Quantifying compressible groundwater storage by combining cross-hole seismic surveys and head response to atmospheric tides

Groundwater specific storage varies by orders of magnitude, is difficult to quantify, and prone to significant uncertainty. Estimating specific storage using aquifer testing is hampered by the nonuniqueness in the inversion of head data and the assumptions of the underlying conceptual model. We revisit confined poroelastic theory and reveal that the uniaxial specific storage can be calculated mainly from undrained poroelastic properties, namely, uniaxial bulk modulus, loading efficiency, and the Biot-Willis coefficient. In addition, literature estimates of the solid grain compressibility enables quantification of subsurface poroelastic parameters using field techniques such as cross-hole seismic surveys and loading efficiency from the groundwater responses to atmospheric tides. We quantify and compare specific storage depth profiles for two field sites, one with deep aeolian sands and another with smectitic clays. Our new results require bulk density and agree well when compared to previous approaches that rely on porosity estimates. While water in clays responds to stress, detailed sediment characterization from a core illustrates that the majority of water is adsorbed onto minerals leaving only a small fraction free to drain. This, in conjunction with a thorough analysis using our new method, demonstrates that specific storage has a physical upper limit of (Formula presented.) m−1. Consequently, if larger values are derived using aquifer hydraulic testing, then the conceptual model that has been used needs reappraisal. Our method can be used to improve confined groundwater storage estimates and refine the conceptual models used to interpret hydraulic aquifer tests

Pore Volume and Porosity Changes under Uniaxial Strain Conditions

Expressions for the changes that occur in the pore volume and the porosity of a porous rock, due to changes in the pore pressure, overburden stress, and temperature, are derived within the context of the linearised theory of poroelasticity. The resulting expressions are compared to the commonly used equations proposed by Palmer and Mansoori, and it is shown that their expressions are consistent with the exact expressions if their factor f is identified with (1+ν)/3(1−ν)(1+ν)/3(1−ν) , where νν is the Poisson’s ratio of the porous rock. Finally, the first derivation is given, within the context of the fully coupled linearised theory of poroelasticity, that under uniaxial strain, the partial differential equation that governs the evolution of the pore pressure is a pure diffusion equation, with a total compressibility term that (exactly) equals the sum of the fluid compressibility and the uniaxial pore volume compressibility

A unified critical state model for geomaterials with an application to tunnelling

This paper is prepared in honour of Professor E.T. Brown for his outstanding contributions to rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering and also for his personal influence on the first author’s research career in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering. As a result, we have picked a topic that reflects two key research areas in which Professor E.T. Brown has made seminal contributions over a long and distinguished career. These two areas are concerned with the application of the critical state concept to modelling geomaterials and the analysis of underground excavation or tunnelling in geomaterials. Partially due to Professor Brown’s influence, the first author has also been conducting research in these two areas over many years. In particular, this paper aims to describe briefly the development of a unified critical state model for geomaterials together with an application to cavity contraction problems and tunnelling in soils

Toegepaste mechanica. Dl. 2

Delft University of Technolog