Experimental Study on Flow Water Diffusion of Cement-Sodium Silicate Grouting in Rough Fracture Model

Grouting is one of the common methods used to seal and reinforce fractures in underground construction. Flowing groundwater is often encountered in underground spaces, and grout sealing in such situations. Cement-sodium silicate (C-S) slurry is one of the commonly used quick-setting materials for sealing flowing water. Aperture width, initial water flow velocity, grout pressure and gel time are the key factors affecting dynamic flow grouting. Orthogonal tests based on a homemade experimental platform for simulating two-sided rough fractures in dynamic water grouting are conducted to investigate the effects of the four factors on slurry diffusion and sealing. The results show that there are three main modes of slurry diffusion: near cross diffusion mode, near U-shaped diffusion mode, and near T-shaped diffusion mode. Those affecting the slurry sealing efficiency from strong to weak are initial water flow velocity, aperture width, gel time and grouting pressure. The final distribution patterns of the slurry are divided into four types: successful sealing, partial sealing of boundary erosion, failure sealing of violent erosion, and ineffective sealing. According to these results, it has certain guiding significance for grouting sealing in practical engineering applications.

Automated summary

Grouting is a common method used to seal and reinforce fractures in underground construction. The effects of aperture width, initial water flow velocity, grout pressure, and gel time on slurry diffusion and sealing were investigated using orthogonal tests. The results showed different modes of slurry diffusion and identified the factors that most strongly influenced the slurry sealing efficiency. The study provides guidance for grouting sealing in practical engineering applications.