Hydraulic fracturing and affected area of explosive reinforcement

The explosive reinforcement method is an efficient and economical way to improve the soft ground. The significant aspects of this method are the choice of charge weight and the judgment of the affected area, and they directly determine its reinforcement efficiency. As the existing theories for explosive consolidation are too complex to apply in practical projects, a more convenient method is put forward in terms of hydraulic fracturing with respect to the classical theory of explosion, Mohr-Coulomb criterion and strength parameters of soils. A comparison is made between the experimental and calculated results by the proposed method, and good fitting is shown. The influences of the charge weight and the strength parameters of soils on the range of affected area are discussed. According to the research results, the range of the affected area decreases as the depth of charges h increases as well as the soil stress under certain weight of charge. It also decreases with the increase of the soil parameters with higher strength. Moreover, engineering advices are given to the choice of charge weight and the arrangement in practical use in explosion reinforcement.