Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation of fracture propagation and inrush characteristics in tunnel construction

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is well known that water inrush during excavation is one of the greatest challenges in modern underground engineering. However, the fracture propagation and inrush characteristics induced by excavation and high-pressure water are poorly understood due to the lack of an appropriate experimental apparatus and an online and real-time monitoring approach. Accordingly, a model test system for the simulation of water inrush during excavation and water injection was developed. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring during excavation and injection was used to investigate the fracture propagation and water-inrush channel formation in the host rock. Three distinct stages were observed in the AEs over time and were related to the fracture propagation during excavation and injection, namely fracture initiation, fracture extension, and unstable fracture growth (fracture network). The AE results exhibited an increase in AE activities and changes in the AE spatial correlation during the excavation and during the increase in injection pressure. A comparison of photographs of the water-inrush locations and the mechanical characteristics obtained from the AE test verified the proposed method. The results provide valuable insights and a suitable method for the investigation of the mechanism of water inrush in underground engineering.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adachi J, Siebrits E, Peirce A, Desroches J (2007) Computer simulation of hydraulic fractures. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 44:739–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aker E, Kühn D, Vavryčuk V, Soldal M, Oye V (2014) Experimental investigation of acoustic emissions and their moment tensors in rock during failure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 70:286–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andreas K, Nikola R (2011) Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems. Water Resour Manag 10:33–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Behnia A, Ranjbar N, Chai HK, Masaeli M (2016) Failure prediction and reliability analysis of ferrocement composite structures by incorporating machine learning into acoustic emission monitoring technique. Constr Build Mater 122:823–832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bukowski P (2011) Water hazard assessment in active shafts in upper silesian coal basin mines. Mine Water Environ 30:302–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai M, Kaiser PK, Morioka H, Minami M, Maejima T, Tasaka Y, Kurose H (2007) FLAC/PFC coupled numerical simulation of AE in large-scale underground excavations. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 44:550–564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao A, Jing G, Ding YL, Liu S (2019) Mining-induced static and dynamic loading rate effect on rock damage and acoustic emission characteristic under uniaxial compression. Saf Sci 116:86–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen YF, Hu SH, Hu R, Zhou CB (2015) Estimating hydraulic conductivity of fractured rocks from high-pressure packer tests with an Izbash’s law-based empirical model. Water Resour Res 51:2096–2118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng W, Wang W, Huang S, Huang S, Ma P (2013) Acoustic emission monitoring of rockbursts during TBM-excavated headrace tunneling at Jinping II hydropower station. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 5:486–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farhadian H, Katibeh H, Huggenberger P (2016) Empirical model for estimating groundwater flow into tunnel in discontinuous rock masses. Environ Earth Sci 75:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farhidzadeh A, Mpalaskas AC, Matikas TE, Farhidzadeh H, Aggelis DG (2014) Fracture mode identification in cementitious materials using supervised pattern recognition of acoustic emission features. Constr Build Mater 67:129–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo JQ, Qiao CS (2012) Study on water-inrush mechanism and safe thickness of rock wall of karst tunnel face. J China Railw Soc 34:105–111

    Google Scholar 

  • He K, Jia Y, Wang F, Lu Y (2011) Overview of karst geo-environments and karst water resources in north and south China. Environ Earth Sci 64:1865–1873

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hossain MM, Rahman MK, Rahman SS (2000) Hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation: roles of wellbore trajectory, perforation and stress regimes. J Pet Sci Eng 27(3):129–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z, Jiang Z, Zhu S, Qian Z, Cao D (2014) Characterizing the hydraulic conductivity of rock formations between deep coal an aquifers using injection tests. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 71:12–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z, Jiang ZQ, Zhu SY, Wu XS, Yang LN, Guan YZ (2016) Influence of structure and water pressure on the hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass around underground excavations. Eng Geol 202:74–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z, Li X, Li S, Zhao K, Zhang R (2018) Investigation of the hydraulic properties of deep fractured rocks around underground excavations using high-pressure injection tests. Eng Geol 245:180–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iliopoulos S, Aggelis DG, Pyl L, Vantomme J, Van Marcke P, Coppens E, Areias L (2015) Detection and evaluation of cracks in the concrete buffer of the Belgian Nuclear Waste container using combined NDT techniques. Constr Build Mater 78:369–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang HM, Li L, Rong XL, Wang MY, Xia YP, Zhang ZC (2017) Model test to investigate waterproof-resistant slab minimum safety thickness for water inrush geohazards. Tunn Unergr Space Technol 62:35–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khazaei C, Hazzard J, Chalaturnyk R (2015) Damage quantification of intact rocks using acoustic emission energies recorded during uniaxial compression test and discrete element modeling. Comput Geotech 67:94–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kresse O, Weng X, Gu H, Wu R (2013) Numerical modeling of hydraulic fractures interaction in complex naturally fractured formations. Rock Mech Rock Eng 46:555–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurz JH (2015) New approaches for automatic threedimensional source localization of acoustic emissions: applications to concrete specimens. Ultrasonics 63:155–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Tu W, Shi S, Chen J, Zhang Y (2016) Mechanism of water inrush in tunnel construction in karst area. Geomat Nat Hazards Risk 7:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang DX, Jiang ZQ, Zhu SY, Sun Q, Qian ZW (2016) Experimental research on water inrush in tunnel construction. Nat Hazards 81:467–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu SM, Ma HX (2018) Estimation of the stress level on a cross section of a reinforced concrete beam via acoustic emission intensity distribution (AID) analysis. Constr Build Mater 164:463–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu AH, Peng SQ, Li XB, Chen H (2009) Development and application of similar physical model experiment system for water inrush mechanism in deep mining. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 28:1335–1341

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu S, Li W, Wang Q (2017) Height of the water-flowing fractured zone of the Jurassic coal seam in northwestern China. Mine Water Environ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-017-0501-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu Y, Wang L (2015) Numerical simulation of mining-induced fracture evolution and water flow in coal seam floor above a confined aquifer. Comput Geotech 67:157–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma D, Rezania M, Yu HS, Bai HB (2017) Variations of hydraulic properties of granular sandstones during water inrush: effect of small particle migration. Eng Geol 217:61–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odintsev VN, Miletenko NA (2015) Water inrush in mines as a consequence of spontaneous hydrofracture. J Min Sci 51:423–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polak K, Rozkowshi K, Czaja P (2016) Causes and effects of uncontrolled water inrush into a decommissioned mine shaft. Mine Water Environ 35:128–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez IV, Stanchits S, Burghardt J (2017) Data-driven, in situ, relative sensor calibration based on waveform fitting moment tensor inversion. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50:891–911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seng M, Tian S, Zhang B, Ge H (2019) Frequency analysis of multi-sources acoustic emission from high-velocity waterjet rock drilling and its indicator to drilling efciency. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 115:137–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanchits S, Surdi A, Gathogo P, Edelman E, Suarez-Rivera R (2014) Onset of hydraulic fracture initiation monitored by acoustic emission and volumetric deformation measurements. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47:1521–1532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao K, Zheng W (2018) Real-time damage assessment of hydrous sandstone based on synergism of AE-CT techniques. Eng Fail Anal 91:465–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang SY, Sun L, Au ASK, Yang TH, Tang CA (2009) 2D-numerical analysis of hydraulic fracturing in heterogeneous geo-materials. Constr Build Mater 23:2196–2206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JX, Liu XT, Xiang JD, Jiang YH, Feng B (2016) Laboratory model tests on water inrush in foundation pit bottom. Environ Earth Sci 75:1072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang TT, Zhan SS, Chen CH, Su WC (2017a) Characterizing fractures to mitigate inrush of water into a shaft using hydrogeological approaches. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 61:205–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Liu X, Wang E, Li X, Zhang X, Zhang C, Kong B (2017b) Experimental research of the AE responses and fracture evolution characteristics for sand-paraffin similar material. Constr Build Mater 132:446–456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Q, Zhou WF (2008) Prediction of groundwater inrush into coal mines from aquifers underlying the coal seams in China: vulnerability index method and its construction. Environ Geol 56:245–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Q, Fan S, Zhou W, Liu S (2013) Application of the analytic hierarchy process to assessment of water inrush: a case study for the no. 17 coal seam in the Sanhejian coal mine, China. Mine Water Environ 32:229–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu GJ, Chen WZ, Yuan JQ, Bian HB (2017) Formation mechanisms of water inrush and mud burst in a migmatite tunnel: a case study in China. J Mt Sci 14:188–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X, Zhang YX, Guo XH (1995) Analysis of dynamic phenomenon in the process of mine water inrush. Ground Press Strata Control 1:13–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R, Jiang ZQ, Zhou HY, Yang CW, Xiao SJ (2014) Groundwater outbursts from faults above a confined aquifer in the coal mining. Nat Hazards 71:1861–1872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Li PF, Tian SM (2013) Prevention and treatment technologies of railway tunnel water inrush and mud gushing in China. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 5:468–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao YL, Zhang SG, Wan W, Wang EJ, Cai L, Peng QY (2014) Solid–fluid coupling-strength reduction method for karst cave water inrush before roadway based on flow state conversion theory. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 33(9):1852–1862

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou CB, Zhao XJ, Chen YF, Liao Z, Liu MM (2018) Interpretation of high pressure pack tests for design of impervious barriers under high-head conditions. Eng Geol 234:112–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41702326), the National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX201700113), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M620205), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20171BAB206022), the State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (SKLGDUEK1703), the Technology Project Founded by the Education Department of Jiangxi Province (GJJ160675), and the Innovative Experts, Long-term Program of Jiangxi Province. We thank Prof. Vladimír Schenk (Editor in Chief) and two referees for their very constructive reviews.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Zhen Huang & Yun Wu

  2. School of Resources and Environment Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China

    Zhen Huang, Wei Zeng, ShiJie Li & Kui Zhao

  3. State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Zhen Huang

Authors
  1. Zhen Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wei Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yun Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. ShiJie Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kui Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhen Huang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Huang, Z., Zeng, W., Wu, Y. et al. Experimental investigation of fracture propagation and inrush characteristics in tunnel construction. Nat Hazards 97, 193–210 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03634-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03634-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation