Groundwater flow through fractured rocks and seepage control in geotechnical engineering: Theories and practices

Groundwater flow through fractured rocks has been recognized as an important issue in many geotechnical engineering practices.Several key aspects of fundamental mechanisms,numerical modeling and engineering applications of flow in fractured rocks are discussed.First,the microscopic mechanisms of fluid flow in fractured rocks,especially under the complex conditions of non-Darcian flow,multiphase flow,rock dissolution,and particle transport,have been revealed through a com-bined effort of visualized experiments and theoretical analysis.Then,laboratory and field methods of characterizing hydraulic properties(e.g.intrinsic permeability,inertial permeability,and unsaturated flow parameters)of fractured rocks in different flow regimes have been proposed.Subsequently,high-performance numerical simulation approaches for large-scale modeling of groundwater flow in frac-tured rocks and aquifers have been developed.Numerical procedures for optimization design of seepage control systems in various settings have also been proposed.Mechanisms of coupled hydro-mechanical processes and control of flow-induced deformation have been discussed.Finally,three case studies are presented to illustrate the applications of the improved theoretical understanding,characterization methods,modeling approaches,and seepage and deformation control strategies to geotechnical engi-neering projects.

A new classification of seepage control mechanisms in geotechnical engineering

Seepage flow through soils,rocks and geotechnical structures has a great influence on their stabilities and performances,and seepage control is a critical technological issue in engineering practices.The physical mechanisms associated with various engineering measures for seepage control are investigated from a new perspective within the framework of continuum mechanics;and an equation-based classification of seepage control mechanisms is proposed according to their roles in the mathematical models for seepage flow,including control mechanisms by coupled processes,initial states,boundary conditions and hydraulic properties.The effects of each mechanism on seepage control are illustrated with examples in hydroelectric engineering and radioactive waste disposal,and hence the reasonability of classification is demonstrated.Advice on performance assessment and optimization design of the seepage control systems in geotechnical engineering is provided,and the suggested procedure would serve as a useful guidance for cost-effective control of seepage flow in various engineering practices.

Study on Seepage Control in Complicated Hydrogeological Conditions on the Right Bank of JinPing-I Hydropower Station

With consideration of the special hydrogeological conditions and layout characteristics of the hydraulic structures, the seepage control measures of dam abutment and underground powerhouse on the right bank of JinPing-I hydropower station is drawn up. Based on the three dimensional finite element analysis of seepage control with dry area virtual flow constant mesh analysis method, the rationality of the seepage control measures of dam abutment and underground powerhouse has been verified and the key factors affecting the effect of seepage have been compared. In combination with the curtain of dam abutment, the curtain of underground powerhouse is reasonable. The results showed that the steel liner of penstock after the curtain is necessary.

FINITE ELEMENT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEEPAGE CONTROL FOR DEEP FOUNDATION PIT DEWATERING

For deep foundation pit dewatering in the Yangtze River Delta, it is easy to make a dramatic decrease of the underground water level surrounding the dewatering area and cause land subsidence and geologic disasters. In this work, a three-dimensional finite element simulation method was applied in the forth subway of Dongjiadu tunnel repair foundation pit dewatering in Shanghai. In order to control the decrease of the underground water level around the foundation pit, the foundation pit dewatering method was used to design the optimization project of dewatering ,which was simulated under these conditions that the aquifers deposited layer by layer, the bottom of the aquifers went deep to 144.45 m, the retaining wall of foundation pit shield went deep to 65 m, the filters of the extraction wells were located between 44 m to 59 m, the water level in the deep foundation pit was decreased by 34 m, and the maximum decrease of water level outside the foundation pit was 3 m. It is shown that the optimization project and the practical case are consistent with each other. Accordingly, the three-dimensional finite element numerical simulation is the basic theory of optimization design of engineering structures of dewatering in deep foundation pit in such areas.

NEW METHOD OF SIMULATING CONCENTRATED DRAIN HOLES IN SEEPAGE CONTROL ANALYSIS

In this paper, based upon the basic solution of sink, the approximate solution of single drain hole in finite elements is derived by use of the superposition principle. Then, the theoretical solution is extended to the case of some drain holes in one finite element, and the method is used in seepage control analysis with quick convergence and high accuracy. On the other hand, if the positions of the drain holes are changed, only some control factors of drain holes are changed, but the finite element grid need not to be reformed. Therefore, the method is more suitable in optimal research of seepage control.

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.

THE UNITED METHOD FOR THE CALCULATION OF SEEPAGE CONTROL BY ADOPTING WEIGHTING SOIL LAYER ON THE BACK SIDE OF DIKE

Constructing a weighting soil layer at the downstream toe of dike on layered ground is an effective measure to prevent the foundation from blowout failures. In this paper, a series of differential equations describing the seepage flow in layered dike foundation were established, and a united method combining analytic method with one-dimensional finite difference method was proposed for solving the equations. The case study shows that the results calculated by the united method are considerably identical to the computational results of Finite Element Method (FEM), and the united method is very simple and easy compared to the FEM.

SEEPAGE CONTROL OF WEAKENED ROCK FOUNDATION OF GEZHOUBA ERJIANG-SLUICE

It is the presence of weakened intercalations that makes the foundation of Gezhouba Erjiang-Sluice complex. Seepage control installation must be able not only to reduce seepapge pressure, but also to protect weakened intercalations from encroachment of seepage. In this paper theoretical analysis has been conducted to prove that well system is highly effective seepage control installation meeting this demand. By means of in-situ monitoring it has been verified that proposed seepage control measure relying mainly on drainage is of success. Seepage stability of weakened intercalations must be considered in employing drains to control seepage, while the seepage deformation of weakened intercalations is different from that of ordinary sand-gravel. Mechanism of seepage deformation of weakened intercalations has been expounded. Seepage wedging is a special type of seepage deformation for weakened intercalations, It is shown clearly that seepage deformation of intercalations does not mean seepage failure of the foundation. In such a foundation as that of Gezhouba sluice, the permeability is distributed randomly. So the seepage field is an unstable, stochastic field.

Variation in hydraulic conductivity of fractured rocks at a dam foundation during operation

Characterizing the permeability variation in fractured rocks is important in various subsurface applications,but how the permeability evolves in the foundation rocks of high dams during operation remains poorly understood.This permeability change is commonly evidenced by a continuous decrease in the amount of discharge(especially for dams on sediment-laden rivers),and can be attributed to fracture clogging and/or hydromechanical coupling.In this study,the permeability evolution of fractured rocks at a high arch dam foundation during operationwas evaluated by inverse modeling based on the field timeseries data of both pore pressure and discharge.A procedure combining orthogonal design,transient flow modeling,artificial neural network,and genetic algorithm was adopted to efficiently estimate the hydraulic conductivity values in each annual cycle after initial reservoir filling.The inverse results show that the permeability of the dam foundation rocks follows an exponential decay annually during operation(i.e.K/K0=0.97e^(-0.59t)+0.03),with good agreement between field observations and numerical simulations.The significance of the obtained permeability decay function was manifested by an assessment of the long-term seepage control performance and groundwater flow behaviors at the dam site.The proposed formula is also of merit for characterizing the permeability change in riverbed rocks induced by sediment transport and deposition.

Direct shear tests on cemented paste backfill-rock wall and cemented paste backfill-backfill interfaces

Even though a large number of large-scale arch dams with height larger than 200 m have been built in the world, the transient groundwater flow behaviors and the seepage control effects in the dam foundations under difficult geological conditions are rarely reported. This paper presents a case study on the transient groundwater flow behaviors in the rock foundation of Jinping I double-curvature arch dam, the world＇s highest dam of this type to date that has been completed. Taking into account the geological settings at the site, an inverse modeling technique utilizing the time series measurements of both hydraulic head and discharge was adopted to back-calculate the permeability of the foundation rocks,which effectively improves the uniqueness and reliability of the inverse modeling results. The transient seepage flow in the dam foundation during the reservoir impounding was then modeled with a parabolic variational inequality（PVI） method. The distribution of pore water pressure, the amount of leakage, and the performance of the seepage control system in the dam foundation during the entire impounding process were finally illustrated with the numerical results.

Recent development in biogeotechnology and its engineering applications

Microbial geotechnology or biogeotechnology is a new branch of geotechnical engineering.It involves the use of microbiology for traditional geotechnical applications.Many new innovative soil improvement methods have been developed in recent years based on this approach.A proper understanding of the various approaches and the performances of different methods can help researchers and engineers to develop the most appropriate geotechnical solutions.At present,most of the methods can be categorized into three major types,biocementation,bioclogging,and biogas desaturation.Similarities and differences of different approaches and their potential applications are reviewed.Factors affecting the different processes are also discussed.Examples of up-scaled model tests and pilot trials are presented to show the emerging applications.The challenges and problems of biogeotechnology are also discussed.