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Modelling water uptake in highly compacted bentonite in environmental sealing barriers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

J. Gattermann ,
W. Wittke  and
C. Erichsen
J. Gattermann
Affiliation:
Ed. Züblin AG, D-70567 Stuttgart
W. Wittke
Affiliation:
WBI, Consulting Engineers for Foundation Engineering and Constructionin Rock Ltd., D-52072 AachenGermany
C. Erichsen
Affiliation:
WBI, Consulting Engineers for Foundation Engineering and Constructionin Rock Ltd., D-52072 AachenGermany
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Abstract

Plans to close a German radioactive waste repository in rock salt include as one alternative the construction of a ‘Cross Section Closure (CSC)’ sealing barrier. The proposed material for the sealing barrier is highly compacted bentonite. To investigate the swelling behaviour of a highly compacted bentonite, a large number of laboratory tests were performed. In addition, large scale model tests were carried out to demonstrate the development of a nearly homogeneous and isotropic swelling pressure. The results of the large scale model tests were interpreted numerically based on the models for stress-strain behaviour and water uptake which are implemented in the finite element computer codes FEST03 and HYDOPO. The investigations show good agreement between the results of the model tests and the corresponding analyses and show that the theoretical models are capable of describing the behaviour of sealing structures based on highly compacted bentonite.

Keywords

bentoniteenvironmental sealing barrierlarge-scale model testswelling pressureunderground repositorywater uptake
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 435 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2001

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