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Investigations on Diffusion Characteristics of Granite and Chalk Rock Mass

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Abstract

Contaminant transport through fractured rock mass is predominated by diffusion. This is due to the continuous interaction of the mobile water present in the fracture network and relatively immobile pore water, which is adsorbed on the surface and in the rock matrix itself. Even though the advective flow through the fracture network is high, besides sorption of rock mass, the diffusive exchange into the rock mass leads to significant retardation of contaminant transport. Hence, for describing contaminant transport in fractured rock mass, more precisely, the effect of retardation attributed to the matrix diffusion must be taken in account. With this in view, a methodology, which can be employed for determination of the diffusion characteristics of the rock mass, has been developed and its details are presented in this paper. Validation of the methodology has been demonstrated with the help of Archie’s law.

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Correspondence to Devendra N. Singh.

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Witthüser, K., Arnepalli, D. & Singh, D.N. Investigations on Diffusion Characteristics of Granite and Chalk Rock Mass. Geotech Geol Eng 24, 325–334 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-004-7549-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-004-7549-y

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