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Design of Effective Grouting Pattern in Kerman Water Conveyance Tunnel Using DFN-DEM and Analytical Approaches

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Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate grouting pattern for sealing the fractures of the Kerman Water Conveyance Tunnel (KWCT) using the discrete fracture network-discrete element method (DFN-DEM) and analytical approaches. In the first stage, nine DFNs were generated with different fracture densities. Following that, the hydraulic conductivity values were calculated to determine the representative elementary volume (REV) of a geological section of the KWCT. The grout’s effective radius in the optimal size blocks was then determined. Analytical models based on joint features and different rheological properties of the grout were also used to evaluate the grout penetration length. Finally, the most suitable patterns of grouting boreholes in rock masses with low and high fracture densities at a pressure of 24 bar were obtained by borehole arrangement with angles of 60° and 45°, respectively. These patterns were effectively used as the optimal injection arrangement in a zone of the KWCT that was at high risk of water inrush. Following the grouting, some core samples were drilled to assess the grouting efficiency and check the condition of the solidified grout in the rock mass cracks. According to the observations, the proposed arrangements were extremely efficient.

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All data generated and analyzed during this study are included in this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, 84156-83111, Esfahān, Iran

    Sasan Ghorbani

  2. Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Komeil Bour

  3. Faculty of Mining, Petroleum and Geophysics Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

    Roohollah Javdan

  4. Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Guilan, Guilan, Iran

    Mohammad Bour

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  1. Sasan Ghorbani
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Correspondence to Sasan Ghorbani.

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Ghorbani, S., Bour, K., Javdan, R. et al. Design of Effective Grouting Pattern in Kerman Water Conveyance Tunnel Using DFN-DEM and Analytical Approaches. Int. J. of Geosynth. and Ground Eng. 9, 19 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-023-00441-2

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