The Influence of the Expansive Grout on Theoretical Bandwidth for the Measurement of Strain Waves by Borehole Tensor Strainmeters

Abstract

The scattering model of incident seismic waves by an empty borehole has been presented to investigate the theoretical frequency response and the corresponding bandwidth of borehole tensor strainmeters. Inner-diameter changes of the stainless steel instrument casing are measured by horizontal extensometers (gauges), after the borehole tensor strainmeter is installed at a certain depth of the borehole and boned by expansive grout with the surrounding rock. There is, however, no answer for the difference between this case and the empty case. In this paper, the scattering model of incident elastic seismic waves by a two-ring borehole is introduced to investigate the influence of the expansive grout on theoretical bandwidth for the measurement of strain waves by borehole tensor strainmeters. The calculation of wave fields in the surrounding rock and the two rings by wave function expansion gives the inner-diameter changes of the stainless steel instrument casing. Several cases show that the mechanical parameters of the expansive grout have great influence on the frequency responses of borehole tensor strainmeters for different gauge combinations, but little influence on the bandwidth, which means that the high-frequency bandwidth promises the quantitative measurability of strain waves in the acoustical frequency range for borehole tensor strainmeters.