Seepage-stress Coupling Research Articles

An extended numerical manifold method for two-phase seepage–stress coupling process modelling in fractured porous medium

To investigate the two-phase seepage–stress coupling process in fractured porous medium, this study extends the cohesive element-based numerical manifold method (Co-NMM) by incorporating a two-phase seepage–stress coupling model considering the effect of matrix-fracture interface on the two-phase flow and fracture propagation induced by the two-phase seepage pressure. The proposed two-phase flow solving framework implicitly calculates the fluid pressure and saturation of the two-phase flow based on a two-phase unified pipe network method. Furthermore, to more realistically model the hydraulic behaviour of two-phase flow in fractured porous medium, a matrix-fracture interface condition called the extended capillary pressure condition is incorporated into the two-phase flow solving framework to capture the interactions among fluid flow in the fractures and matrix. Due to the inheritance of the Co-NMM, one key advantage of the extended method is the simulation of complex multi-fracture propagation caused by the two-phase seepage–stress coupling. The two-phase flow solving framework is first validated by reproducing the water displacing oil in a single fracture and the gas displacing water in a single-fractured porous medium against analytical and numerical solutions, respectively. The two-phase seepage–stress coupling procedure is then verified by performing a one-dimensional consolidation problem of soil column, in which comparisons between the numerical and analytical results regarding the pore pressure and compression displacement are presented. Finally, with the extended method, CO2-enhanced oil recovery in fractured reservoir is preliminarily studied by considering the effect of gas injection rate and capillary pressure on the evolution of two-phase flow and fracture propagation. The results elucidate that high CO2 injection rate can lead to fracture propagation in the reservoir, and both capillary pressure and fractures have a significant effect on the CO2 distribution.

Permeability Evolution Characteristics and Microanalysis of Reactive Powder Concrete of Drilling Shaft Lining Under Stress-Seepage Coupling

Permeability Evolution Characteristics and Microanalysis of Reactive Powder Concrete of Drilling Shaft Lining Under Stress-Seepage Coupling

Experimental investigation on the evolution of damage and seepage characteristics for red sandstone under thermal–mechanical coupling conditions

Rock masses in underground space usually experience the coupling of high-temperature field, stress field and seepage field, which gives them complex mechanical behavior and permeability characteristics. To study the mechanical properties and permeability characteristics of red sandstone under different temperature environments, a seepage test under high temperature and triaxial compression is carried out based on the RLW-2000 multi-field coupling tester. The results show that the plastic flow of red sandstone at the stress peak under the same temperature is more obvious with the increase of confining pressure. In addition, as the confining pressure gradient increases, the permeability decreases and the trend becomes slower. And the higher the operating temperature, the easier to produce seepage channels inside the rock sample. The development of fissures is rapidly developed under the effect of temperature, so the seepage channels are widened and increased, and the permeability is greatly increased. The constitutive model of rock statistical damage considering the interaction of high temperature and osmotic pressure was constructed based on the experimental data and combining theoretical methods to reveal the characteristics of permeability evolution induced by thermal damage of rocks. The research results can be used as a reference for monitoring rock stability during geological engineering projects involving thermal–seepage–stress coupling conditions.

Experimental Study on Seepage Characteristics of Fractured Rock Mass under Different Stress Conditions

In order to obtain the mechanical behavior and permeability characteristics of coal under the coupling action of stress and seepage, permeability tests under different confining pressures in the process of deformation and destruction of briquette coal were carried out using the electrohydraulic servo system of rock mechanics. The stress-strain and permeability evolution curves of briquette coal during the whole deformation process were obtained. The mechanical behavior and permeability coefficient evolution response characteristics of briquette coal under stress-seepage coupling are well reflected. Research shows that stress-axial strain curve and the stress-circumferential strain curve have the same change trend, the hoop strain and axial strain effect on the permeability variation law of basic consistent, and the permeability coefficient with the increase of confining pressure and decreases, and the higher the confining pressure, the lower the permeability coefficient, the confining pressure increases rate under the same conditions, and the permeability coefficient corresponding to high confining pressure is far less than that corresponding to low confining pressure. The confining pressure influences the permeability of the briquette by affecting its dilatancy behavior. With the increase of the confining pressure, the permeability of the sample decreases, and the permeability coefficient decreases with the increase of the confining pressure at the initial stage, showing a logarithmic function. After failure, briquette samples show a power function change rule, and the greater the confining pressure is, the more obvious the permeability coefficient decreases.

Numerical Simulation of Soil Displacement and Settlement in Deep Foundation Pit Excavations Near Water

Advancing urbanization in China requires large-scale high-rise construction and underground transportation projects. Consequently, there is an increasing number of deep foundation pits adjacent to water bodies, and accidents occur frequently. This study uses a numerical simulation method to study the stability of the deep foundation pit near water based on the Biot three-dimensional seepage-stress coupling model, with the open-cut section on the south bank of the Jinan Yellow River Tunnel Project as the engineering field test. This indicates the following: (1) the maximum horizontal displacement of the diaphragm wall occurred in the fifth excavation stage, and a horizontal brace effectively controlled the inward horizontal displacement of the foundation pit; (2) considering the effect of seepage in the soft soil foundation, the maximum vertical displacement of the ground surface at each excavation stage occurred adjacent to the underground continuous wall. As the depth of the foundation pit increased, the vertical surface settlement decreases gradually in the direction away from the excavation face; (3) considering the seepage conditions, within each interval of excavation of the foundation pit, the horizontal displacement of the continuous underground wall and ground settlement declined; and (4) the numerical simulation and field monitoring data were in good agreement. Under the conditions of accurate model simplification and parameter selection, numerical simulations can adequately forecast conditions of the actual project.

Stability analysis of the air-cushioned surge chamber of the diversion system for San Gabán III hydropower station through seepage-stress coupling approach

The design scheme of the air-cushioned surge chamber is adopted for the diversion system of the San Gabán III hydropower station. Due to the combined action of both high internal water pressure and external water pressure, it is necessary to demonstrate the stability of the design scheme of the air-cushioned surge chamber. This paper adopts the seepage-stress coupling analysis method to analyse the two working conditions of the air-cushioned surge chamber, i.e., the construction condition and the normal operation condition. A fine numerical analysis model of the air cushion surge chamber including the drainage holes and the drainage belts is established. The numerical simulation adopts the one-way coupling scheme. Firstly, the actual seepage fields in the air-cushion surge chamber area under the actual waterhead boundary conditions are numerically simulated. Secondly, the equivalent seepage volume forces are calculated based on the seepage fields obtained. After that, the equivalent seepage forces are applied to the surrounding rock of the air-cushion surge chamber to carry out the mechanical simulations. Results show that, most of the seepage loads are borne by the surrounding rock mass because of the drainage effects. While the pore pressure differences between the inner and outer edges of the lining are dramatically reduced, which greatly reduces the load borne by the lining and ensures the stability of the lining structure. In general, the surrounding rock deformations of the air-cushion surge chamber are not large, the stress states are normal, the supporting structures are within the bearing capacities, and the plastic zones of the surrounding rock are within the control range of the rock bolts, indicating that the air-cushioned surge chamber is stable.

Study on evolution process of water inrush disaster of tunnel based on the distinct element method

On the basis of the analysis of the geological characteristics of the construction adit of a water diversion project, in conjunction with the phenomena of water gushing, mud bursting and collapse encountered in the construction process of the tunnel, the fracture network model of the typical rock mass in the project area is established. Based on the seepage stress coupling mechanism of the fractured rock mass, the UDEC discrete element method is used to analyze the gradual development process of the surrounding rock fractures in the excavation process of the tunnel. The dynamic evolution law of tunnel water inrush is revealed, which could provide a good reference for the safe construction of underground engineering in water rich area and the design and control of surrounding rock stability.

Study on the Deformation Characteristics of Fractured Basalt Under Coupling of Three-Dimensional Stress and Water Pressure Cycling

The seepage-stress coupling of fractured rock masses is a physical, chemical and mechanical process that depends strongly on the lithological conditions, structural state, initial stress level and stress path for the hydraulic coupling during water storage. A newly developed true triaxial hydraulic coupling test system named HMTS-1200 was used to carry out triaxial hydromechanical coupling deformation tests on fractured basalt under water pressure along a cyclic loading and unloading path. The following test results were obtained. During cyclic water pressure loading and unloading, the additional axial deformation exhibits the characteristic fluctuations of compression-expansion-compression, whereas the lateral deformation exhibits the characteristic fluctuations of expansion-compression-expansion. Under hydraulic-mechanical coupling, the coupling of the axial pressure and the water pressure is noticeable. The lower the axial pressure is, the more noticeable the additional specimen deformation is. The deformation modulus of the fractured basalt under triaxial stress-hydraulic pressure coupling depends strongly on the loading-unloading of the water pressure and the confining pressure. The deformation modulus is logarithmic in the number of cycles and linear in the water pressure. The abovementioned test results serve as an important reference for the study of hydraulic coupling characteristics of and time effects on bank rock mass deformation parameters during reservoir operation.

Mechanical behavior of deep sandstone under high stress-seepage coupling

Mechanical behavior of deep sandstone under high stress-seepage coupling

Research on optimization of perforation parameters for formation fractures based on response surface optimization method.

For staged multi-cluster fracturing, methods for controlling perforation friction to adjust the flow distribution of each cluster can effectively promote the uniform extension of multiple fractures but lacks a fast and quantitative optimization method for different perforation parameters of each cluster. By establishing a numerical model of single-stage three-cluster flow-limited fracturing under stress-seepage coupling, and based on the response surface optimization method, fully considering the impact of perforation parameters interaction among three perforation clusters, according to the regression equation fitted under the global response, the rapid optimization of perforation parameters of segmented multi-cluster fracturing model is realized. The results show that: in determining the three factors of the study, it is found that there is an obvious interaction between the number of intermediate cluster perforations and the number of cluster perforations on both sides, the number of cluster perforations on both sides and the diameter of intermediate cluster perforations, the response surface optimization method gives the optimal perforation parameter combination of three clusters of fractures under global response; When the perforation parameters were combined before optimization, the fracture length difference was 32.550m, and the intermediate perforation cluster evolved into invalid perforation cluster, when the perforation parameters were combined after optimization, the fracture length difference was 0.528m, the three perforation clusters spread uniformly, and there are no invalid clusters. At the same time, the regression equation under the response is optimized before and after the comparison between the predicted value of the equation and the actual simulation value. It is found that the estimated deviation rate of the equation before optimization is 1.2%, and the estimated deviation rate after optimization is 0.4%. The estimated deviation rates are all less, and the response regression equation based on the response surface optimization method can quickly optimize the perforation parameters. The response surface optimization method is suitable for the multi parameter optimization research of formation fracturing which is often affected by many geological and engineering factors. Combining with the engineering practice and integrating more factors to optimize the hydraulic fracturing parameters, it is of great significance to improve the success rate of hydraulic fracturing application.

Seepage Flow Properties of a Columnar Jointed Rock Mass in a True Triaxial Experiment

A columnar jointed rock mass is a type of rock mass with strong geometric anisotropy and high interface permeability. Its seepage characteristics pose new challenges to the construction and maintenance of the Baihetan Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River. The research object in this study is the columnar jointed rock mass (basalt) in the dam area of Baihetan Hydropower Station. Similar-material model samples of the columnar jointed rock mass with different column dip angles ( α = 0 ° ~90°) were prepared following a similar principle. A true triaxial seepage–stress coupling test was conducted to evaluate the seepage characteristics of similar-material samples with different dip angles under intermediate principal stress and minimum principal stress. The experimental results showed that the columnar jointed rock mass exhibited apparent seepage anisotropy. The relationship curve between the volume flow rate Q and the pressure gradient − d P / d L of the samples with different dip angles showed evident nonlinear seepage under intermediate principal stress, which could be well expressed using the Forchheimer equation. It shows the characteristics of a typical linear Darcy flow under minimum principal stress. The law of variations in the permeability of the samples with different dip angles under intermediate principal stress can be well expressed using the one-dimensional quadratic function equation k = a + b σ 2 + c σ 2 2 , and the law of variations in the permeability of the samples with different dip angles under minimum principal stress can be well expressed using the logarithmic function k = a + b ln σ 3 . The permeabilities of the columnar jointed rock mass with dip angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, and 60° were most sensitive to changes in stress, and the seepage characteristics increased in complexity after changes in stress.

Effect of Crack Propagation on Mining-Induced Delayer Water Inrush Hazard of Hidden Fault

Hidden faults in deep coal seam floor threaten the exploitation of coal resources. Under the influence of mining and water confined in the floor, the cemented filler in the hidden fault will be eroded by water flow, in order to investigate the fracture characteristics and water inrush risk of hidden faults in floors above confined aquifer. Using the 27305 working face as geological background, the influence of the seepage scouring filler on the mechanism of water inrush from hidden faults was assessed by developing a stress-seepage coupling model and employing the finite difference method to simulate the seepage process of hidden faults under the combined action of high ground stress and high confined water. The evolution of seepage, shear stress, and plastic zone was also assessed. The influence of the hydraulic pressure of the aquifer and the thickness of a waterproof rock floor on the formation of the water inrush pathway was analyzed. Results indicate that (1) under the influence of mining, the hidden fault experienced the change process of stress stability, stress concentration, and stress release. The shear stress increases first and then decreases. The compressive stress decreases gradually due to stress release. (2) Water inrush disaster will not occur immediately when the working face is above the hidden fault. The delayed water inrush occurs in the mined-out area when the working face advances to 160 m, the floor failure zone is connected with the hidden fault failure zone, and the delayed water inrush channel is formed. (3) With the mining advances, the water pressure of aquifer is the same. The larger-angle fault leads to the thinner thickness of floor aquifer. The greater the influence of hidden fault on coal seam mining, the higher the danger of water inrush.

Research and Optimization of Gas Extraction by Crossing-Seam Boreholes from Floor Roadway

Deep coal seams are characterized by large stress, high gas pressure, and low permeability. The gas disaster threatens the safe production of coal mine seriously. Gas extraction by crossing-seam boreholes from floor roadway (GECMBFR) can reduce the pressure and content of coal seam gas, which is the main measure to prevent gas disaster. Considering the Klinkenberg effect, governing equations of gas adsorption/desorption-diffusion, gas seepage, and stress fields within the coal seam are established to form the seepage-stress coupling model. The governing equations are embodied into a finite element driven software to numerically simulate gas migration and fluid-solid coupling law in coal seam. On this basis, the process of gas extraction under different borehole spacings and diameters is simulated. The effects of these two key parameters on coal seam gas pressure, gas content, and gas permeability were analyzed. The borehole spacing and diameter were determined to be 5 m and 0.09 m, respectively. Combined with the actual situation of a mine, the process of gas extraction from floor roadway with different cross-sectional schemes, ordinary drilling boreholes and punching combined drilling boreholes, is comparatively analyzed. The results show that the gas extraction effect by ordinary drilling boreholes is lower than that of the punching combined drilling boreholes, and the extraction is uneven and makes it difficult to meet the standard. Hydraulic punching was carried out, and coal was washed out of the borehole, which expanded the contact area between the borehole wall and coal seam. The coal seam around the punching borehole is unloaded, which improves coal permeability and accelerates gas migration towards the borehole, thus promoting the efficiency of gas extraction. It is more reasonable to use punching combined drilling borehole scheme when implementing the GECMBFR technology.

Study of the slope deformation characteristics and landslide mechanisms under alternating excavation and rainfall disturbance

To investigate slope stability under alternating excavation and rainfall disturbance and to reveal the intrinsic mechanism of the slope stress diffusion process caused by stress-seepage coupling, a method consisting of separate simulation of the excavation stress field and rainfall seepage field and superposition analysis is proposed. Meanwhile, the distribution of the pore water pressure and transient saturation zone in the AK2 + 210 ~ AK2 + 610 section slope of a highway in Guangdong Province, China, is comprehensively analysed by calculating the rainfall seepage field during the excavation process. The effects of the rainfall seepage and slope stresses are further studied by applying the changing natural/saturated physical and mechanical parameters and pore water pressure values obtained by physical testing and parameter inversion. Moreover, the safety and stability of the highway slope during each stage is computed numerically using the strength reduction method, and the slope failure process, instability-inducing factors and failure mechanism are discussed in detail. The results indicate that the proposed separate simulation and superposition analysis method is effective and of considerable practical value in slope engineering. Additionally, a comprehensive slope stability treatment is suggested, which can be used as a reference for other slope projects experiencing alternating excavation and rainfall disturbance.

Multiparameter Inversion Early Warning System of Tunnel Stress-Seepage Coupling Based on IA-BP Algorithm

Under construction disturbance, the surrounding rock of a soft rock tunnel shows obvious aging characteristics. The creep characteristics of a rock mass under stress-seepage coupling greatly influence the long-term stability of a project. How to simply, quickly, and accurately determine the creep parameters of a rock mass under coupling conditions is significant to engineering structure design and construction. The optimal weights and thresholds of the BP neural network are sought through the immune algorithm to avoid the problem of slow convergence speed of the BP neural network and easy to fall into local optimum. Therefore, an intelligent back analysis method based on the IA-BP algorithm is established, which leads to the development of the corresponding intelligent back analysis program. The creep effect of the rock mass was simulated herein using the Drucker–Prager yield criterion and the time hardening creep law as the forward optimization method constitutive model. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of the parameters was performed to determine the optimal number of inversion parameters. By comparing and analyzing the residual between the inversion results of the IA-BP algorithm, PSO-BP algorithm, and the test values, the high precision of the IA-BP algorithm is proved. Taking the Lan Zhou-Hai Kou national expressway tunnel as an engineering example, a multiparameter creep inversion of the tunnel surrounding rock under the stress-seepage coupling condition was conducted using the inverse analysis method of the IA-BP algorithm. The results showed that the proposed IA-BP algorithm can effectively prevent the BP neural network from falling into a local minimum. Also, the algorithm is fast and accurate. The intelligent back analysis method based on the IA-BP algorithm is applied to the multifield coupling parameter back analysis, provides the basis and help for the structural design and construction of soft rock tunnel in water-rich stratum.

Equivalent Continuum Coupling-Based Slope Stability Analysis of Zhouning Pumped Storage Power Station

A 3D equivalent continuum coupling analysis of the slope of the Zhouning pumped storage power station was proposed in this study. Firstly, the hydraulic properties of rock mass, groundwater, and deformation mechanism under high-frequency fluctuations of the water level are analyzed. Secondly, the three-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with surface image information was established by digital photogrammetry technology for cataloging field fracture information. Third, stress-seepage coupling simulation using a hybrid grid approach and the FLAC3D equivalent continuum model was implemented. The results show that the permeability of rock mass is stress-dependent and anisotropic, and the direction of maximum principal permeability of both bank slopes is approximately parallel to the river. Slope deformations induced by impoundment during the operation period are the superposition results of two mechanisms, referred to as “mattress effect” and “swelling effect.” Attention should be paid to the tensile strength of the rock mass during operation.

Experimental Study of Stress-Seepage Coupling Properties of Sandstone under Different Loading Paths

The study on hydromechanical coupling properties of rocks is of great importance for rock engineering. It is closely related to the stability analysis of structures in rocks under seepage condition. In this study, a series of conventional triaxial tests under drained condition and hydrostatic compression tests under drained or undrained condition on sandstones were conducted. Moreover, complex cyclic loading and unloading tests were also carried out. Based on the experimental results, the following conclusions were obtained. For conventional triaxial tests, the elastic modulus, peak strength, crack initiation stress, and expansion stress increase with increased confining pressure. Pore pressure weakened the effect of the confining pressure under drained condition, which led to a decline in rock mechanical properties. It appeared that cohesion was more sensitive to pore pressure than to the internal friction angle. For complex loading and unloading cyclic tests, in deviatoric stress loading and unloading cycles, elastic modulus increased obviously in first loading stage and increased slowly in next stages. In confining pressure loading and unloading cycles, the Biot coefficient decreased first and then increased, which indicates that damage has a great impact on the Biot coefficient.

Cut-Through Fractured Seepage Properties and Numerical Simulation of Sandstone after Different Temperature Treatments

To explore the seepage characteristics of cut-through fractured rocks after different temperatures, sandstone in the Hunan area was selected as the research object. First, the influence degree of different temperatures on the permeability of fractured sandstone was studied, and the permeability variation of fractured sandstone with net confining pressure was revealed. The test data was nonlinearly fitted to prove that the relationship between permeability and net confining pressure conforms to the characteristics of the negative exponential function. Second, the macroscopic fractured state of sandstone after different temperature treatments was analyzed, and it is concluded that the inclination angle of the fracture surface decreases with the applied thermal temperature, the fracture surface gradually develops into a single shear failure surface, and the damage degree becomes more and more serious. Finally, the theoretical formula for the calculation of fractured seepage was introduced, and the FLAC3D embedded fish language was used to compile the seepage-stress coupling calculation program of the fractured sandstone after different temperature treatments. Numerical calculations were carried out based on samples with different fracture angles of fractured sandstone, and the calculated values were in good agreement with the test results. The research results can provide guiding significance for the research on the influence of high temperature in fire tunnel on the evolution of permeability of surrounding rock fissures.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SANDSTONE SUBJECTED TO COUPLING OF TEMPERATURE–SEEPAGE–STRESS

ABSTRACT: The deformation and fracture of rock mass in deep rock mass engineering are affected by the coupling of temperature, seepage, and stress. A test and a calculation model for sandstone under thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) coupling were proposed to reveal the mechanical properties of sandstone. The law of coupling for mechanical indicators of sandstone was established by laboratory tests and numerical simulations. The permeability, peak strength, peak strain, residual strength, elastic modulus, plastic deformation area, and stress–strain cloud diagram were analyzed by the steady state seepage method and THM coupling principle, and the accuracy of the model was verified. Results demonstrate that: (1) As the temperature rises and the peak deformation increases, the sample slowly drops to the residual strength level after the peak stress. (2) The main factor that affects peak strength is confining pressure. In the temperature range of 25 °C–50 °C, the maximum peak strength and peak deformation are increased by heating, and the increases in confining pressure and temperature reduce the reduction coefficient of the residual strength. Moreover, the elastic modulus increases with the increase in confining pressure, but it shows a downward trend when the temperature increases. (3) The plastic deformation zone and stress–strain cloud diagram indicated that when the temperature and osmotic pressure increase, the specimen enters the plastic zone earlier, the effective plastic zone increases, the stress increases, and the deformation is intensified. The proposed method provides a certain reference for the permeability and stability evaluation of rock mass under the conditions of “three-high” (high confining pressure, high hydraulic pressure, and high stress) engineering. Keywords: temperature–seepage–stress coupling, sandstone, mechanical properties

Progressive failure mechanical behaviour and response characteristics of sandstone under stress-seepage coupling

AbstractConventional triaxial loading tests with different confining pressures and stress-seepage coupling tests on sandstone with different confining pressures and seepage pressures were conducted. A permeability model considering strength and strain was established, which better characterized the progressive deformation mechanical behaviour of sandstone under stress-seepage coupling. The results showed the following. (i) The confining pressure not only affects the peak strength of sandstone but also affects the axial deformation under conventional triaxial loading conditions. (ii) Compared with the seepage pressure effect, the degree of the confining pressure effect on the strength of sandstone was weaker, but the degree of that on the axial, radial and volumetric deformations of sandstone was stronger under stress-seepage coupling. (iii) With increasing confining pressure, the axial strain of sandstone decreased, while the corresponding radial and volumetric strains showed progressively increasing evolution characteristics under identical seepage pressures and different confining pressures. With increasing seepage pressure, the axial strain continuously decreased, while the corresponding radial and volumetric strains showed the progressive evolution characteristic of first increasing and then decreasing under identical confining pressures and different seepage pressures. (iv) Compared with the confining pressure effect, the degree of the seepage pressure effect on the permeability progressive evolution law of sandstone was weaker under stress-seepage coupling. The research conclusions could enrich the theories for the prevention and control of water inrush accidents in coal mines.