Untersuchungen zur hydraulischen Stützung mit Polymerlösungen

Investigations into hydraulic support using polymeric solutions

Polymer solutions turn out to be a technically and economically promising alternative to the so far commonly used bentonite suspensions for the hydraulic support of boreholes or diaphragm wall trenches and have been used increasingly abroad. As a consequence of the almost non-existent yield strengths of the applicable polymer solutions, their flow and support characteristics differ considerably from those of bentonite suspensions and established stability analyses cannot be adopted. A research project at the Zentrum Geotechnik, Technische Universität München, was carried out to improve and document the knowledge of this method and its applicability. Therefore, basic principles of the flow of such non-Newtonian fluids in soil were recapitulated and options for modelling were discussed. The flow behaviour of the polymeric solutions and the determination of model parameters were studied in laboratory tests. In field tests, five bored piles were completed under polymeric support and one reference pile under bentonite support. In the course of these tests, further issues of relevance for construction practice were investigated. Finally, details of the stability analyses were specified and the environmental compatibility of the construction method was examined.