3-D Fracture Network Modelling in Hydropower Engineering Based on Optimal Monte Carlo Simulation

Abstract

Effectively and accurately modelling the spatial relation of fracture surfaces is crucial in the design and construction of large hydropower dams having a complex underlying geology. However, fracture surfaces are randomly formed and vary greatly with respect to their spatial distribution, which makes the construction of accurate 3-D models challenging. In this study, we use an optimal Monte Carlo simulation and dynamic conditioning to construct a fracture network model. We found the optimal Monte Carlo simulation to effectively reduce the error associated with the Monte Carlo method and use dynamic conditioning to ensure the consistency of the model with the actual distribution of fractures on the excavation faces and outcrops. We applied this novel approach to a hydropower station on the Jinshajiang River, China. The simulation results matched the real sampled values well, confirming that the model is capable of effectively and accurately simulating the spatial relations in a fracture network.