Pore water pressure

About: Pore water pressure is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 11455 publications have been published within this topic receiving 247670 citations. The topic is also known as: pwp.

Hysteretic and Dilatant Behavior of Cohesionless Soils and Their Effects on Nonlinear Site Response: Field Data Observations and Modeling

Abstract: In this study we present evidence that nonlinearity can be directly observed in acceleration time histories such as those recorded at the Wildlife Refuge and Kushiro Port downhole arrays from the 1987 Superstition Hills, California, and the 1993 Kushiro-Oki, Japan, earthquakes, respectively. These accelerograms and others compiled in this study present a characteristic waveform composed of intermittent high-frequency peaks riding on a low-frequency carrier. In addition, soil amplification of the surface records is strongly observed compared to their downhole counterpart; this is contrary to the expected amplification reduction produced by the nonlinear soil behavior. Laboratory studies show that the physical mechanism that produces such phenomena is the dilatant nature of cohesionless soils, which introduces the partial recovery of the shear strength under cyclic loads. This recovery translates into the ability to produce large deformations followed by large and spiky shear stresses. The spikes observed in the acceleration records are directly related to these periods of dilatancy and generation of pore pressure. These results are significant in strong-motion seismology because these spikes produce large if not the largest acceleration. They are site related, not source related. Using the in situ observations from the Kushiro Port downhole array, we have modeled the 1993 Kushiro-Oki earthquake. The synthetic accelerograms show the development of intermittent behavior—high frequency peaks—as observed in the recorded acceleration time histories. Shear modulus degradation due to pore pressure produces large strains in the soil with large amplification in the low-frequency band of the ground motion. We also modeled data from the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake recorded at the Wildlife Refuge station. The results show the importance of better soil characterization when pore pressure may develop and the effects of dilatancy in the understanding of nonlinear site response.

Stress dependent thermal pressurization of a fluid-saturated rock

Abstract: Temperature increase in saturated porous materials under undrained conditions leads to thermal pressurization of the pore fluid due to the discrepancy between the thermal expansion coefficients of the pore fluid and of the solid matrix. This increase in the pore fluid pressure induces a reduction of the effective mean stress and can lead to shear failure or hydraulic fracturing. The equations governing the phenomenon of thermal pressurization are presented and this phenomenon is studied experimentally for a saturated granular rock in an undrained heating test under constant isotropic stress. Careful analysis of the effect of mechanical and thermal deformations of the drainage and pressure measurement system is performed and a correction of the measured pore pressure is introduced. The test results are modelled using a non-linear thermo-poro-elastic constitutive model of the granular rock with emphasis on the stress-dependent character of the rock compressibility. The effects of stress and temperature on thermal pressurization observed in the test are correctly reproduced by the model.

Compressional and shear waves in saturated rock during water-steam transition

Abstract: Compressional and shear wave velocities were measured in water-filled Berea sandstone as a function of pore pressure, with a constant confining pressure of 300 bars. The measurements were made at room temperature, 145°C, and 198°C. At 145°C, compressional velocity increased from vapor-saturated (low pore pressure) to liquid-saturated (high pore pressure) conditions, whereas shear wave velocity decreased. For Compressional waves there was a velocity minimum and increased attenuation near the liquid-vapor transition. The results at 198°C show decreases of both compressional and shear velocities and a small velocity minimum for compressional velocity without marked attenuation. At both temperatures, Vp/Vs and Poisson's ratios increased from steam- to water-saturated rock. The results are compatible with the mechanical effects of mixing steam and water in the pore space near the phase transition and may be applicable to in situ geothermal field evaluation.