Mechanical Behavior of Grouted Fractured Sandy Mudstone Under Different Grouting Pressures: Experimental Investigation and CT-Based In Situ Numerical Modeling.

Abstract

To investigate the effect of different grouting pressures on the reinforcement of fractured sandy mudstone, grouting tests, mechanical experiments, CT scanning, and SEM analysis were conducted on fractured rock samples. Based on CT data, the precise internal structure of the grouted rock samples was obtained. High-fidelity numerical models were constructed in ABAQUS through image processing and mesh mapping techniques and then imported into ANSYS for uniaxial compression simulation. The results showed that under grouting pressures of 1 MPa, 3 MPa, and 5 MPa, the compressive strengths of the samples were 10.08 MPa, 12.39 MPa, and 13.28 MPa, corresponding to increases of 22.9% and 7.2%, respectively. The elastic moduli were 1.16 GPa, 1.52 GPa, and 1.63 GPa, with increases of 31% and 7.2%, respectively. The toughness index and brittleness index exhibited opposite trends: the toughness index increased from 1.6555 to 1.7135 and then to 1.7648 (rises of 3.5% and 2.9%), while the brittleness index decreased from 1.5255 to 1.4020 and then to 1.3075 (reductions of 8.1% and 6.7%). The ductility index rose from 1.8760 to 2.0972 and then to 2.2637 (increases of 11.8% and 7.9%). The failure mode of the grouted rock samples shifted from brittle to ductile behavior, with the most pronounced overall mechanical improvement observed at 3 MPa grouting pressure. SEM analysis indicated that as the grouting pressure increased, the dominant crack type changed from large cracks to micro-cracks. At 3 MPa, the grout fully penetrated micro-pores and enhanced the sample's integrity, whereas at 5 MPa, excessive grouting pressure induced damage to the rock matrix itself. Fracture simulations further demonstrated that as the grouting pressure increased from 1 MPa to 3 MPa and above, the failure mode shifted from being controlled by pre-existing fractures to a holistic rupture involving both the grout and the rock matrix, leading to significantly improved structural integrity. This study establishes an integrated numerical simulation approach of "CT scanning-in situ modeling-mechanical analysis", providing a scientific basis for optimizing grouting parameters.