Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Thermo-Poromechanics: Applications and Developments
- 2 Constitutive Relationships Governing Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- 3 One-Dimensional Problems Involving Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- 4 Thermo-Poroelasticity of Geomaterial With a Fluid-Filled Rigid One-Dimensional Cavity
- 5 Radially Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems for a Solid Cylinder
- 6 Radially Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems: Cylindrical Cavity in an Infinite Medium
- 7 Spherically Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems for a Solid Sphere
- 8 Spherically Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems: Spherical Cavity in an Infinite Medium
- 9 Glaciation Problems Involving Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- Appendix
- Index
- References
9 - Glaciation Problems Involving Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2016
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Thermo-Poromechanics: Applications and Developments
- 2 Constitutive Relationships Governing Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- 3 One-Dimensional Problems Involving Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- 4 Thermo-Poroelasticity of Geomaterial With a Fluid-Filled Rigid One-Dimensional Cavity
- 5 Radially Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems for a Solid Cylinder
- 6 Radially Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems: Cylindrical Cavity in an Infinite Medium
- 7 Spherically Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems for a Solid Sphere
- 8 Spherically Symmetric Thermo-Poroelasticity Problems: Spherical Cavity in an Infinite Medium
- 9 Glaciation Problems Involving Thermo-Poroelastic Processes
- Appendix
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter examines the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes that develop in a fractured rock region within a fluid-saturated rock mass due to loads imposed by an advancing glacier. This scenario needs to be examined in order to assess the suitability of potential sites for the location of deep geologic repositories for the storage of high-level nuclear waste. The THM processes are examined using a computational multiphysics approach that takes into account the thermo-poroelasticity of the intact geological formation and the presence of a system of sessile but hydraulically interacting fractures (fracture zones). The modeling considers THM effects in both the intact rock and the fracture zones due to contact normal stresses and fluid pressure at the base of the advancing glacier. Computational modeling provides an assessment of the role of fractures in modifying the pore pressure generation within the entire rock mass.
Introduction
The longevity constraints with regard to the safety of deep geologic sequestration of high-level radioactive waste suggest that the conventional scientific approaches to investigations that involve laboratory and field studies must be complemented by approaches that will allow predictions on time scales that are beyond conventional geological engineering activities involving underground facilities (Laughton et al., 1986; Chapman and McKinley, 1987; Selvadurai and Nguyen, 1997; Rutqvist et al., 2005; Alonso et al., 2005). Current concepts for deep geologic storage require an assessment of the geological setting containing a repository to account for geomorphological processes that can occur over time scales of several thousands of years. The major geomorphological process that is identified over this time scale is glaciation. Our attention is restricted to a geologic setting that has been investigated in connection with the DECOVALEX Project, and the domain of interest incorporates a system of fractures that are hydraulically connected but mechanically sessile under the influence of the glaciation loading. The domain of interest, which contains the set of fractures, is derived from the international DECOVALEX III project (Chan and Stanchell, 2008). The highly idealized geosphere model is based on data from the Whiteshell Research Area (WRA) in Manitoba, Canada. The studies by Chan and Stanchell (2005, 2008) provide the database of material properties in the simulations conducted on stationary aspects of glacial loads with specific emphasis on the hydro-mechanical modeling that uses the continental-scale model of the Laurentide ice sheet developed by Boulton et al. (2004).
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- Information
- Thermo-Poroelasticity and Geomechanics , pp. 198 - 239Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2016
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