Performance of polymer support fluids for piling and diaphragm walls

聚合物支撑液是新兴的行业打桩工作，但尚未用于连续墙在英国，虽然他们被报道在美国广泛使用。使用适当管理的聚合物流体的桩试验表明，它们比膨润土泥浆可以产生更好的轴摩擦。此外，聚合物流体比其对应的膨润土泥浆具有更简单的场地足迹，特别是聚合物流体不需要复杂且昂贵的土-泥浆分离设备。由于缺乏测试数据和理解，目前的指南对聚合物流体的使用提供了有限的建议。目前，对这些聚合物流体的作用机理还没有广泛的研究。在整个学习过程中，将对聚合物支撑液的理论和实践方面进行研究，对聚合物支撑液的行为有更全面的了解，然后专注于现场实践的优化，包括在使用和现场控制过程中保持浆液的特性。对聚合物支撑流体的作用机制有一个清晰的认识，将是开发现场方法的组成部分，通过这种方法可以快速、简单地确定聚合物的状况。这种方法的发展是该研究项目最重要的成果之一，因为它将使承包商能够在施工现场测试聚合物，从而使他们能够确定聚合物的状况，并确保所使用的聚合物支撑液在混合阶段或聚合物流体清洗期间不会降解。

Polymer support fluids are emerging in the industry for piling work, but have yet to be used for diaphragm walls in the UK, though they are reported to be widely used in the USA. Pile tests with properly managed polymer fluids have shown that they can result in better shaft friction than bentonite slurries. Furthermore, polymer fluids have a simpler site footprint than their bentonite slurry counterparts, especially as complex and costly soil-slurry separation plants are not required for polymer fluids. Current guidelines provide limited recommendations on polymer fluid use due to a lack of test data and understanding.At present, there has not been extensive research into the mechanism through which these polymer fluids act. Over the course of the studentship, research in to both the theoretical and the more practical side of polymer support fluids will be conducted, developing a fuller understanding of the behaviour of polymer fluids and then focusing on the optimisation of site practices, including maintenance of slurry properties while in use and, in site control procedures. Having a clear understanding of the mechanism through which the polymer support fluids act, will be integral in developing on site methods through which the condition of the polymers can be determined quickly and simply. The development of such methods is one of the most crucial outcomes of the studentship, as it will enable contractors to test the polymers while at the construction site thus allowing them to determine the condition of the polymer, and to ensure that the polymer support fluids being used have not been degraded either during the mixing stage or during cleaning of the polymer fluid.