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Stress-Induced Permeability Alterations in an Argillaceous Limestone

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Abstract

The paper presents the results of experiments that were conducted to determine the influence of a triaxial stress state on the evolution of the permeability of an argillaceous limestone. The limestone rock is found in the Ordovician rock formations above the Precambrian basement located in southern Ontario, Canada, which is being considered as a potential host rock for the construction of a deep ground repository for storing low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste. The paper presents the results of an extensive series of hydraulic pulse tests and steady-state tests that were conducted to determine the permeability alterations in zones that can experience levels of damage that can be present in vicinity of an excavated underground opening. A “state-space” relationship is developed to describe permeability evolution with the triaxial stress in the pre-failure regime. The permeability evolution in extensively damaged post-failure states of the rock is also investigated. It is shown that permeability alterations were four orders of magnitude higher as a result of significant damage to the material, which is an important consideration in establishing the efficiency of the host rock formation as a barrier for the long-term containment of radionuclide migration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their constructive comments that led to improvements in the presentation of the research. The work described in this paper was supported by research grants awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, The James McGill Research Chairs Program and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Ontario. The comments of Mr. Mark Jenson and Mr. Tom Lam of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization are gratefully acknowledged. The second author is grateful for the studentship supported by MEDA, FQRNT and SAAQ. The names of the equipment used in the research are omitted to ensure that there is no evidence of endorsement for the use of any equipment. Details of the equipment can, however, be obtained by contacting the authors.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC, H3A OC3, Canada

    A. P. S. Selvadurai & A. Głowacki

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  1. A. P. S. Selvadurai
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  2. A. Głowacki
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Correspondence to A. P. S. Selvadurai.

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Selvadurai, A.P.S., Głowacki, A. Stress-Induced Permeability Alterations in an Argillaceous Limestone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50, 1079–1096 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1153-3

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