How does hydraulic soil fracturing differ from pneumatic soil fracturing, and what are their relative advantages and disadvantages?
Hydraulic and Pneumatic fracturing are techniques used to artificially fracture soils and thereby increase soil permeability. The main difference is in the penetrating fluids used in each method. Hydraulic fracturing involves the use of a water-based, highly viscous slurry containing sand to create a fracture and prop it open with sand. Pneumatic fracturing involves the injection of compressed gas (usually air) to create a fracture, which is initially self-propped but will tend to close over time. Both hydraulic and pneumatic fracturing have similar costs and well installation requirements, but hydraulic fracturing has one distinct advantage. Sand-propped fractures are permanent and will not close off over time (Walden, 1997), thereby providing fracture longevity and enduring permeability enhancement for in situ site remediation. The need for keeping fractures propped is especially important in soils that contain swelling clays or at excessive overburden pressures, conditions which ten
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