NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON DIFFUSION PROCESS OF GROUT WITH NEWTONIAN BEHAVIOUR IN RECTANGULAR PLANE FISSURE

Xiaoqian Luo, Xiaolong Li

ABSTRACT: Grouting is widely used to reduce water flow through rock masses and improve in situ rock quality. In recent decades, there has always been a significant requirement to understand the mechanism behind grout spread in jointed rock. In this study, the flow process of a Newtonian grout in a rectangular plane fissure initially filled with air is numerically investigated by using the finite volume method (FVM) and the volume of fluid (VOF) technique. The results show that before the flow front reaches the side wall, the grout movement exhibits a radial flow, and after that, the grout flow direction changes and it flows along the y-direction, parallel to the side wall, with an uneven flow front. With the gradual increase of grout propagation length, the flow front tends to be flat and finally becomes a horizontal straight line. The pressure gradient of the flow field continuously decreases with the enlargement of grout spread area, as results in a rapid decline of grout rate.

Keywords: grouting, fissure, finite volume method, VOF, numerical simulation