Development of the nano-composite cement:Application in regulating grouting in complex ground conditions

Improvement of the fluidity and setting time of grouting materials has been recognized as an effective approach of seepage prevention in foundation works, and it is quite common to be used for handling severe leakages in complex ground conditions, such as loose, broken and fully fissured stratum. For the purposed of better meeting the engineering requirements, experimental studies were conducted in this study with focus on the nanocomposite grouting materials and the related controlled grouting technology. As compared with the commonly used silicate-sulpho-aluminate composite cement, which is characterized by relatively poor rheological property, quick setting time and low strength, the most suitable nano-material with proper reactants were selected intentionally to improve the mentioned attributes of composite cement. Due to the setting time and strength of the targeted cement slurry behaving with poor performance of harmonization to engineering construction problems, hydration synergistic effect of these composites were investigated in our experiments. Results showed that the properties of grouting materials, including initial fluidity, setting time, ideal right-angle thickening, and early strength and late strength were sufficient to produce an expected grouting application. It is therefore advocated that the refined grouting material could provide a better solution to fix grouting problems in complex ground cementing operations.

Application of decision tree to selection of MTBM for adverse geological conditions

So many potential risks can be identifed for application of trenchless technology especially using microtunneling methods.Unexpected changes in ground conditions,such as encountering boulders,tree roots,ground water and man-made structures such as old foundations are the principal geotechnical risks,which affect the selection of an appropriate microtunnel boring machine.On the other hand,the performance of each microtunneling technique will differ while encountering such conditions.Hence,predicting the potential hazards provides a better safety and risk management plan.In this study,a couple of potentially hazardous situation,which are commonly associated with ground conditions,were identifed and investigated.A decision tree aid methodology was proposed based on geotechnical risk assessment for selection of proper microtunneling technique.Based on the approach the most appropriate microtunneling technique has the minimum risk level either before or after hazards mitigation measures.In order to check the effciency of the approach in practice,selection of microtunnel boring machine for Hamadan sewerage pipeline project was evaluated.Accordingly,an earth pressure balance(EPB)MTBM was selected for the project.

Numerical Study on Effect of Longwall Mining on Stability of Main Roadway under Weak Ground Conditions in Indonesia

The purpose of this research is to study the effect of longwall mining on the stability of main roadway in the underground coal mine. The PT GDM （Gerbang Daya Mandiri） underground coal mine in Indonesia, where the rocks are weak, was selected as a representative study site. To accomplish the objective of the research, the finite difference code software FLAC3D was used as a tool for the numerical simulations. The longwall mining of several panel and barrier pillar widths at various depths was simulated and discussed. Based on the simulation results, it indicates that the effect of coal panel extraction on the main roadway stability depends on the width of panel and barrier pillar. The greatest effect occurs when the large panel width and the small barrier pillar width are applied, whereas the smallest effect happens when the narrow panel width and the large barrier pillar width are adopted. In this paper, therefore, to maintain the stability of the main roadway with the aim of maximizing the coal recovery, the appropriate size of panel and barrier pillar width is proposed for each mining depth for this underground coal mine.

Laboratory investigation of the anisotropic confinement-dependent brittle-ductile transition of a Utah coal

This paper was developed as part of an effort by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)to identify risk factors associated with bumps in the prevention of fatalities and accidents in highly stressed,bump-prone ground conditions.Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional-to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In the previous analysis conducted in 2018,both unconfined and triaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of some specimens of a Utah coal,including the spalling limits,the ratio of apparent unconfined compressive strength(AUCS)to unconfined compressive strength(UCS),the damage characteristics,and the postyield dilatancy.These mechanical characteristics were found to be strongly anisotropic as a function of the orientation of the cleats relative to the loading direction.However,the transition from extensional to shear failure at the given confinements was not clearly identified.In this study,a total of 20 specimens were additionally prepared from the same coal sample used in the previous study and then tested under both unconfined and triaxial compressive conditions.The different confining stresses are used as analogs for different width-to-height(W/H)ratios of pillar strength.Although the W/H ratios of the specimens were not directly considered during testing,the equivalent W/H ratios of a pillar as a function of the confining stresses were estimated using an existing empirical solution.According to this relationship,theW/H atwhich in-situ pillar behavior would be expected to transition from brittle to ductile is identified.

The Ceneri Base Tunnel＂ Construction Experience with the Southern Portion of the Flat Railway Line Crossing the Swiss Alps

This paper summarizes the experience that was gained during the construction of the 15.4 km long Ceneri Base Tunnel （CBT）, which is the southern part of the fiat railway line crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. The project consisted of a twin tube with a diameter of 9 m interconnected by cross- passages, each 325 m long. In the middle of the alignment and at its southern end, large caverns were excavated for logistical and operational requirements. The total excavation length amounted to approx- imately 40 km. The tunnel crossed Alpine rock formations comprising a variety of rock typologies and several fault zones. The maximum overburden amounted to 850 m. The excavation of the main tunnels and of the cross-passages was executed by means of drill-and-blast （D＆B） excavation. The support con- sisted of bolts, meshes, fiber-reinforced shotcrete and, when required, steel ribs. A gripper tunnel boring machine （TBM） was used in order to excavate the access tunnel. The high overburden caused squeezing rock conditions, which are characterized by large anisotropic convergences when crossing weaker rock formations. The latter required the installation of a deformable support. At the north portal, the tunnel （with an enlarged cross-section） passed underneath the A2 Swiss highway （the major road axis connect- ing the north and south of Switzerland） at a small overburden and through soft ground. Vertical and sub- horizontal jet grouting in combination with partial-face excavation was successfully implemented in order to limit the surface settlements. The south portal was located in a dense urban area. The excavation from the south portal included an approximately 220 m long cut-and-cover tunnel, followed by about 300 m of D＆B excavation in a bad rock formation. The very low overburden, poor rock quality, and demanding crossing with an existing road tunnel （at a vertical distance of only 4 m） required special excavation methods through reduced sectors and special blasting techniques in order to limit the blast-induced vibrations. The application of a comprehensive risk management procedure, the execution of an intensive surface survey, and the adaptability of the tunnel design to the encountered geological conditions allowed the successful completion of the excavation works.

Tunnelling through weak and fragile rocks of Himalayas

A considerable amount of tunnelling has been going on in India for various projects such as hydroelectric power, irrigation, roads and railways. Most of these projects are located in Himalayas, far away from the urban areas. Tunnelling through weak and jointed rock masses such as the one in the Himalayas is a challenging task for the planners, designers, engineers and geologists because of high overburden, thickly vegetated surface, weak, poor and fragile rocks and highly varying geology with the presence of numerous small and big shear zones, faults, etc. Due to these reasons, various tunnelling problems have been faced in the past and are still being encountered. Failures and the problems may be regarded as challenges and opportunities for generating new knowledge base and thereby increasing self-reliance in tunnelling. The experiences of Himalayan tunnelling through weak and fragile rocks covering varying and mixed geology, understanding on tunnelling in squeezing ground conditions and applicability of TBM in Himalayas are presented. It has also been highlighted that the probe holes planning, drilling and monitoring shall be followed seriously to reduce the geological surprises.

Influence of ground effect on flow field structure and aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains

The simulation of the ground effect has always been a technical difficulty in wind tunnel tests of high-speed trains.In this paper,large eddy simulation and the curl acoustic integral equation were used to simulate the flow-acoustic field results of high-speed trains under four ground simulation systems(GSSs):“moving ground+rotating wheel”,“stationary ground+rotating wheel”,“moving ground+stationary wheel”,and“stationary ground+stationary wheel”.By comparing the fluid-acoustic field results of the four GSSs,the influence laws of different GSSs on the flow field structure,aero-acoustic source,and far-field radiation noise characteristics were investigated,providing guidance for the acoustic wind tunnel testing of high-speed trains.The calculation results of the aerodynamic noise of a 350 km/h high-speed train show that the moving ground and rotating wheel affect mainly the aero-acoustic performance under the train bottom.The influence of the rotating wheel on the equivalent sound source power of the whole vehicle was not more than 5%,but that of the moving ground slip was more than 15%.The average influence of the rotating wheel on the sound pressure level radiated by the whole vehicle was 0.3 dBA,while that of the moving ground was 1.8 dBA.