Companion paper to:

Towards Better
Injection Control and
Verification
of Rock Grouting
Bonin et.al. (2012
proceedings)

Improved Methods of Design for

Grouting Fractured Rock
Trevor G. Carter1, William Dershowitz2, Dawn Shuttle2 and Michael Jefferies3
1, 2 & 3 Golder

Associates Toronto, Seattle & Vancouver

Presented by: Trevor Carter

February 17, 2012

Concept of Aperture

Controlled Grouting

New Concept or is it?

Lets start with an Assumption? (or is it a Fact?)

Grout Takes are Controlled by Fractures

Basis of Concept .
Definition of Fracture Characteristics is central to design
Concept tenet that understanding fracturing is key to:
specifying grout rheology & take targets;
establishing grouting effectiveness; and
developing Grouting Protocols hole spacing, mix thickening
sequences and volume cut-offs

So what is Aperture Controlled Grouting (ACG)?

Nothing New really:

perhaps best thought of as a blend of .
the best of GIN (pressure control) procedures,
plus
the best of (viscosity increase) Aussie Approach

Basics of Concept . presented in 1982

Ref . Carter, 1982, Jefferies et al, 1982,

Rogers et al, 1982
papers on initial use of electronic monitoring;
same basic data collection as today

Basics of Concept . presented in 1982

LUGEONS

GROUT INTENSITY

chart in paper.

LUGEONS

GROUT INTENSITY

Recognized different
Lugeon Behaviour of Water
Pressure Data & Grout Data
4
at different takes

Ref . Carter, 1982, Jefferies et al, 1982,

Rogers et al, 1982
papers on initial use of electronic monitoring;
same basic data collection as today

Iterative Design Flowsheet

In a nutshell

10

Conduct 5
stage Lugeon
Water Test

Correct aperture & travel

distance on basis of
matching sum of fracture
disk volumes compared to
actual stage take volume

Measure
Apertures with
ATV

Match the
Distributions
Determine travel distance per
aperture on prorata basis per
individual fracture to determine
Hydraulic Fracture Apertures = Frac
Aperture x (6apertures / # fracs)

Determine Individual
Aperture by correcting ATV
Aperture on prorata basis
per individual fracture to
determine Hydraulic
Fracture Apertures = 6
apertures / # fracs 

February 29, 2012

4
Develop a
matched
Grout

7
Determine
Equivalent Single
Fracture Aperture
based on Lugeon
Value & Take Data

6
Determine
Travel Distance
per Stage,
based on
Lugeon & Take

Inject to
Volume
Pressure
Protocol

Iterative Design Flowsheet

In a nutshell

10

Conduct 5
stage Lugeon
Water Test

Correct aperture & travel

distance on basis of
matching sum of fracture
disk volumes compared to
actual stage take volume

Measure
Apertures with
ATV

Match the
Distributions
Determine travel distance per
aperture on prorata basis per
individual fracture to determine
Hydraulic Fracture Apertures = Frac
Aperture x (6apertures / # fracs)

Determine Individual
Aperture by correcting ATV
Aperture on prorata basis
per individual fracture to
determine Hydraulic
Fracture Apertures = 6
apertures / # fracs 

February 29, 2012

4
Develop a
matched
Grout

7
Determine
Equivalent Single
Fracture Aperture
based on Lugeon
Value & Take Data

6
Determine
Travel Distance
per Stage,
based on
Lugeon & Take

Inject to
Volume
Pressure
Protocol

Fracture transmissivity: m2/sec

Fracture Characterization Geologic Aspects

> 1e-2 m2/sec

1e-4 m2/sec

1e-6 m2/sec

1e-8 m2/sec

< 1e-10 m2/sec

Need to DEFINE:
Fracture Spatial Pattern;
Fracture Fabric & Number of Sets; and
Fracture Extent
February 29, 2012

so . Characterizing discontinuities
becomes key to Design
OTV

February 29, 2012

ATV

CALIPER
MECHANICAL &
TELEVIEWER

thence becomes possible to Estimate Takes & Travel Distances

Fracture Characterization Tools

Motor

Mirror

Bellows
(oil filled)

Optical TeleViewer
Acoustic TeleViewer
February 29, 2012

3 Arm Caliper

Analyzing Televiewer Data

PLANE SLICE
THROUGH A
CYLINDER
N
W

UNWRAPPED
OPTICAL TELEVIEWER
IMAGE
E
S
W

February 29, 2012

10

Definition of Fracture Geometry

11
February 29, 2012

(a) All Fractures (except bedding)

(b) Subvertical Jointing (c) Shear features (25-75 dip)

Example Fracture Data from ATV

Tight
Features
February 29, 2012

700

100%
90%

600

80%

500

70%
Frequency

400

60%

Cumulative %

50%

300

40%
30%

200

20%

100

10%

Aperture:
mm (Note
(Note LogLog
Scale Scale)
)
Aperture:
mm

12

2000

1000

500

300

200

100

50

30

20

10

0%

<1

Frequency
(#(#of
discontinuities)
Frequency
of discontinuities)

Mean Fracture
Aperture

Example Distribution of Lugeon Data

Frequency (# of Water Pressure Tests

Mean
Lugeon

Tight
Features
February 29, 2012

Lugeons (Log Scale)

13

Correlate Hydraulic and Aperture Data

Tight features

CDF

Cross-plot
Lugeon Transmissivity
& Aperture Distributions

Fracture Aperture: m
February 29, 2012

14

T (m2VHF-7 x uL x Length (m)

Fracture aperture: mm

Example Portugus Dam

Space one is trying to fill

This Aperture controls Optimum Grout
- particle size & rheology
Void-filling aperture

Different Curves for every

Site & Rock Type Fracture Dependent
Hydraulic aperture

Fracture transmissivity: m2/sec

February 29, 2012

15

This
aperture
controls
injection
pressure

Fracture roughness affects penetration of

grout into fractures
Same 30 uL grout stage Same Rheology grout
Conglomerate fracture roughness

TRAVEL DISTANCE

Limestone fracture roughness

GROUT INTENSITY
(TAKE) LITRES/METRE
February 29, 2012

16

TRAVEL DISTANCE

Take & Conductivity influence Travel

LUGEON CURVES

GROUT INTENSITY

February 29, 2012

Take = Intensity (Litres/metre)

Understanding Fracture Roughness also matters when

choosing the right grout to ensure pressure build
Conglomerate roughness is purple line; Limestone roughness is blue line

Problematic so need
thicker formulation

PENETRABILITY

Same rheology
grout Mix B
36 Second Marsh
OK will probably achieve
adequate closure

GROUT INTENSITY
February 29, 2012

Same 30 uL
grout stage

18

Efficiency of Grouting can be checked

Use Bingham model to approximate

grout flow
Model within DFN representation
Inject to proposed Grouting Intensity
Check/simulate groundwater flow thru
curtain
Rerun to optimize hole spacing etc

Depth: m

Travel Distance: m

February 29, 2012

Aperture: mm

Evaluate Effectiveness of Grouting

Grouting
Efficiency
Grouting Efficiency (-)

1.0

90%
80%

0.8

Twice
the effort

0.6

0.4

Design Curve =
Optimum Volume
or Penetration
Distance

0.2

0.0
0.1

10

Normalized Grouting Intensity: Vsimulated/ Voptimum (-)

Normalized Grouting Intensity

February 29, 2012

20

Compute groundwater
flow across grout curtain
through remaining
ungrouted fractures in the
network

Grouting Efficiency: E = 1 (KGrouted / Kformation)

Grouted Fracture Set

visualized in
1000+ Steps
Grouthole

Simulated Injection into Fracture Network

0
Injection Time
Time Step through injection within Sequence screen

Visualized to evaluate Penetration

10.0m

0.0m
Distance

So whats new? the implementation approach

Required Grout Volume

(Length Normalized): ltr/m)

GIN Volume = GIN Factor / Mobilized Pressure

ACG Volume = Site (design) Factor * Stage Lugeon

INTENSITY

Stage conductivity: Lugeon (uL)

February 29, 2012

Curve & equation transferred to site

staff for field implementation
23