Expansive Concretes for Shotcrete in Tunnel Construction

This paper presents the results of investigation of properties of fine-grained concrete on expansive cement for fiber-reinforced shotcretes used for metro tunneling. Basic factors affecting material expansion after mixing with water are described. The influence of expansive components on the values of strength indices and volumetric deformations of shotcrete is studied. Improvement of process, physical and mechanical, and operational characteristics of obtained shotcrete is proven.

Materials for Well Integrity: Characterization of Short-Term Mechanical Properties

Integrated zonal isolation is well-known as a key parameter for safe drilling operation and well completion of oil and gas wells. An extensive research on alternative materials has been conducted in the past concerning primary cementing, overcoming annular leaks, and permanent well abandonment. The present article focuses on geopolymers, expansive cement, pozzolan based sealant and thermosetting resins. The viscous behavior and the pumpability of the different materials have been investigated and benchmarked with the properties of neat class G Portland cement. The current study includes short-term mechanical properties of the above-mentioned materials. These properties include compressive strength development, Young’s modulus, indirect tensile strength, and sonic strength. The tests are performed in accordance with API 10B-2 and ASTM D3967-16 for all the materials for 1, 3, 5, and 7-day of curing at 90°C and elevated (172 bar) and atmospheric pressures. Our results show a mixed behavior from the materials. According to uniaxial compressive test results, all the candidate barrier materials developed strength during the considered period; however, the geopolymer and pozzolanic-based mixture did not develop early strength. The expansive cement showed an acceptable early compressive strength, but strength reduction was noticed after some time. The strength reduction of expansive cement was also observed for the indirect tensile strength. All the materials become stiffer overtime as they made more strength. For the neat class G cement and expansive cement, the Young’s modulus showed a minimum after 5 days, but it was increased.

Numerical Study of Stresses around Holes Drilled and Filled by Expansive Cement: Case of Isotropic Linear Elastic Block of Rock

This work dealt with an essential problem of fragmentation of rocks with expansive cement. The redistribution and magnitude of stresses and displacement generated around holes were done by using Ansys Inc. Code which is based on finite element code. Blocks of rock with one hole, two holes, and nine holes drilled in square mesh and staggered mesh have been considered. Numerical results reveal that many factors can influence the mechanism of fragmentation of a rock by using expansive cement: hole diameter, hole spacing, panel mesh, expansive pressure applied, and the elastic properties of the massif. Stresses and displacements generated globally decrease when spacing holes increase. Normal stresses allow a better stress interaction between holes in the case of square mesh disposition. Staggered mesh disposition generates higher stresses than the square mesh disposition. But the square mesh disposition can be useful for controlled fragmentation in order to obtain block of rock with square geometry. For each expansive cement and rock, there exist suitable range of diameter and spacing hole which can generate high stresses for breaking the rock.