An XFEM-based simulation method for fracture grouting of expansible polymer grout in soil

Abstract

To study the fracture propagation mechanism driven by expansible polymer grouting materials in soil, considering the characteristics of expansible polymer materials, a 2D elastoplastic model is established based on the extended finite element method (XFEM). In this method, the initiation location of fractures is judged by the maximum tensile stress criterion, and the propagation of fractures is controlled by fracture criteria applicable to the soil. The pressure on the fracture surface is solved iteratively by an experimentally derived relationship between expansion pressure and density of polymer grout. The correctness of the method is confirmed by contrasting the previous experimental results. On this basis, numerical computations with different grouting quantities are simulated to present the polymer grout's variation characteristics, including length, width, expansion pressure, and density. The method can reflect the interaction between the polymer and soil, which lays the foundation for the further study of the fracture propagation mechanism of expansive polymer grouting materials in soil.