Compartmented flow at the Bátaapáti site in Hungary

Integration of hydrogeological and geological data into a conceptual model is critical for site investigation programs, since this model is the basis for hydrogeological modeling and for engineering. In the Hungarian Radioactive Waste Disposal Investigation Program, several methods have been used to characterize the potential host rock (granite) at the Bátaapáti site for a repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Hydrogeological data acquisition revealed some characteristic aspects of the site. One of the most important is the presence of extensive rock deformation zones (faults) with low hydraulic conductivity, which strongly reduce the direct hydraulic communication between adjacent blocks of rock (compartmentalization). This characteristic of the rock mass results in a mosaic-like distribution of rock compartments, each with an almost constant hydraulic head. Within the compartments, hydraulic tests have shown that transmissivity is strongly scale dependent: the larger the scale, the higher the measured transmissivity. The extensive highly transmissive zones cause very low hydraulic gradients within each block, thus the transport processes are strongly influenced by the low or average transmissivity zones and the rock matrix.     

Statistical analysis for the hydrogeological evaluation of the fracture networks in hard rocks

The hydrogeological effectiveness of fracture sets is determined and evaluated by the fuzzy c-mean and hierarchical clustering. These cluster analyses combine the geological spatial attributes and the hydraulic relevant attributes of fractures. Based on the results of the clustering the fracture set volumes are estimated.     

Hydraulic In situ Testing for Mining and Engineering Design: Packer Test Procedure,Preparation, Analysis and Interpretation

Hydraulic in situ measurement of rock mass permeability by packer (Lugeon) testing is an inherent and integral element of many engineering, hydrogeological and mining investigation. This paper describes and discusses geotechnical testing in the design process from a consulting practitioner’s perspective. This study focuses on the Packer testing planning, procedure, results & interpretation. Packer test system is an optimum method for obtaining values of hydraulic conductivity in wells that are difficult to analyse using conventional slug test systems. Packer tests are carried out to assess the variability of a borehole as it intersects various hydrogeological units. It gives vertical distribution of hydraulic properties and water quality in the aquifer and usually cheaper than a nest of wells and gives more continuous record and this knowledge can often be essential for a proper design. The role, objectives, types and interpretation of testing, limitations and recommended good practices as part of the geotechnical design process are outlined through the examination of test data from a case record.     

Engineering geological evaluation of geological barrier rocks at landfills and repositories

 A site specific evaluation of geological barriers is required for landfills and waste repositories. The waste-repository-rock system has to be taken into consideration for this. Since the geotechnical barrier in conjunction with geological barriers contributes considerably to long-term isolation of the harmful substances from the biosphere, it is absolutely necessary to use engineering geology and hydrogeological methods for a quantitative assessment of the barrier effect of the host rock and the geological environment. For a waste disposal mine, the load-bearing capacity of the rock, the protective properties of the surrounding rock formations and the geological stability of the area are important factors in a safety analysis, of which the geotechnical stability analysis is an important part. Such an analysis comprises an engineering geological study of the site, laboratory and in situ experiments and model calculations, long-term monitoring, and special geological and geochemical investigations. Existing geomechanical modelling techniques provide a useful tool to perform barrier integrity calculations and to design an underground disposal mine. As an example, the barrier performance of the rock salt of the Gorleben salt dome is demonstrated using various safety indicators. Received: 3 January 1997 · Accepted: 29 January 1997     

A multidisciplinary approach for the investigation of a rock spreading on an urban slope

Landslides are very complex processes controlled by multiple factors. The knowledge and characterization of these factors is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and kinematics of the instabilities and for an efficient design of corrective measures. The aim of this work is to combine traditional geological and geotechnical techniques with geophysical, remote sensing and forensic techniques for obtaining a whole picture of an active lateral spreading affecting the Finestrat municipality in Alicante, SE Spain. Geomorphological, geotechnical and geophysical techniques (i.e. ground penetrating radar and refraction seismic) have provided essential information about the geometry, structure and petro-physical properties of the slope. A Terrestrial Laser Scanner was used for recognizing the most important sets of discontinuities affecting the rock mass and to evaluate the activity of the landslide slope. Complementarily, a forensic analysis of the building damage completed the available datasets, yielding very useful kinematic information of the landslide. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the stability of the rock slope has been performed considering both block toppling and block sliding models. Therefore, the multisource analysis performed in this work has allowed the identification and characterization of a complex lateral spreading, highlighting its effectiveness for a comprehensive understanding of this type of landslide.     

Development and parameterisation of a complex hydrogeological model based on high-resolution direct-push data

Ongoing developments in geological and hydrogeological investigation techniques, especially direct-push methods, have led to an increase in the quality, density and spatial resolution of data available from such investigations. This has created new challenges in the development of numerical models in terms of accurately and efficiently translating detailed and complex conceptual models into effective numerical models. Suitable geometrical and numerical modelling tools are essential in order to meet these challenges. This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional hydrogeological flow model for a contaminated site near Berlin, Germany, based on high-resolution geological data obtained principally using direct-push methods. The available data were first interpreted to construct a detailed GIS-based geological model, which formed the basis of the conceptual site model. The conceptual model was then translated into a geometrical model, which was used to create a finite element numerical model. An innovative geometry object-based approach enabled the complex structural details of the conceptual model to be accurately reproduced in the numerical model domain. The resulting three-dimensional steady-state unconfined flow model was successfully calibrated using external automated calibration software, whereby parameter values for groundwater recharge and hydraulic conductivity were determined.     

基于人工蜂群算法的岩体结构面多参数优势分组研究

岩体结构面优势分组是研究岩体力学性质与水力特性的基础,通常的分析方法是只根据产状进行划分。鉴于结构面其他特征对岩体力学性质的重要影响,考虑结构面倾向、倾角、迹长、张开度、表面形态5个特征参数,提出了基于人工蜂群算法的岩体结构面多参数优势分组方法。以样本总体离差平方和为目标函数,建立岩体结构面多参数优势分组的数学模型,应用人工蜂群优化算法求解,以目标函数值最小时的解作为聚类中心,并自动确定分组边界。对人工生成的结构面数据的计算结果验证了该方法的正确性,该方法的求解精度是令人满意的。最后,将该方法应用于怒江松塔水电站坝址区岩体结构面多参数优势组的划分,得到了较为合理的分组结果,进一步验证了此方法具有较高的运行效率与工程实用性。     

The role of in situ stress in determining hydraulic connectivity in a fractured rock aquifer (Australia)

Fracture network connectivity is a spatially variable property that is difficult to quantify from standard hydrogeological datasets. This critical property is related to the distributions of fracture density, orientation, dimensions, intersections, apertures and roughness. These features that determine the inherent connectivity of a fracture network can be modified by secondary processes including weathering, uplift and unloading and other mechanisms that lead to fracture deformation in response to in situ stress. This study focussed on a fractured rock aquifer in the Clare Valley, South Australia, and found that fracture network connectivity could be discriminated from several geological, geophysical and hydrogeological field datasets at various scales including single well and local- to regional-scale data. Representative hydromechanical models of the field site were not only consistent with field observations but also highlighted the strong influence of in situ stress in determining the distribution of fracture hydraulic apertures and the formation of hydraulic chokes that impede fluid flow. The results of this multi-disciplinary investigation support the notion that the hydraulic conductivity of a fracture network is limited to the least hydraulically conductive interconnected fractures, which imposes a physical limit on the bulk hydraulic conductivity of a fractured rock aquifer.     

基于NSMC方法的某核工程场地裂隙地下水数值模拟不确定分析

裂隙介质渗透结构表现为高度的非均质性与各项异性。为了科学有效地预测某核工程场地裂隙地下水的流动规律,揭示裂隙岩体地下水的渗流特性,笔者等采用Pilot Point调参方法与null space Monte Carlo方法（NSMC）,开展了裂隙岩体渗透结构的不确定性分析研究,构建了符合实际水文地质条件的多个渗流数值模型集合。结果表明：该方法获得的各个实现地下水位模拟结果能够与实际观测数据较好吻合,可反映工程场地裂隙地下水动力特征与流动趋势;各个实现的参数化渗透结构在空间上存在一定的差异性,但整体变化趋势是保持一致的,渗透参数的不确定性表现为在实测数据分布区域相对较低,钻孔空白区域相对较高;该方法可以弥补单一、确定性模拟结果在表征裂隙介质渗透结构方面的局限性,有效地降低模型参数的不确定性与随机性。此方法对进一步提升裂隙岩体渗流模拟精度与预测能力,深化裂隙地下水迁移规律的认识具有重要的意义。     

Application of multiple-point geostatistics on modelling groundwater flow and transport in a cross-bedded aquifer (Belgium)

Sedimentological processes often result in complex three-dimensional subsurface heterogeneity of hydrogeological parameter values. Variogram-based stochastic approaches are often not able to describe heterogeneity in such complex geological environments. This work shows how multiple-point geostatistics can be applied in a realistic hydrogeological application to determine the impact of complex geological heterogeneity on groundwater flow and transport. The approach is applied to a real aquifer in Belgium that exhibits a complex sedimentary heterogeneity and anisotropy. A training image is constructed based on geological and hydrogeological field data. Multiple-point statistics are borrowed from this training image to simulate hydrofacies occurrence, while intrafacies permeability variability is simulated using conventional variogram-based geostatistical methods. The simulated hydraulic conductivity realizations are used as input to a groundwater flow and transport model to investigate the effect of small-scale sedimentary heterogeneity on contaminant plume migration. Results show that small-scale sedimentary heterogeneity has a significant effect on contaminant transport in the studied aquifer. The uncertainty on the spatial facies distribution and intrafacies hydraulic conductivity distribution results in a significant uncertainty on the calculated concentration distribution. Comparison with standard variogram-based techniques shows that multiple-point geostatistics allow better reproduction of irregularly shaped low-permeability clay drapes that influence solute transport.     

Introducing wwhypda: a world-wide collaborative hydrogeological parameters database

Since the seminal publication of Henry Darcy’s work in the 1880s, a very large number of rock property values (such as hydraulic conductivity, permeability, compressibility, porosity, etc.) has been measured and published. These data are, however, dispersed and difficult to access. To overcome this problem and to facilitate site characterization (especially stochastic), a worldwide hydrogeological parameter database (wwhypda) is proposed. It is an open and collaborative catalog allowing users to store and retrieve measurements. The catalog is accessible through a web interface (http://wwhypda.org). Presently, it provides individual values and probability density functions of the properties as a function of lithology, scale of observation, location, and geological environment.     

山岭隧道工程综合地质勘察方法探讨

山岭隧道工程具有隐蔽性、施工复杂性、地层条件和周围环境不确定性等特点,采用科学的勘察方法,是查明隧道岩土体工程地质条件的有效手段。本文以海淀区西山隧道为依托,针对隧道工程勘察中的关键地质问题,运用工程地质测绘、钻探、工程物探、水文地质勘查等综合勘察方法,有效地查明隧址区的地质构造、岩土体结构和地下水分布特征,全面、客观地评价隧道进出口段边坡及仰坡稳定性、隧道围岩质量与稳定性、隧道涌水量、地应力及有害气体等工程地质问题,并针对不良地质现象提出防治对策,以期为工期紧张、地形困难且日趋增多的山岭隧道工程地质勘察,提供可以借鉴的模式和方法。     

Engineering characterization of hydraulic properties in a pilot rock cavern for underground LNG storage

Feasibility of storing LNG in a lined rock cavern was evaluated using a pilot cryogenic rock cavern constructed in Daejeon, Korea. The pilot program included hydrogeological and engineering characterization of the rock mass around the cavern, design and construction of a drainage system, and pilot operation of the cryogenic cavern. An appropriate drainage system is most important to protect the containment system of LNG from thermal shocks due to ice lenses and hydrostatic pressure of groundwater. As a part of the pilot program, this study focused on the evaluation of hydraulic and engineering properties of the rock mass around the cavern. For this purpose, engineering logging of the rock cores, single and cross-hole hydraulic tests, and recharge/drainage tests were performed using seven drilled holes with different trends and plunges. Three main joint sets were found from the logging of the rock cores, acoustic borehole televiewer, and window mapping. The orientations of the three major joint sets were 60/209, 40/171, and 29/331, which can provide the main groundwater flow paths. Mean RQD values ranged from 56 to 88, which were classified as fair and good, although varying with depth along single boreholes. Hydraulic conductivity from the single and cross-hole hydraulic tests estimated in the order of 10⁻⁶ or 10⁻⁷ m/s and corresponding transmissivity ranged between 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻⁶ m²/s. Permeable intervals identified from the hydraulic tests were mostly located above the cavern roof. Below the roof, the permeable zone was difficult to observe. According to the hydraulic communication tests performed for some designated intervals, hydraulic connection between boreholes was highly varied with depth or location, which indicated a very different distribution of water conducting joint sets along the boreholes. When water was injected at R1 with constant or varying flow rates, monotonous and stable seepage was observed at observation boreholes. From this, some stable drainage was expected even in relatively heavy rainfalls. When designing the drainage system of the cavern, the drainage holes should be orientated to maximize frequency of encountering the major joint sets and the permeable intervals identified from this study.     

基于相关指标的裂隙岩体渗透系数估算模型研究

掌握岩体的渗透性是精细化描述一个地区水文地质特征的重要工作。渗透系数是表征岩体渗透性的重要指标,研究渗透系数估算模型对于实际工程应用具有重要意义。在现有的渗透系数估算模型中,单因子模型忽略了其他因素对该地区渗透系数的综合影响,复合因子模型存在参数选取不够灵活、部分参数较难获取等问题。基于公开数据,分类整理和对比分析了影响裂隙岩体渗透性的正、负相关参数,提出一种拟合效果好、参数选取灵活的渗透系数估算模型——PNC（Positive and Negative Correlation）模型。研究结果表明:在研究区一,PNC模型的拟合效果（可决系数R2=0.964和R2=0.801）优于HC模型的拟合效果（R2=0.905和R2=0.563）;在研究区二,PNC模型的拟合效果（R2=0.959）优于RMP模型的拟合效果（R2=0.927）;在研究区三,PNC模型的拟合效果（R2=0.94～0.99）优于ZRF模型的拟合效果（R2=0.92～0.99）。利用纳什效率系数（Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient,NSE）进行模型误差分析,7组数据中有5组数据的误差系数在0.95以上。这说明PNC模型具有便利性和可靠性,可以为实际工程估算和验证渗透系数提供一定的参考。     

Application of Rock Mass Characterization for Determining the Mechanical Properties of Rock Mass: a Comparative Study

The results of geotechnical explorations, engineering geological investigation (including laboratory and in situ tests) and field observations have been used, along with borehole logging charts, to obtain the rock mass geotechnical data. Based on the data, the rock mass along the Sabzkuh water conveyance tunnel route was classified by rock mass rating (RMR), Q-system (Q), rock mass index (RMi) and geological strength index (GSI) (3 methods). A new series of correlations were established between the systems based on the data collected from the study area. These relationships were then compared with those reported in the literature, and two new relations were recommended. The classifications were utilized to calculate mechanical properties (rock mass strength and deformation modulus) of the rock mass along the tunnel according to available empirical relations, and to distinguish the upper-bound and lower-bound relations.     

Construction of grout curtain in karstic environment case study: Salman Farsi Dam

Salman Farsi is an arch-gravity dam. It is 125 m high and located on the Ghareh-Agaj River in Fars province, south of Iran. From the geological and hydrogeological point of view, this dam is one of the most complicated sites in Iran. Existence of 40 springs at the river level (including hot springs), and many faults and crushed zones are part of these complications. The dam site is famous for its numerous big caverns. Main characteristics of the rock mass are: (1) low permeable limestone of moderate to high strength, (2) high karstification generally localized around intersection of faults or discontinuities. The main purpose of grout curtains is to change the hydrogeological characteristics (reducing the permeability) of the rock mass. Constructing a grout curtain in a karstic environment with a high random distribution of karst features contains some uncertainties and surprises cannot be excluded. During the excavation of grouting galleries, some big caverns at both abutments were discovered. The volume of the biggest one (Golshan’s Cave) exceeds 150,000 m³. A large-scale underground geotechnical treatment is needed to improve the water tightness of the dam site.     

Coupled hydrogeological and reactive transport modelling of the Simpevarp area (Sweden)

The Simpevarp area is one of the alternative sites being considered for the deep geological disposal of high level radioactive waste in Sweden. In this paper, a coupled regional groundwater flow and reactive solute transport model of the Simpevarp area is presented that integrates current hydrogeological and hydrochemical data of the area. The model simulates the current hydrochemical pattern of the groundwater system in the area. To that aim, a conceptual hydrochemical model was developed in order to represent the dominant chemical processes. Groundwater flow conditions were reproduced by taking into account fluid-density-dependent groundwater flow and regional hydrogeologic boundary conditions. Reactive solute transport calculations were performed on the basis of the velocity field so obtained. The model was calibrated and sensitivity analyses were carried out in order to investigate the effects of heterogeneities of hydraulic conductivity in the subsurface medium. Results provided by the reactive transport model are in good agreement with much of the measured hydrochemical data. This paper emphasizes the appropriateness of the use of reactive solute transport models when water-rock interaction reactions are involved, and demonstrates what powerful tools they are for the interpretation of hydrogeological and hydrochemical data from site geological repository characterization programs, by providing a qualitative framework for data analysis and testing of conceptual assumptions in a process-oriented approach.     

“Tunnel Information and Analysis System”: A Geotechnical Database for Tunnels

Existing experience from the design and construction of underground works is of major importance for the improvement of the construction methods and procedures in tunnelling, especially under adverse and complex geological and geotechnical conditions. This experience can be of great value to geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists, if data acquired through the ground investigation, the design and the construction is systematically collected, categorized and stored in a properly structured database that enables a targeted access to it, as well as to proceed to correlations and analysis, based on engineering criteria. Such a database should be carefully designed to “connect” all available data through all the phases of a tunnel project and premises deep knowledge from the geological and geotechnical investigation to the final design and construction. In order to make substantial use of the experience accumulated from the construction of a great number of tunnels, a database named Tunnel Information and Analysis System (TIAS) was developed. The data source for TIAS database was 62 tunnels of the Egnatia Highway in northern Greece, many of which have been constructed under difficult geological conditions in weak rock masses. The data processed by TIAS came from a variety of sources such as geological mapping, boreholes, laboratory and in situ testing, geotechnical classifications, engineering geological behaviour, groundwater, design parameters, information concerning immediate support measures, construction records and cost. The purpose of the system, besides incorporating extended and multi-source data for easy access, is to provide a tool for turning data into usable information for the comparison of anticipated and encountered geological and geotechnical conditions, the evaluation of geotechnical classification and design methods and the relations regarding rock mass conditions and behaviour and immediate support methods and types.     

Assessment of integrated electrical resistivity data on complex aquifer structures in NE Nuba Mountains – Sudan

Two geophysical techniques were integrated to map the groundwater aquifers on complex geological settings, in the crystalline basement terrain in northeast Nuba Mountains. The water flow is structurally controlled by the northwest–southeast extensional faults as one of several in-situ deformational patterns that are attributed to the collision of the Pan-African oceanic assemblage of the Nubian shield against the pre-Pan African continental crust to the west. The structural lineaments and drainage systems have been enhanced by the remote sensing technique. The geophysical techniques used are: vertical electrical soundings (VES) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), in addition to hydraulic conductivity measurements. These measurements were designed to overlap in order to improve the producibility of the geophysical data and to provide a better interpretation of the hydrogeological setting of the aquifer complex structure. Smooth and Block inversion schemes were attempted for the observed ERT data to study their reliability in mapping the different geometries in the complex subsurface. The VES data was conducted where ERT survey was not accessible, and inverted smoothly and merged with the ERT in the 3D resistivity grid. The hydraulic conductivity was measured for 42 water samples collected from the distributed dug wells in the study area; where extremely high saline zones were recorded and have been compared to the resistivity values in the 3D model.