voltage induced horizontal fracture and fluid penetrated along this weak plane, plasma blasting with high voltage induced spherical penetration of fluid. Plasma blasting increased the permeability of soil. Permeabilty of soils mixed with lime and cement increased by 450~1,052% with plasma blasting. Permeability of soil increased as discharge voltage increased when plasma blasing was applied once. However, several blastings with the same discharge voltage increase or decrease permeability of soil. Oil contaminated soil was prepared by adding diesel into soil artificially and plasma blasting was performed in these oil contaminated soil. Cleaning efficiency increased by average of 393% for soil located nearby the blasting and by average of 239% for soil located far from the blasting. Cleaning efficiency did not show any correlation with discharge voltage. All these results indicated that plasma blasting might be used for in-situ cleaning of oil contaminated soil because plasma blasting increased permeability of soil and cleaning efficiency.