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Received 15 May 2009; received in revised form 10 October 2009; accepted 24 November 2009
Abstract: The bentonite barrier of underground repositories for high-level radioactive waste will be hydrated by the
groundwater while it is subjected to high temperatures due to the radioactive decay of the wastes. These changes of temperature
affect the hydraulic and mechanical responses of bentonite, which has important effects on design and performance of
repositories. The temperature influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of bentonite was studied in this paper by
experiments, which were carried out with the Spanish FEBEX bentonite compacted at dry densities expected in the repository
(from 1.5 to 1.8 Mg/m3). The dependence of the swelling strains of bentonite on the temperature has been measured from 30 C
to 90 C. At high temperatures the swelling capacity of clay slightly decreases. Also, a clear decrease of swelling pressure as a
function of temperature was observed for the same dry densities. Nevertheless, the deformation of bentonite is more dependent
on the stress than the temperature. An increase in the permeability of water saturated bentonite with temperature has also been
detected. The water retention curves of bentonite compacted at different dry densities were determined under isochoric
conditions and in the range of temperatures from 20 C to 120 C. For a given density and water content, the suction decreases
as the temperature increases at a rate, which is larger than the one predicted on the basis of water surface tension changing with
temperature. Mechanisms related to the physico-chemical interactions that take place at microscopic level, in particular the
transfer of interlayer water to the macropores triggered by temperature, seem to explain qualitatively the experimental
observations.
Key words: bentonite; temperature; swelling; permeability; water retention capacity
1 Introduction
Doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1235.2010.00071
*
Corresponding author. Tel: +34-913466391; E-mail: mv.villar@ciemat.es
Supported by ENRESA and European Commission (EC Contracts FI4WCT95-006, FIKW-CT-2000-00016, FI6W-CT-2003-02389)
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M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
Water inlets
Dial gauge
Loading ram
Pump
Oedometer ring
Sample
Porous
stone
Water deposit
Filter
Once in the oedometer, the stabilisation of temperature is reached in less than 24 hours. After having
reached the stabilisation of the target temperature in the
oedometer, vertical pressures of 0.1, 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0
MPa are applied to the samples. Afterwards, they are
put in contact with deionised water at atmospheric
pressure from the bottom porous plate immediately.
The swelling strain experienced by the specimens upon
saturation is recorded as a function of time until
stabilisation. On completion of the tests, the water
content of the specimens is determined and full
saturation is verified. The tests were performed at
temperatures ranging from 30 C to 90 C.
2.4 Water retention capacity
To determine the water retention curve of the compacted bentonite at constant volume, two methods and
different theoretical principles were expounded.
The cell method is carried out in special cells
designed to avoid the swelling of clay in wetting paths
[6, 10]. The cells consist of a corrosion-resistant
stainless steel cylindrical body with two perforated
covers joined by bolts (Fig.3). Granulated clay is
compacted directly inside the cell ring at room temperature
using static uniaxial compaction. Porous stones are
73
Steel
Sample
Porous plate
Steel
M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
10
Nominal dry density (Mg/m3)
1.5
1.6
1.7
Fitting curves (1.7 Mg/m3)
Fitting curves (1.6 Mg/m3)
Fitting curves (1.5 Mg/m3)
9
8
74
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
20
30
40
50
60
70
Temperature (C)
80
90
100
3.0
2.5
40 C
2.0
60 C
1.5
80 C
1.0
70 C
0.5
3 Results
3.1 Swelling pressure
The equilibrium swelling pressure values obtained in
the high-pressure oedometers are plotted in Fig.5,
where the dispersion of data can be mostly attributed to
the variations in dry density, as the swelling pressure
value is very sensitive to small density changes. The
error bars shown in the figure were obtained from
values measured in tests performed at laboratory
temperature. A decrease of swelling pressure as a
function of temperature is observed. Figure 6 shows the
evolution of swelling pressure in the tests performed
with the bentonite compacted at nominal dry density
1.5 Mg/m3. The swelling pressure does not develop in a
0.0
0.01
0.1
1
10
Time (hour)
100
1 000
M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
1.01012
1.01013
1.5
1.01014
20
30
40
50
60
70
Temperature (C)
1.7
80
90
(1)
45
40
Final vertical strain of swelling (%)
75
35
0.5
30
1.5
25
3.0
20
15
10
5
0
5
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Temperature (C)
w [37.5n0.32 e0.001T 20 ]
0.295
s
1 0.295
1
(2)
21.9e
76
M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
Suction (MPa)
1 000
100
10
20 C
40 C
60 C
70 C
100 C
120 C
11
16
Water content (%)
21
26
4 Discussions
Suction (MPa)
1 000
100
10
20 C
40 C
60 C
81 C
101 C
121 C
10
15
20
450
Suction (MPa)
400
350
13
18
300
19
250
200
150
100
50
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Temperature (C)
M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
Water content (%)
11
14
180
160
17
20
140
Suction (MPa)
77
0.33
120
0.26
0.53
100
80
0.16
0.57
60
40
20
0
20
0.40
0.05
0.27
40
60
80
100
120
140
Temperature (C)
5 Conclusions
Laboratory tests about the effect of temperature on
some hydro-mechanical properties of the compacted
FEBEX bentonite were reported.
The dependence of the swelling strains of the
bentonite compacted to dry densities of 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7
Mg/m3 on temperature at the interval from 20 C to 90 C
was measured. At high temperatures, the swelling
capacity of the clay slightly decreases. On the other
hand, a clear decrease in swelling pressure as a function
of temperature was observed for the same dry density.
Nevertheless, the deformation of the bentonite is more
dependent on the stress than temperature. An increase
with temperature in the water saturated permeability of
the FEBEX bentonite compacted to these dry densities
was also detected.
The effect of temperature on the suction of bentonite
has been determined for dry densities 1.5, 1.6 and 1.75
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M. V. Villar et al. / Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 2 (1): 7178
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