Centrifuge modelling of contaminant transport processes

Over the past decade, research workers have started to investigate problems of subsurface contaminant transport through physical modelling on a geotechnical centrifuge. A major advantage of this apparatus is its ability to model complex natural systems in a controlled laboratory environment In this paper, we discusses the principles and scaling laws related to the centrifugal modelling of contaminant transport, and presents four examples of recent work that has been carried out in this area. The first two of these examples illustrate the use of centrifugal techniques to investigate contaminant transport mechanisms in geologic formations, while the latter two illustrate the use of the centrifuge as a tool for investigating site remediation strategies. The scope of this work serves to demonstrate the contribution that centrifuge modelling techniques can make in the areas of environmental engineering and contaminant hydrology.