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Design and Application of an Open-Science Electrical Resistivity Meter to Make Geotechnical Laboratory Education More Relevant and Engaging

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Committee on Instructional Technology Presents: Gamers

Tagged Division

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)

Page Count

10

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42903

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42903

Download Count

221

Paper Authors

biography

Benjamin D. Goffin University of Virginia

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Benjamin D. Goffin previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Bluefield State University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia. He gained several years of practical experience with an engineering firm in the greater Boston area prior to re-joining the University of Virginia and undertaking his doctoral work. Funded through a Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellowship and recently part of the NASA DEVELOP National Program, his current research aims to advance the remote sensing of terrestrial processes and provide decision-relevant information not available by other means.

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Lindsay Ivey Burden

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Abstract

Electrical Resistivity (ER) surveys have been used to investigate soils for over a century but a “black box” traditionally surrounds commercial ER equipment. This work proposes the design of an intuitive, low-cost ER meter for hands-on geotechnical education. The prototype leverages $40 worth of integrated-circuit modules and less than 80 lines of open-source commands to inject a current into the ground and measure the site’s potential response. The device was validated against test circuits with ohmic values ranging over 4 orders of magnitude and yielded marginal mean absolute percentage error less than 3%. The proposed ER meter was thereafter implemented in a tabletop laboratory setting to perform Constant Separation Traversing (CST) surveys using Wenner array along parallel profiles. The resulting CST matrix showed values of apparent resistivity consistently in agreement with the modeled earth stratum. Over the extent of a buried Styrofoam feature, the device generated measurements up to 70% higher and identified clear lateral disruptions in subsurface conditions. Overall, the proposed ER meter proved to be a tool well suited for tabletop experiments and capable of characterizing complex test beds. Its open-science design addresses the issues of the “black box” surrounding proprietary equipment and makes it accessible to the community at large for a fraction of the cost of commercial units. With practical applications for hands-on teaching and interactive learning, this work makes geotechnical laboratory education more engaging and relevant. As such, it has the potential to modernize STEM curricula and advance the fundamental understanding at the intersection of technology and environment.

Goffin, B. D., & Burden, L. I. (2023, June), Design and Application of an Open-Science Electrical Resistivity Meter to Make Geotechnical Laboratory Education More Relevant and Engaging Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42903

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