Water Saturation Induced Strength Degradation of Callovo-Oxfordian Claystone

Conference paper
Part of the Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering book series (SSGG)

Abstract

It is necessary to investigate the effect of initial water content on the strength behaviors of the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) argillite since the construction activities of underground radioactive waste repositories can induce a desaturation and a resaturation process of the hosted rock. The present work is devoted to an experimental characterization of the water induced strength degradation the COx argillite under constant strain rate loadings. Argillite samples of initial relative humidity (RH) of 98% are firstly tested at confining pressure of 4 MPa, 8 MPa and 12.4 MPa to derive a strength criterion. Then another group of tests on argillite samples with different saturation realized by relative humidity (dry, 76 and 85%) are carried out to quantify the water content induced strength degradation in claystone. It is found that both the peak and residual stress and the failure strain are correlated with the humidity level of the claystone. The results give the implications that the desaturation and re-saturation of argillite will exert influences on its surroundings in the underground repositories. Special attention should be paid to minimize the swelling effect of clay minerals and oxidation of pyrite inclusions in the argillite with water presence.

Keywords

Argillite Damage Failure Water degradation Radioactive waste disposal 

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Laboratory of Mechanics of LilleUniversity of LilleVilleneuve D’AscqFrance
  2. 2.School of MinesChina University of Mining and TechnologyXuzhouChina

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