A new method and application of groundwater prediction along the direction of tunnel excavation in karst strata

Abstract Tunnel construction in karst strata with abundant water causes changes in the surrounding groundwater environment, which can easily trigger geological disasters such as mud and water inrush. How to accurately predict the groundwater ahead of tunnel excavation face is a highly challenging problem. In order to improve the detection accuracy of groundwater during the construction of a deep buried tunnel, the transmission and reflection process of seismic waves at the interface and the relationship between the reflection coefficient and seismic wave signal have been analyzed on the basis of a two-phase medium theory in this paper. The expression of seismic wave stress–response relationship associated with the instantaneous amplitude and instantaneous phase and frequency is established. Then the relationship between seismic wave attributes and groundwater seepage potential energy is derived by combining the fluid mechanics theory, which is used as the basis for the determination and identification of groundwater volume and classified, and a new technology of an advanced detection of groundwater by seismic waves is established. This method has been applied to the Zhanghuai Railway in China and quantitatively predicted the karst water and caves in the Tianqiaoshan Tunnel before excavation. The engineering test proves the reliability and advancement of this technology.