Numerical investigation of geostress influence on the grouting reinforcement effectiveness of tunnel surrounding rock mass in fault fracture zones

Grouting is a widely used approach to reinforce broken surrounding rock mass during the construction of underground tunnels in fault fracture zones,and its reinforcement effectiveness is highly affected by geostress.In this study,a numerical manifold method(NMM)based simulator has been developed to examine the impact of geostress conditions on grouting reinforcement during tunnel excavation.To develop this simulator,a detection technique for identifying slurry migration channels and an improved fluid-solid coupling(FeS)framework,which considers the influence of fracture properties and geostress states,is developed and incorporated into a zero-thickness cohesive element(ZE)based NMM(Co-NMM)for simulating tunnel excavation.Additionally,to simulate coagulation of injected slurry,a bonding repair algorithm is further proposed based on the ZE model.To verify the accuracy of the proposed simulator,a series of simulations about slurry migration in single fractures and fracture networks are numerically reproduced,and the results align well with analytical and laboratory test results.Furthermore,these numerical results show that neglecting the influence of geostress condition can lead to a serious over-estimation of slurry migration range and reinforcement effectiveness.After validations,a series of simulations about tunnel grouting reinforcement and tunnel excavation in fault fracture zones with varying fracture densities under different geostress conditions are conducted.Based on these simula-tions,the influence of geostress conditions and the optimization of grouting schemes are discussed.

Unconfined compressive strength and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite from a fault zone

Understanding the strength characteristics and deformation behaviour of the tunnel surrounding rock in a fault zone is significant for tunnel stability evaluation.In this study,a series of unconfined compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical characteristics and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite(CWG)from a fault zone,considering with height-diameter(h/d)ratio,dry densities(ρd)and moisture contents(ω).Based on the experimental results,a regression mathematical model of unconfined compressive strength(UCS)for CWG was developed using the Multiple Nonlinear Regression method(MNLR).The research results indicated that the UCS of the specimen with a h/d ratio of 0.6 decreased with the increase ofω.When the h/d ratio increased to 1.0,the UCS increasedωwith up to 10.5%and then decreased.Increasingρd is conducive to the improvement of the UCS at anyω.The deformation and rupture process as well as final failure modes of the specimen are controlled by h/d ratio,ρd andω,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the final failure mode,followed byωandρd.The specimens with different h/d ratio exhibited completely different fracture mode,i.e.,typical splitting failure(h/d=0.6)and shear failure(h/d=1.0).By comparing the experimental results,this regression model for predicting UCS is accurate and reliable,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the UCS of CWG,followed byρd and thenω.These findings provide important references for maintenance of the tunnel crossing other fault fractured zones,especially at low confining pressure or unconfined condition.

A Gel-Based Solidification Technology for Large Fracture Plugging

Fault fractures usually have large openings and considerable extension. Accordingly, cross-linked gel materials aregenerally considered more suitable plugging agents than water-based gels because the latter often undergo contaminationvia formation water, which prevents them from being effective over long times. Hence, in this study, aset of oil-based composite gels based on waste grease and epoxy resin has been developed. These materials havebeen observed to possess high compressive strength and resistance to the aforementioned contamination, therebyleading to notable increase in plugging success rate. The compressive strength, thickening time, and resistance toformation water pollution of these gels have been evaluated indoors. The results show that the compressivestrength of the gel can reach 11 MPa;additionally, the related gelation time can be controlled to be more than3 h, thereby providing a safe construction time;Invasion of formation water has a small effect on the gel strengthand does not shorten the thickening time. All considered performance indicators of the oil-based gel confirm itssuitability as a plugging agent for fault fractures.

Structural Traces of Secondary Faults(Fractures) along the Main Faults and Their Reliability as Kinematic Indicators

Secondary/minor structures occurring along the main fault surfaces are important indicators for judging the kinematic characteristics of faults.However,many factors can lead to the formation of these structures,which results in the difficulty for rapid judgment and application in the fields.A series of secondary faults/fractures developed due to the movement of main faults are the most important and widespread phenomena in the scope of brittle deformation.The morphology of the main fault surfaces is various,and former researchers mainly discussed the structures on the main even fault surfaces. However,the fluctuation of fault surfaces is the intrinsic character of the faults,and the intersection between the main fault and secondary faults/fractures can produce a series of kinematic indicators on the main fault surfaces.Based on previous studies and our observations,i.e.the structural traces of the P,R,R',T and X shears/faults along the main faults,some indicators which are rarely reported previously,are described in the paper.Furthermore,their reliabilities are also discussed,and more practical and reliable criteria are brought forward.We suggest that the simple application of congruous and incongruous steps without knowing their exact origins should be abandoned in the fields,and several types of indicators along one fault surface should be checked with each other as much as possible.Meanwhile,the origins of some other arcuate indicators on the fault surfaces are also discussed,and new models are brought forward.

Using structure restoration maps to comprehensively identify potential faults and fractures in compressional structures

Faults and fractures of multiple scales are frequently induced and generated in compressional structural system. Comprehensive identification of these potential faults and fractures that cannot be distinguished directly from seismic profile of the complex structures is still an unanswered problem. Based on the compressional structural geometry and kinematics theories as well as the structural interpretation from seismic data, a set of techniques is established for the identification of potential faults and fractures in compressional structures. Firstly, three-dimensional(3D) patterns and characteristics of the faults directly interpreted from seismic profile were illustrated by 3D structural model. Then, the unfolding index maps, the principal structural curvature maps, and tectonic stress field maps were obtained from structural restoration. Moreover, potential faults and fractures in compressional structures were quantitatively identified relying on comprehensive analysis of these three maps. Successful identification of the potential faults and fractures in Mishrif limestone formation and in Asmari dolomite formation of Buzurgan anticline in Iraq demonstrates the applicability and reliability of these techniques.

Response of underground pipeline through fault fracture zone to random ground motion

It is assumed that a pipeline is laid through a vertical fault fracture zone, and is excited by seismic ground motion modelled as stationary stochastic process. For horizontal incidence of waves, the cross-PSD （Power Spectral Density） function is developed using wave propagation theory, while for vertical incidence of waves the cross-PSD function is composed by auto-PSD model, coherence model and site response model. As the seismic input, the eross-PSD function is used to calculate the the axial and lateral seismic responses of underground pipeline through the fracture zone. The results show that the incident directions of seismic waves, width and soil property of the fracture zone have great influence on underground pipeline. It is suggested that the flexible joints with appropriate stiffness should be added into the pipeline near the interfaces between the fracture zone and the surrounded media.

Failure responses of rock tunnel faces during excavation through the fault-fracture zone

It is essential to cast light on the construction risks in tunnel excavations through the fault-fracture zone(FFZ).This study adopts the material point method(MPM)to simulate the failure responses of a rock tunnel face during excavation through the FFZ.A numerical study was conducted to compare a physical model test and validate the feasibility of using the MPM in simulating tunnel face failure.One hundred ninety numerical simulation cases were constructed to represent a rock tunnel excavation project with different site con-figurations.The simulation results suggest that the cohesion and the friction angle significantly influence failure responses.The tunnel cover depth can magnify the failure responses,and the FFZ thickness significantly affects the mobilized rock mass volume when the FFZ consists of a weak rock mass.The numerical simulation results suggest three deformation patterns:face bulge,partial failure,and slide collapse.The failure responses can be characterized by stress arch,slip surface,angle of reposing,and influence range.The insights suggested by the face failure responses during excavation through the FFZ can aid field engineers in determining the scope of possible damage,and in establishing emergency measures to minimize losses if such failure occurs.

Relocation and Genetic Analysis of Earthquakes in the West of Xietan Area of Three Gorges Reservoir

136 earthquakes,taking place in the west of Xietan area,recorded by portable stations deployed in the Three Georges reservoir area were relocated using the double difference algorithm.The relocations show that the root-mean-square deviations of the relocations in the directions of E-W,N-S and U-D are 0.38km,0.33km and 0.98km,respectively.The earthquakes in clasolite area with focal depths of about 4km～5km take on linear distributions from the shallow to deep parts.These earthquakes were deduced to be reservoir-induced earthquakes of fault fracture type.In contrast,the earthquakes in limestone pavement with the focal depths about 2km～3km take on slightly divergent distributions and have the characteristics of reservoir-induced earthquakes of the karst collapse type.

Seismic response of tunnel near fault fracture zone under incident SV waves

This study investigated the impact of a non-causative fault on the dynamic response of a nearby lined tunnel under the incidence of plane SV waves using the indirect boundary element method.The effects of several critical parameters,such as the incident frequency,the inclination degree of the fault,the distance between the fault and the tunnel on the hoop stress of the lined inner and outer walls,were explored intensively.The numerical results indicated that the non-causative fault could significantly change the hoop stress distribution of inner and outer surfaces of the tunnels.In general,for the vertically incident seismic waves,when the tunnel was located in the foot wall(under the fault),the hoop stress within the tunnel was significantly greater than that of the tunnels in the non-fault half space,with an amplification factor of up to 117%.The amplification effect became more pronounced as the fault dip angle increased.However,when the tunnel was located in the hanging wall(above the fault),the non-causative fault could produce a significant shielding effect on the dynamic response of the tunnel under high frequency wave incidence,with the reduction of hoop stress being up to 81%.For lowfrequency waves,though,the fault could lead to an increase of the hoop stress of the tunnel of up to 152%.The research results will provide a reference for the seismic design and safety protection of underground structures in non-causative fault sites.