This work presents results of analytical and experimental studies concerning the evaluation of permeability conditions of spill diversion ponds around fuel storage tanks located in a Brazilian northeast industrial plant. For this purpose, a case study was carried out in order to assess the environmental vulnerability of two distinct storage areas, by means of transient numerical simulations of contaminant advance in unsaturated soil after a hypothetical accident with hydrocarbon spill. For the development of the study, extensive geotechnical field and laboratory investigations were carried out, and numerical multiphase flow simulations were accomplished with the use of the finite element method.
unsaturated soil; numerical simulation; multiphase flow; hydrocarbon
