Investigation of the affecting parameters to the level of hydraulic conductivity changes in the fractured rock mass by using the finite difference method

One of the most important issues about the underground spaces is to calculate the amount of water seepage into them. Realistic estimation of seepage is a very influential factor in the development of an operational project. The main cause of the seepage is hydraulic conductivity. One of the most important ways of estimating the amount of water seepage into the underground spaces is the Lugeon and Lofran field tests. These tests are performed in rocky and soil environments, respectively. In this research, the effective factors on the amount of hydraulic conductivity changes have been investigated by using a discrete fracture network (DFN). Finally, a model has been developed to help determine the hydraulic conductivity of the fractured rock mass. Since work in a discrete environment software is complex in terms of software, it is very important to obtain a simple model. The number of fractures and dimensions of the block model are two important factors in the speed of modeling. Finally, the filter was intended to remove fractures smaller than 10 meters. Also, the dimension of the block model is at least 7 meters (with these dimensions, the answers independent of the size of the fracture block). Finally, the answers were verified with the lugeon test. The result is a high adaptation between experimental data and calculated data.