Demonstration of Electro-Osmotic Pulse Technology for Groundwater Intrusion Control in Concrete Structures

摘要

Groundwater intrusion through a building's foundation (i.e., a 'wet basement problem') can cause serious damage that is expensive to correct. In older buildings, such as those common on U.S. Army installations, severe damp- basement problems call for immediate action to mitigate water damage. Electro- osmotic pulse (EOP) technology offers an alternative to the 'trench and drain' approach that can mitigate some water-related problems from the interior of affected areas without the cost of excavation. The EOP alternative can further mitigate corrosion damage to mechanical equipment along with humidity and mold problems. This study demonstrated and document the effectiveness of EOP technology to control groundwater intrusion in concrete structures at Fort Jackson, SC and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (AAP), OK. The cost of installation was determined to be 40 percent lower than the cost of the conventional trench and drain approach. The operating or energy cost of the EOP system was shown to be negligible - equivalent to the expenditure of burning a 60W light bulb.