Stability behavior of the Lanxi ancient flood control levee after reinforcement with upside-down hanging wells and grouting curtain

The stability of the ancient flood control levees is mainly influenced by water level fluctuations, groundwater concentration and rainfalls. This paper takes the Lanxi ancient levee as a research object to study the evolution laws of its seepage, displacement and stability before and after reinforcement with the upside-down hanging wells and grouting curtain through numerical simulation methods combined with experiments and observations. The study results indicate that the filled soil is less affected by water level fluctuations and groundwater concentration after reinforcement. A high groundwater level is detrimental to the levee's long-term stability, and the drainage issues need to be fully considered. The deformation of the reinforced levee is effectively controlled since the fill deformation is mainly borne by the upside-down hanging wells. The safety factors of the levee before reinforcement vary significantly with the water level. The minimum value of the safety factors is 0.886 during the water level decreasing period, indicating a very high risk of the instability. While it reached 1.478 after reinforcement, the stability of the ancient levee is improved by a large margin.

Removal of Pb^(2+) and Cd^(2+) by adsorption on clay-solidified grouting curtain for waste landfills

Pb2+ and Cd2+ in leachate were adsorbed on clay-solidified grouting curtain for waste landfills with equilibrium experiment. The cation exchange capacity was determined with ammonium acetate. And the concentration of heavy metal cations in leachate was determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Their equilibrium isotherms were measured, and the experimental isotherm data were analyzed by using Freundlich and Langmuir models. The results show that the adsorption capacities of the heavy metal cations are closely related to the compositions of clay-solidified grouting curtain, and the maximum adsorption appears at the ratio of cement to clay of 2∶4 in the experimental conditions. At their maximum adsorption and pH 5.0, the adsorption capacities of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ are 16.19mg/g and 1.21mg/g. The competitive adsorption coefficients indicate that the adsorption of clay-solidified grouting curtain for Pb2+ is stronger than that for Cd 2+ . The adsorption process conforms to Freundlich’s model with related coefficient higher than 0.996.

Factors affecting phenol adsorption on clay-solidified grouting curtain

Batch experiments were conducted to study the adsorption of phenol on clay-solidified grouting curtain (CSGC) and the effects of contact time,pH and adsorbent concentration on the adsorption were investigated.Under the experimental conditions used,2 d was adequate to determine the equilibrium of phenol adsorption onto CSGC.The amount of phenol adsorbed by CSGC from an initial concentration of 100mg/L was found to be 8.4mg/g.The adsorption process includes particle diffusion and liquid film diffusion,and the latter is the predominating step of the adsorption process.The adsorption ability of CSGC decreased with pH but it increased non-linearly with the CSGC concentration.The optimized concentration for CSGC was found to be 20g/L for the adsorption of 100mg/L phenol.

Real-Time Grouting Monitoring and Visualization Analysis System for Dam Foundation Curtain Grouting

A real-time monitoring and 3D visualization analysis system is proposed for dam foundation curtain grouting. Based on the real-time control technology, the optimization method and the set theory, a mathematical model of the system is established. The real-time collection and transmission technology of the grouting data provides a data foundation for the system. The real-time grouting monitoring and dynamic alarming method helps the system control the grouting quality during the grouting process, thus, the abnormalities of grouting, such as jacking and hydraulic uplift, can be effectively controlled. In addition, the 3D grouting visualization analysis technology is proposed to establish the grouting information model(GIM). The GIM provides a platform to visualize and analyze the grouting process and results. The system has been applied to a hydraulic project of China as a case study, and the application results indicate that the real-time grouting monitoring and 3D visualization analysis for the grouting process can help engineers control the grouting quality more efficiently.

Permeability in Flysch-Distribution Decrease with Depth and Grout Curtains Under Dams

A considerable number of in situ permeability tests in flysch are processed to a depth of 120m with a good spatial distribution. The distribution of permeability values for the different litho-types of this formation, their comparison and their decrease with depth is discussed. The depth where a permeability of 3 to 5×10-7m/sec can be retained (the limit of a reasonable grouting under a high dam) may be twofold if the geological history of the formation could not contain a compressional tectonic process. This depth may reach 100m in some cases. The differences in the mean values of permeability among the various litho-types are minor, while the presence of siltstones, always present although with varied participation, dramatically controls the global permeability.

Key issues in rock mechanics of the Three Gorges Project in China

The Three Gorges Project is one of the essential key projects for flood controlling and water resources regulation in the Yangtze River. The project includes a river-crossing dam, underground powerhouses, and navigation structures. Because of the huge size and complicated construction technologies, the project faced a series of challenging engineering issues. In terms of rock mechanics, there are many key technical issues, including the sliding resistance and stability of the dam section along the foundations of powerhouses No.l-5, the ,,;lope stability of the double-line five-stage shiplock, excavation of large-scale underground powerhouses, and curtain grouting under the dam. With decades of scientific research and 16 years of practical construction experiences and reservoir operations, these key technical issues in construction of the Three Gorges Project are successfully resolved, which will attribute to the development of hydropower technology. On the basis of the monitoring data during construction and normal operation periods of the Three Gorges Project, this paper presents a systematic analysis of these key rock mechanical issues in terms of behaviors, solutions, dynamic controlling, monitoring arrangement and integrated assessment.

Theory and technology of preventing water from flooding roadways

According to the principle of effective stress action of rock and soil, we established a mechanical model of water flooding into roadways,analyzed the constitutive relation of hydrodynamic pressure and contact pressure of rock and soil and discovered that the process of pre-grouting of a roadway curtain is a dynamically balancing process in which effective stress keeps gradually in- creasing and pore water pressure gradually declines. In such a grouting process, the initial water plugging effect is realized when the effective stress and total stress reaches equilibrium. A rigid-flexible packing layer is designed behind the brickwork to increase the effective stress and reduce pore water pressure in order to have a permanent water proof performance. This provides a theoretical basis for roadway driving and permanent water prevention. The monitoring and application results show that the initial and perma- nent waterproof theory has provided an effective method for roadway driving and making it waterproof.

Towards an optimization design of seepage control：A case study in dam engineering

High dams generally suffer from higher seepage risks in their foundations, and seepage control is an important technology for limiting the amount of leakage and improving the stability of the foundations. In this study, a procedure was proposed for optimization design of seepage control system in large-scale hydropower projects, which relies on sufficient characterization of site conditions and proper quantification of the performance of the seepage control system. The proposed procedure was applied to the design of seepage control system in the Mengdigou Hydropower Station consisting of a double-curvature arch dam201 m in height. An optimized layout of the seepage control system, including the extended length of grout curtain, the rows of grouting holes and the spacing of drainage holes, was suggested. The proposed procedure provides a guide with lower risk and higher confidence for performance assessment and optimization design of seepage control systems in high dam engineering.