Comprehensive study on the penetration behavior of cement slurry under high-frequency pulsating pressure

Abstract

Steady pressure grouting exhibits the problems of low efficiency and uneven penetration. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel high-frequency pulsating grouting method to improve these problems. Through extensive experimentation and numerical simulations, the impact of pulsating parameters (grouting frequency, pressure amplitude), soil parameters (porosity, particle size), grouting pressure, water–cement ratio, and slurry rheological parameters on slurry penetration is investigated. The results indicate that the stone body grouted by the pulsating pressure is significantly more uniform and has longer penetration distances. During steady pressure grouting, as the grouting pressure or the water–cement ratio increases, the slurry is more prone to flow upward along the interface between the grouting pipe and the soil, which makes the grouted body uneven. When high-frequency pulsating grouting is employed, the slurry tends to flow into the soil, resulting in a more uniform grouted body. In the operating conditions described in this paper, the optimal pulsating frequency is around 3–4 Hz, and the optimal pulse amplitude is approximately 60% of the constant pressure. The results also show that the pulsating grouting method can increase the width by up to 68%. With the increase in porosity and particle size, the percentage of distance increase first increases and then decreases. The percentage of distance increase increases with the increase in viscosity and decreases with the increase in the Bingham rheological parameters (μp and τ0). This implies that the pulsating grouting needs certain resistance conditions to achieve optimal penetration performance. The mechanism of pulsating grouting is also analyzed. Pulsating pressure can clear blocked particles and lead to more uniform penetration of the slurry. This study can provide reference for the development of new grouting methods and equipment.