Water-induced softening behavior of clay-rich sandstone in Lanzhou Water Supply Project,China

The strength of clay-rich sandstone decreases significantly when in contact with water due to softening effects.This scenario can pose a severe threat to the stability of water diversion tunnels during construction and operation periods.To address the issues related to water-induced softening in clay-rich sandstone zones in a water diversion tunnel of Lanzhou Water Supply Project,the microscopic and micromechanical variations of rocks due to increasing water content in two different zones i.e.zones A and B,were determined by various testing methods,such as X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),thin section microscopy,micro-indentation test,sonic velocity test,and slake durability test.The microscopic analysis confirms the presence of montmorillonite mineral which is the dominant problematic geomaterial in engineering application.The integrity and durability of clay-rich sandstone were determined with sonic velocity and slake durability tests to calibrate the results obtained by the micro-indentation test.It shows that the elastic modulus and hardness of clay-rich sandstone decrease with the increase of saturation time,up to 144 h,which is more significant and rapid during early stage of saturation.After 144 h of saturation,the elastic modulus decreases by 89% and 97%,and the hardness decreases by 89% and 99% for zones A and B sandstones,respectively.The results of slake durability and sonic velocity indicate that zone A sandsto ne remains 56.19% durability after 144 h of saturation,while zone B sandstone loses its durability merely after 72 h of saturation.The clay-rich sandstone starts to dissolve in water when the saturation time exceeds 144 h.The significant decreases in strength and durability of clay-rich sandstone due to water-induced softening are serious threats to tunnel stability.The improvements in the strength of surrounding rock mass by grouting and permeability by installation of drainage galleries can reduce the damage caused by water-induced softening.

Tunnels in squeezing clay-rich rocks

Squeezing ground conditions,which can lead to severe loads in tunnels,have historically been associated with the presence of clay minerals in the ground.Over the years,many methodologies have been proposed to predict squeezing in tunnels based on tunnel depth,in situ stress,ground mineralogy,and ground strength and deformation behavior.This paper presents a comprehensive review of methodologies to predict tunnel squeezing in clay-rich rocks.A new methodology is proposed where ground conditions and squeezing potential are assessed based on the Stress History and Normalized Soil Engineering Properties(SHANSEP)approach adapted to clayrich rocks,Peck’s stability number and Hoek&Brown’s(1997)Geological Strength Index(GSI).A squeezing number S is suggested to classify ground conditions based on the level of squeezing that the ground may experience in response to tunneling.Finally,it is demonstrated that by combining the proposed classification system and an existing classification system for ground squeezing condition,an accurate estimate of tunnel strain can also be obtained.The proposed method is applied to four case studies of tunnels in squeezing ground in shale and mudstone.