Alessandra A. Monetti graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at Florida International University in the summer of 2012. During her years as an undergraduate, she also completed a year of architecture classes which inspired her to focus on environmental and green engineering. She plans to continue her studies to obtain her master’s degree in engineering management or sustainable engineering.
When inducted into the DOE/FIU Science & Technology Workforce Development Initiative in the fall of 2009, she started working with Columbia-Energy on conducting a survey of alternative sealants and coatings to be applied to asphalt surfaces for the 149 underground single-shell tanks (SST) that are used to store radioactive mixed waste at the Hanford Site in Washington State. Alessandra also worked with Dr. Prabhakar Pant on uranium remediation of the 300 Area at the Hanford Site. Her experiments included analysis of different levels of soil and the soil moisture and organic matter.
Savannah River National Laboratory Summer Internship:
In the summer of 2010, Ms. Monetti interned at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Her main task was to conduct a detailed study on cementious materials and cellular concrete/grout that focused on foaming agents used in foamed concrete, its cured and fresh properties, and several geotechnical and environmental remediation applications. The U.S. Department of Energy has a concept for facility in situ decommissioning (ISD) to stabilize and isolate unused nuclear facilities that are no longer needed for their original purpose. At Savannah River Site (SRS), the 105-R Disassembly Basin is the first SRS reactor facility to undergo the ISD process. The ISD process involves filling all below grade areas with cementious materials. A modified cellular concrete/grout is projected to be placed into a section of the 105-P Reactor Disassembly Basin D & E Canal. In order to avoid collapsing a cavity that exists in this section, it will need to be filled with a light-weight/low-density concrete. Cellular concrete is made out of a hydraulic cement such as Portland cement, water, and preformed foam. Depending on the foaming agent used to make preformed foam, it may alter the characteristics and properties of the cellular concrete; therefore, using the proper cementious materials to make the cellular concrete desired for SRS is essential. Alessandra presented this work in a student poster competition at Waste Management Symposium in 2011. The poster was titled “Cellular Concrete/Grout: An Innovative Material for In Situ Decommissioning.”
DOE Fellows, Alessandra Monetti and Nadia Lima at the P- Reactor Vessel, Savannah River Site
After Alessandra came back from South Carolina, she continued to work for SRNL from FIU in conducting experiments used for the ISD process of unused nuclear facilities.
105-R Reactor Disassembly Basin D&E Canal – Heat of Hydration Experimental Mock Up and Heat Transfer Analysis:
Alessandra worked alongside the “Savannah River Site Team” of DOE Fellows (Cristian Acevedo, Denisse Aranda, Jose Rivera, Nadia Lima, Givens Cherilus and Elicek Delgado-Cepero) in studying the heat of hydration of a special cementitious fill for its use in in situ decommissioning of the 105-R Reactor Disassembly Basin D & E Canal. This experiment focused on the temperature range of grout both vertically and horizontally. The experiment also verified that the grout cures correctly by measuring the compressive strength over time. This experiment involved two reinforced concrete pipes that were used as concrete boundaries and T-thermocouples were assembled in a tree-like structure to measure the temperature. Alessandra presented this research in an in-house poster competition in which she won 3rd place. She also presented this research in the student poster competition at Waste Management Symposium in February of 2012. Her poster was titled, “Heat of Hydration Experimental Mock Up Using Cellular Concrete/Grout.”
2011 Poster Competition at Applied Research Center
Alessandra accepting her 3rd Place Poster Award at the 2011 Induction Ceremony
In Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network, Meso-Scale Test Bed:
The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the capability of sensor networks to monitor fluid flow and transport through grout and concrete by installing embedded sensors in an offsite meso-scale test bed. During the summer of 2011, Ms. Monetti contributed to the mesoscale test bed project which consisted on filling all below grade areas with cementitious materials. This experiment consisted of using various sensors including electrical resistivity tomography, advanced tensiometers, piezoelectric sensors, and fiber optic sensors (ERT, AT, PES, FOS) to measure various parameters including strain, crack detention, corrosion, fluid mobility, and moisture. This project was in coalition with Mississippi State University, University of South Carolina, University of Houston and Idaho National Laboratory. Alessandra worked with the “Savannah River Site Team” which consisted of Eric Inclan, Nadia Lima, Frank Silva, Joshua Medince, and Jose Rivera.
DOE Fellows Alessandra Monetti and Eric Inclan working on measurements for the test bed.
Alessandra Monetti assisting with the measurements of the sensors.
D&D KM-IT Knowledge Management Information Tool
During her senior year as an undergraduate student, Alessandra wanted to focus on engineering management work. Alessandra started working under the supervision of Mr. Himanshu Upadhyay and Ms. Peggy Shoffner with quality control and quality assurance of the D&D KM-IT website as well as the WIMS website. She was also involved with the collection of the DOE Fellows biographies and resumes to be uploaded to the DOE Fellows website. In 2012, her main task was developing information for the D&D community via the D&D Knowledge Management Information Tool ( https://www.dndkm.org) and provided collection and identification, analysis, and publishing of new vendors, technologies and methodologies used for the deactivation & decommissioning (D&D) of nuclear era facilities.
After Alessandra Monetti graduated with her bachelor’s degree, she accepted an offer as a full-time federal employee working for SRC (Scientific Research Corporation), a federal contractor for the Department of Defense (DoD), working in DoD’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) located in Virginia. She will have the title of Engineer I under the direction and supervision of Jim Hutchinson (Program Manager for Scientific Research Corporation SRC).
I wanted to let you know about an incredible opportunity made possible to FIU minority students thanks to the sponsorship and funding of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM). In an effort to overcome the challenges of an aging workforce, DOE-EM is actively and aggressively targeting college students across the US to enter DOE’s workforce.