Experimental and numerical study on rheological properties of ice-containing cement paste backfill slurry

Abstract

Ice-containing cemented paste backfill (ICPB) is a novel type of backfill material that has both the advantages of traditional CPB and the underground cooling function. The pipeline transport characteristics of ICPB need to be investigated to promote its application, which are influenced by the rheological properties. The objective of this study is to investigate the rheological properties of ICPB by means of experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. The rheological parameters were measured using a rheometer and the slump test was performed in a cylinder slump. A calculation model that considered the slump mold lifting and the ice particle phase change was established to simulate the cylindrical slump. The results indicate that the ICPB behaved as a Bingham fluid. The yield stress, plastic viscosity, and thixotropy increased with an increase in the ice/water ratio and concentration, while the cylindrical slump decreased under the same variation. The simulation results of the cylindrical slump were compatible with the experimental results. Furthermore, the numerical study indicates the slump increased when the test temperature was increased from 285 K to 305 K. The results found in this study can be used as a reference for the pipe design of ICPB.