Strata Responses Due to Pumping from Deep Confined Aquifers of Multi-Aquifer-Aquitard System in Shanghai

Abstract

When pumping in confined aquifers, vertical leakage could be found in the multi-aquifer system in soft deposits, and the responses of groundwater flow and strata deformation are complicated. Based on pumping tests in an ultra-deep underground project, this study performs a 3D finite-difference modeling to investigate the responses of groundwater and strata to pumping in the second and third confined aquifers. It considers the hydro-mechanical coupled and small strain stiffness characteristics of soils in the analysis, and discusses and compares the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of drawdown and deformation induced by pumping in different confined aquifers. The results indicate that the ground settlement induced by pumping in the second confined aquifer is greater though the groundwater drawdown is smaller, and the compression of dewatering aquifers caused by dewatering in the second and third aquifers accounts for 56.18% and 77.69% of the settlement, respectively. It could be attributed to the connectivity between the second confined aquifer and its overlying aquitards, which results in a greater influential depth. In addition, the compressibility of shallow strata is significantly greater than that of deep strata. The study is significant for the dewatering construction and environmental deformation control of ultra-deep excavations.

Keywords

• deep artesian water
• pumping tests
• groundwater flow
• strata deformation
• spatiotemporal distribution