Computational Study on the Drilling Fluid Influence on the Concrete Flow in Piling Operation
摘要
The integrity of a pile depends upon the quality of concreting. In the construction of pile, two major complications exist (i) maintaining the stability of excavation until the end of concreting and (ii) ensuring flow of concrete and its properties. In general, slurry is used to stabilize the excavation walls and concreting is carried out through tremie method. In the case of tremie method, the embedment depth plays an important role for the effective concrete flow. If the embedment is excessive, then the head pressure will be lower, leading to energy loss and slower concrete flow. The optimum depth depends upon the hydrostatic balance point, and it is defined as the gravity force within the tremie is in equilibrium with the resistance to flow. The flow of concrete takes place, due to addition of concrete above the hydrostatic balance point. The rate of concrete flow out of the tremie outlet is faster if the pouring rate is higher. The density of drilling fluid also plays an important role in the concreting operation. In this study, computational modelling is carried out to study the fluid flow with rheological properties and different type of drilling fluid (Bentonite slurry and Polymer). The variation is observed for the different density of the drilling fluid and the viscosity. Non-Newtonian fluid behavior is considered, and the level set method is used for computing the motion of the interface between the concrete and the drilling fluid. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the flow performance of self compacting concrete (SCC) with bentonite as a drilling fluid in comparison to SCC with polymer-based drilling fluid. The findings of this study provide insights into time-dependent flow patterns for different drilling fluids. The field applicability results in ensuring sustainability and quality in the pile construction.