Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Assessment of sediment profiles applying nuclear techniques: use of a nucleonic gauge in Panama Canal watershed

  • Xavier Sanchez (Centro de Investigaciones Hidraulicas e Hidrotecnicas (CIHH), Group HPC-Cluster-Iberogun, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP)) ;
  • Henry Hoo (Centro de Investigaciones Hidraulicas e Hidrotecnicas (CIHH), Group HPC-Cluster-Iberogun, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP)) ;
  • Patrick Brisset (The International Society for Tracer and Radiation Applications (ISTRA)) ;
  • Reinhardt Pinzon (Centro de Investigaciones Hidraulicas e Hidrotecnicas (CIHH), Group HPC-Cluster-Iberogun, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP))
  • Received : 2022.05.28
  • Accepted : 2022.06.21
  • Published : 2022.11.25
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Abstract

An industrial nuclear technique based on the use of an X-ray profiler was implemented to estimate the densities or concentrations of sediments present in an Atlantic maritime zone in the areas subjected to dredging under the governance of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The sediment profiles show in most areas there is a concentration of between 1.00-1.15 g/cm3 except for one area in particular, the density starts at 1.20 g/cm3 and even reaches values greater than 1.50 g/cm3; therefore, an already consolidated sediment is present, which, depending on the depth found. Values of 1.265 g/cm3, 1.297 g/cm3, 1.185 g/cm3 obtained by ACP previous studies are within the range of 1.20-1.30 g/cm3 measured with the nucleonic gauge. However, it should be noted that during the tests with the X ray profiler, sediment densities values greater than the aforementioned limit were also obtained that varying according at depths close to 12 m and 18 m with values reached up to 1.513 g/cm3 and 1.60 g/cm3, respectively. This demonstrates that sediment accumulation depends on depth. This nucleonic gauge is feasible technique for the study of the sedimentation phenomenon in channel basins and even in other projects nationwide.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial and technical support of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Projects PAN 1001, and RLA1013. Also, funding support from SENACYT through the Sistema Nacional de Investigacion (SNI). Moreover, the collection of the results presented above has been possible due to the help of Civil Engineers Advisors Raul Figueroa, and Luis Paniza both staff of Equipos de Administracion de Recursos (INCR-AR) e Ingenieria de Planta (INCR-IP) Division de Mantenimiento de Cauces de Navegacion (INC) Vicepresidencia de Infraestructura e Ingenieria from ACP. Finally, acknowledge help from CIHH's team.We thank the editor and reviewers for their time and constructive comments, which have helped improve our manuscript.

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