Numerical Investigation of Grouting of Rock Mass with Fracture Propagation Using Cohesive Finite Elements
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18, Issue 7
Abstract
The grouting of a rock mass is frequently adopted in engineering to enhance the strength and integrity of jointed rock. Based on the principle of hydraulic fracturing, grouting slurry with high pressure is injected into the rock mass, resulting in the emergence and propagation of hydraulic fracture. In this work, a numerical model with cohesive finite elements was developed to simulate the grouting of a rock mass, which couples the stress-seepage-damage field. The model considers the fluid exchange between the porous, permeable medium and fractures, in addition to the coupling of fluid exchange and rock deformation. The effect of fluid lag on pore pressure in the vicinity of the fracture tip is specifically analyzed. Results show that the variation of pore pressure in the broken cohesive zone can be divided into four stages: the initial steady-wave stage, descending stage, sharp-rise stage, and fluctuation-rise stage. There is a significant region of lowered pore pressure in the vicinity of the fracture tip as a result of the effect of fluid lag.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant 2016YFC0401803), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 51579194), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant 2042017kf0202).
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18 • Issue 7 • July 2018
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 21, 2017
Accepted: Jan 9, 2018
Published online: May 8, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Oct 8, 2018
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