Expedited Site Assessment: The CD is a self-contained training aid designed to allow the user to learn at his/her own pace. Although the CD is stand alone, the elements of the CD can be easily adopted to the classroom whether you are teaching a short course on site investigation or a semester course in environmental science, hydrogeology or engineering.

The CD consists of annotated slide presentations that incorporate digital photos, animations, interactive maps and diagrams, and PC videos. The slide presentations are supplemented with more detailed self-contained technical guidance (accessible at each submenu using the guidance lever), and training simulations and animations (accessible at each submenu using the training lever).

There are 5 major technical areas (accessible from the main menu):
o Scope of an investigation,
o Soil sampling,
o Ground water sampling (and hydraulic testing),
o Field screening (including soil gas surveying), and
o Data analysis.

Also available from the main menu is a training program that includes the introductory sections of the 5 technical areas, 3 case history slide presentations and a comprehensive real world exercise. Using the Load button you can gain access to a listing of spreadsheets for data tabulation and analysis.

Suggested Short Course Outline

If you are teaching a short course on site investigation methods, you can provide your trainees with an overview of an expedited site assessment by following the training program. After each slide presentation let your trainees try the training lever animations and simulations. You might suggest reviewing the more detailed tech guides and other slide presentations in the evening on their own. After going over the basic slide presentations, review at least one of the case histories. Then split the class in teams and have them work through the training exercise. Because of time constraints, you might have your trainees concentrate on locating the source of the contamination or mapping out the MTBE plume.

Suggested Use of the CD for Semester Long Courses

Syllabus
In longer courses, one can follow the table of contents to cover the technical material. Have the students go through the training and guidance lever material and the case histories as homework for further reinforcement.

Term Projects
· Use the literature review outline and conduct a literature review for a near-by service station.
· Use the expedited site assessment report outline and data collected in the training exercise to develop a report.
· Use the training exercise to conduct an expedited site assessment.

Spreadsheet Use
You can use a number of the spreadsheets for conducting laboratory/field exercises or for analyzing data given in homework. These include:

· Soil Bulk Density & Porosity Calculations
· Slug Test Calculations for Hydraulic Conductivity
· Single Well Pumping Test Calc. for Hydraulic Conductivity
· Boring Log
· Soil Air Permeability Calculations

Other spreadsheets can be used for data collection.

Suggested Use of the Training Exercise
In addition to working through the exercise as outlined in the instructions, data derived in the training exercise can be used in a host of analyses and assessments. Here are some suggestions

Geologic Evaluations
· create a topographic map.
· create geologic maps and cross sections.
· create 3D block diagrams or fence diagrams.
· practice developing a boring log.

Hydrogeologic Evaluations
Use miniwell data to develop:
. a depth to the water table map,
. a water table elevation map,
. to solve a three-point problem.

Use multilevel sampling data to develop:
. vertical hydraulic gradient profiles,
. hydraulic gradient maps for different elevations,
. to perform 3D modeling of the flow field.

Contamination Evaluations
· Map the MTBE plume using miniwell data.
· Compare maps of the MTBE plume with that of other BTEX constituents.
· Develop 3D depictions of contamination plumes.
· Compare miniwell plume maps with 3D depictions of the contamination.

Other Suggestions

Review and discuss case histories as a group.

Fun: Teams competing to determine the source and configuration of the contamination in the most cost effective manner.

If you have a suggestion you would like us to add, please contact us.