Cross-hole fracture connectivity assessed using hydraulic responses during liner installations in crystalline bedrock boreholes

摘要

Highlights?Borehole liner installations are used as an innovative cross-hole testing method.?A conceptual model for groundwater flow in a fracture network is developed.?Estimated hydraulic parameters compare favorably to conventional cross-hole tests.AbstractIn order to continually improve the current understanding of flow and transport in crystalline bedrock environments, developing and improving fracture system characterization techniques is an important area of study. The presented research examines the installation of flexible, impermeable FLUTe? liners as a means for assessing cross-hole fracture connectivity. FLUTe? liners are used to generate a new style of hydraulic pulse, with pressure response monitored in a nearby network of open boreholes drilled in gneissic rock of the Canadian Shield in eastern Ontario, Canada. Borehole liners were installed in six existing 10–15?cm diameter boreholes located 10–35?m apart and drilled to depths ranging between 25–45?m. Liner installation tests were completed conse