Influence of Infiltration of Sodium Chloride Solutions on SWCC of Compacted Bentonite–Sand Specimens

The degree of saturation of compacted bentonite buffer in deep geological repositories is subject to alterations from infiltration of groundwater and heat emanated from the waste canisters. The matric suction (ψ)–degree of saturation (S _r ) relations of unsaturated clays is represented by soil–water characteristics curves (SWCC) that are influenced by soil structure, initial compaction condition and stress history. Infiltration of groundwater besides increasing the degree of saturation can also alter the pore water chemistry; the associated changes in cation hydration and diffuse double layer thickness could impact the micro-structure and matric suction values. This study examines the influence of infiltrating sodium chloride solutions (1,000–5,000 mg/L) on the transient ψ–S _r relations of compacted bentonite–sand specimens. Analysis of the ψ–S _r plots, and X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that infiltration of sodium chloride solutions has progressively less influence on the micro-structure and SWCC relations of bentonite–sand specimens compacted to increasingly higher dry densities. The micro-structure and SWCC relations of specimens compacted to 1.5 Mg/m³ were most affected, specimens compacted to 1.75 Mg/m³ were less affected, while specimens compacted to 2 Mg/m³ remained unaffected upon infiltration with sodium chloride solutions.     

Swelling pressure–suction relationship of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures

This paper presents results of an experimental work to determine a relationship between swelling pressure and suction of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures. For comparison, tests were also carried out on heavily compacted bentonite specimens. A series of swelling pressure tests were performed using multi-step constant-volume method where suction of the specimens tested was reduced in a stepwise manner toward a zero value. The suction reduction was induced using vapor equilibrium and axis-translation techniques. It is shown that compacted specimens did not exhibit any collapse upon suction decrease and exhibited maximum swelling pressures at zero-equilibrium suction. The development of swelling pressure with decreasing suction of the specimens showed threshold suctions below which a further reduction in suction yields an increase in the swelling pressure of the same magnitude. The magnitude of threshold suction was found to be a function of bentonite content in compacted specimens.     

Effect of wetting–drying cycles on swelling behavior of lime stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures

In the present study, influence of wetting–drying cycles on swelling pressures of sand–bentonite mixtures used in the construction of sanitary landfills to have an impermeable liner was investigated before and after lime treatment of the mixtures. Swelling pressure tests were conducted to see if the swelling pressures were affected by wetting–drying cycles. First series of specimens were prepared as a mixture of sand and bentonite only. In the first series of specimens, sand was mixed with bentonite in various proportions with their optimum water contents and compacted by using standard proctor energy. In the second series of the specimens, lime in various proportions was added to the mixtures of sand–bentonite. Then, the sand–bentonite mixtures stabilized by lime were compacted with the standard proctor energy at their optimum moisture contents. Five wetting–drying cycles were performed on each specimen and values of swelling pressures were measured at the end of each cycle. Results of swelling pressure tests indicated that the swelling pressure is decreased when lime is added to the mixtures. In addition, decrements were observed on swelling pressures by wetting–drying cycles. The results of the experiments of this investigation showed that the beneficial effect of lime stabilization to control the swelling pressures was partly lost by the wetting–drying cycles. However, the test results indicated that the swelling pressures of the specimens made of sand–bentonite mixtures stabilized by lime were lower than the swelling pressures of the specimens made of only sand–bentonite mixtures.     

Swelling characteristics of compacted lateritic soil–bentonite mixtures subjected to municipal waste leachate contamination

Compacted soil–bentonite mixtures are finding wide application as buffer material for waste repositories for their favorable self-sealing qualities. The swelling properties of such materials which serve as a measure of their self-sealing capabilities and, thus, the efficiency of the repository in sealing off their contents from the environment are closely related to the chemistry of the leachate that emanate from the wastes. For this reason, the swelling parameters (namely swelling potential and pressure) of compacted lateritic soil–bentonite mixtures under consideration for use as barrier in municipal waste landfill were evaluated. Series of swelling potential and pressure tests were performed using variable content (0–10 %) of bentonite at predetermined optimum moisture content. Soil mixtures were compacted with British Standard Heavy compactive effort and saturated with processed tap water as well as three leachate solutions of varying ionic strength that were generated in active open dump landfills. Experimental results showed that swelling potential based on the free swell together with the maximum swell pressures of compacted soil mixtures measured at equilibrium increased approximately linearly with increase in the amount of bentonite when inundated with processed tap water and the three leachate solutions. On the other hand, these swelling parameters decreased as the ionic strength of the leachate solutions measured by their electrical conductivity increased for the various soil mixtures. These results provide an insight into the swelling behavior and the possible degradation in the efficiency of the proposed lateritic soil–bentonite mixtures in relation to their use as buffer material in waste landfills.     

A method for predicting swelling pressure of compacted bentonites

An approach for predicting swelling pressure of bentonites based on thermodynamic relationships between swelling pressure and suction is presented in this paper. The proposed method requires sorption isotherm data of the bentonites. A series of swelling pressure tests were performed on compacted specimens of bentonite-sand mixtures with different bentonite contents, water contents, and dry densities. The sorption isotherm of the pure bentonite was measured using a chilled-mirror hygrometer. It is found that the method works well for the bentonite-sand mixtures tested. Several published data on bentonites that have been proposed to be used as buffer and sealing material for nuclear waste repository were collected and used to verify the method. The proposed method is found to be also applicable for other bentonites of different types and therefore, can be used to predict swelling pressure of bentonites.     

Experimental study on the swelling behaviour of bentonite/claystone mixture

A mixture of the MX80 bentonite and the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) claystone were investigated by carrying out a series of experiments including determination of the swelling pressure of compacted samples by constant-volume method, pre-swell method, zero-swell method and swell–consolidation method. Distilled water, synthetic water and humidity controlled vapour were employed for hydration. Results show that upon wetting the swelling pressure increases with decreasing suction; however, there are no obvious effects of synthetic water chemistry and hydration procedure on the swelling behaviour in both short and long terms. For the same initial dry density, the swelling pressure decreases with increasing pre-swell strain; whereas there is a well defined logarithmic relation between the swelling pressure and final dry density of the sample regardless of the initial dry densities and the experimental methods. It was also found that swelling pressure depends on the loading-wetting conditions as a consequence of the different microstructure changes occurred in different conditions. Furthermore, it was attempted to elaborate a general relationship between the swelling pressure and the final dry density for various reference bentonites.     

我国高放废物处置库缓冲／回填材料压实膨胀特性研究

本文研究了我国高放废物地质处置库缓冲／回填材料－内蒙古高庙子膨润土的压实、膨胀力和膨胀变形特性。实验结果表明，膨润土样品的压实密度与压制压力和蒙脱石含量有关，膨胀力与样品压实密度和蒙脱石含量有关，样品在荷载作用下膨胀变形明显减小。     

压实红黏土的恒体积膨胀力与细观机制研究

针对目前量测土体膨胀力的主要方法所存在的不足,提出近似完全限制条件下测量土体膨胀力的改进方法。以压实红黏土为研究对象,测到不同初始状态（含水率、干密度）试样的膨胀力,并与膨胀反压法测得的膨胀力进行对比分析,发现限制膨胀方法测得的膨胀力要小于膨胀反压法的试验值。同时,显现出限制膨胀法测膨胀力具有3个主要优点：试验过程中保持土体不发生变形,更加符合膨胀力的物理定义;试验耗时少、占空间少;能测较宽含水率范围内的膨胀力。最后,利用压汞法和氮吸附法测得不同状态下土体的细观孔隙结构分布特征。结果表明：相同干密度试样,制样含水率对压实土体的孔隙分布影响显著;黏土晶间和粒间吸水自由膨胀后发生“不可逆”膨胀变形;土体发生“不可逆”膨胀变形程度是引起限制膨胀法和膨胀反压法所得试验结果出现差异的主要原因。     

Impact of Carpet Waste Fibre Addition on Swelling Properties of Compacted Clays

Municipalities and recycling and environmental authorities are concerned about the growing amount of carpet waste produced by household, commercial and industrial sectors. It is reported that 500,000 tonnes of carpet waste fibre are plunged into landfills annually in the UK. In the United States of America, around 10 million tonnes of textile waste was generated in 2003. In geotechnical engineering, expansive clay soils are categorised as problematic soils due to their swelling behaviour upon increase in the moisture content. The problematic nature of such soils is intensified with the increase in the plasticity index. This paper presents results of a comprehensive investigation into utilisation of carpet waste fibres in order to improve the swelling characteristics of compacted cohesive soils. Therefore, two different clay soils with markedly different plasticity indices (i.e. 17.0 and 31.5 %) were treated with two different types of carpet waste fibre. Waste fibres were added to prepare specimens with fibre content of 1, 3 and 5 % by dry weight of soil. Soil specimens with different dry unit weights and moisture contents were prepared so as to the swelling behaviour of fibre reinforced compacted clays is completely attained under various scenarios. The results indicated that the behaviour of the fibre reinforced soils seems highly dependent on the initial compaction state and secondary on the moisture content. It was found that the swelling pressure drops rapidly as the percentage of fibre increases in samples prepared at the maximum dry unit weight and optimum moisture content. Reducing the dry unit weight, while maintaining constant moisture content or increasing the moisture content at constant dry unit weight was found to reduce the swelling pressure.     

Crystalline and Osmotic Swelling of an Expansive Clay Inundated with Sodium Chloride Solutions

Compacted expansive clays swell due to crystalline swelling and osmotic/double layer swelling mechanisms. Crystalline swelling is driven by adsorption of water molecules at clay particle surfaces that occurs at inter-layer separations of 10–22 Å. Diffuse double layer swelling occurs at inter-layer separations >22 Å. The tendency of compacted clay to develop osmotic or double layer swelling reduces with increase in solute concentration in bulk solution. This study examines the consequence of increase in solute concentration in bulk solution on the relative magnitudes of the two swelling modes. The objective is achieved by inundating compacted expansive clay specimens with distilled water and sodium chloride solutions in free-swell oedometer tests and comparing the experimental swell with predictions from Van’t Hoff equation. The results of the study indicate that swell potential of compacted expansive clay specimens wetted with relatively saline (0.4, 1 and 4 M sodium chloride) solutions are satisfied by crystalline swelling alone. Comparatively, compacted clay specimens inundated with less saline solutions (0.005–0.1 M sodium chloride) require both crystalline and osmotic swelling to satiate the swell potential.     

Osmotic Swelling and Osmotic Consolidation Behaviour of Compacted Expansive Clay

Compacted clay soils are used as barriers in geoenvironmental engineering applications and are likely to be exposed to salinization and desalinization cycles during life of the facility. Changes in pore fluid composition from salinization and desalinization cycles induce osmotic suction gradients between soil–water and reservoir (example, landfill/brine pond) solution. Dissipation of osmotic suction gradients may induce osmotic swelling and consolidation strains. This paper examines the osmotic swelling and consolidation behaviour of compacted clays exposed to salinization and desalinization cycles at consolidation pressure of 200 kPa in oedometer assemblies. During salinization cycle, sodium ions of reservoir fluid replaced the divalent exchangeable cations. The osmotic swelling strain developed during first desalinization cycle was 29-fold higher than matric suction induced swelling strain of the compacted specimen. Further, the diffusion controlled osmotic swelling strain was 100-fold slower than matric suction-driven swelling process. After establishment of ion-exchange equilibrium, saturated saline specimens develop reversible osmotic swelling strains on exposure to desalinization cycles. Likewise the saturated desalinated specimen develops reversible osmotic consolidation strains on exposure to cycles of salinization. Variations in compaction dry density has a bearing on the osmotic swelling and consolidation strains, while, compaction water content had no bearing on the osmotic volumetric strains.     

Investigation of Kinnekulle K-bentonite aimed at assessing the long-term stability of bentonites under repository conditions

Müller-Vonmoos, M., Kahr, G., Bucher, F. and Madsen, F.T., 1990. Investigation of Kinnekulle K. bentonite aimed at assessing the long-term stability of bentonites under repository conditions. Eng. Geol., 28: 269–280.

The mineral formula, the content of fixed potassium and the average interlayer charge of the montmorillonite–illite mixed layer part of four Ordovician K-bentonite samples from Kinnekulle (Sweden) were investigated. The content of fixed potassium was found to decrease from 84% to 50% with increasing depth and distance from the Permian basalt intrusion about 100 m above the bentonite beds. The interlayer charge of the mixed layer is smectitic, i.e. below 0.5 charges per formula unit. The swelling pressures of air-dried, gently grinded and uniaxially compressed specimens with dry densities between 1.5 Mg/m³ and 2 Mg/m³ range from 1 N/mm² to 15 N/mm². This is about 20% of the swelling pressure values of identically treated Ca-montmorillonite. Following ultrasonic treatment, air-drying, gently grinding and compaction, increased swelling pressures of of about 70% of those Ca-montmorillonite were obtained. The reason for this increase in swelling pressure was investigated by dispersion experiments and determinations of water vapour adsorption isotherms of ultrasonically treated and untreated material.     

K0及三轴应力状态下压实膨胀土膨胀模型研究

以不同初始压实状态下的南阳中膨胀土为对象,在常规固结仪上开展侧限膨胀试验及采用GDS三轴仪进行恒定偏差应力的三轴膨胀试验,通过多元非线性拟合分析,分别获得考虑初始压实度、含水率、上覆压力耦合关联影响的K0膨胀模型以及体积膨胀率与球应力（体积应力）关系的三轴膨胀经验模型。基于K0膨胀模型,提出了压实土膨胀潜势能的定量计算公式,并推导出膨胀土边坡处理层厚度的理论计算方法。基于膨胀体积应变只随球应力变化而不受偏差应力影响的假设条件,分析了同一起始条件下,膨胀土K0模型与三轴膨胀模型的内在关联,并建立了通过K0模型推算三轴应力条件下体积膨胀率的理论方法。试验结果表明：采用多因素耦合的K0膨胀模型预测压实土膨胀势具有较好的准确度及合理性;联系K0模型与三轴膨胀模型的纽带在于假设侧限膨胀全程存在一个平均静止侧压力系数,采用反演方法得到平均侧压力系数呈现随上覆压力增大而减小的趋势,这种变化规律的根本原因则在于侧向膨胀力随上覆压力的增大而减小。     

Delineation of compaction criteria for acceptable hydraulic conductivity of lateritic soil-bentonite mixtures designed as landfill liners

In current geoenvironmental practice, design engineers usually require that soil liners in waste landfills be compacted within a specified range of water content and dry unit weight. This specification is based primarily on the need to achieve a minimum dry unit weight for factors controlling the performance of compacted soil liners most especially the hydraulic conductivity, k. In this study, lateritic soil treated with up to 10% bentonite, prepared at various compaction states (dry of optimum, optimum and wet of optimum moisture content) was compacted with four compactive efforts (i.e., the reduced British Standard Light, British Standard Light, West African Standard, and British Standard Heavy) to simulate the range of compaction energies expected in the field. Prepared soil mixtures were permeated with water and specimens that yielded the permissible limit of k????1?×?10^?9?m/s were enclosed in an envelope (known as the acceptable zone) on the water content?Cdry unit weight curve. It was observed that compaction conditions resulting in moisture content slightly wet of optimum led to the lowest values of k and that the shapes and boundaries of the acceptable zones gradually increased in extent, shifting to wet side of optimum moisture content as the bentonite content increased to 10%. This approach provides good control over the quality of compacted soils and has great potential for field application.     

Swelling model study of expansive soil at K-0 and triaxial stress stateEI北大核心CSCD

A series of swelling tests is performed on a typical Nanyang expansive soil with medium swelling capacity compacted at various initial densities and water contents. The swelling tests are separately conducted using the conventional oedometer to confine the lateral swelling of the soil specimens, and using the GDS triaxial apparatus to allow the free volumetric swelling. The multiple nonlinear mathematical method is adopted to obtain the lateral swelling model (i.e. K-0 model), which fully considers the coupled effect of initial degree of compaction, moisture content and overburden pressure on the swelling strain. Also, an empirical model for the relationship between spherical stress and volumetric strain is proposed by triaxial swelling test. Based on the K-0 swelling model, a formula is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the swell potential, and also a theoretical calculation method is derived to determine the processing layer thickness of expansive soil slope. Based on the assumption that volumetric swelling strain only changes with spherical stress and is not affected by the deviatoric stress, the correlations between the K-0 model and triaxial model are analyzed, and a method to calculate the volumetric swelling strain by only employing the K-0 model is given. Experimental results show that the proposed K-0 model with multifactor coupling is reasonable to predict the swelling potential of compacted expansive soil. It is found that the key factor to link the K-0 model and triaxial swelling model is assuming an average static lateral pressure coefficient. The average static lateral pressure coefficient tends to decreases with increasing overburden pressure by inversion method. This tendency of average static lateral pressure coefficient is believed to rely on the fact that lateral swelling pressure decreases with the increase of overburden pressure.     

混合型缓冲回填材料膨胀力试验研究

与纯膨润土相比,混合型缓冲回填材料（膨润土与石英砂混合物）能够实现防渗阻隔能力、热传导性能、力学强度和可施工性能的最佳组合。选用高庙子钠基膨润土（GMZ001）为缓冲回填材料的主料,添加不同比例的石英砂,对掺砂比分别为0、10%、20%、30%、40%和50%的膨润土-砂混合物压实试样进行室内试验。结果表明,混合物的液限、塑限随掺砂率的增大而线性降低;膨胀力随时间呈指数增长。初始含水率较大时,最大膨胀力随初始含水率的增大略有降低。掺砂率一定时,最大膨胀力随初始干密度指数增长。提出了有效黏土密度的概念,建立了一定初始含水率条件下,任意掺砂率和初始干密度的高庙子膨润土-砂混合物最大膨胀力归一化模型,为混合型缓冲回填材料膨胀力的预测与控制提供了依据。     

Plutonium diffusivity in compacted bentonite

Measurements on plutonium diffusivity in water-saturated compacted bentonite were carried out. Representative specimens of sodium bentonite were taken from the Tsukinuno and Kuroishi mines situated in northeast Japan. Tsukinuno bentonite was divided into three types: raw type, purified Na-type, and H-type which was prepared by treating Na-type bentonite with hydrochloric acid. Kuroishi bentonite contained chlorite as impurity. H-type bentonite was used as reference for the convenience of profile measurement in bentonite, since plutonium diffusivity in H-type bentonite was considered to be larger than that in Na-type bentonite because of low pH and low swelling pressure of H-type bentonite.

Sampled bentonite was compacted into pellets of 20 mm in diameter and 20 mm in height. Bulk densities of these specimens were 1200–1800 kg/m³ for purified Na-type and H-type bentonite and 1600 kg/m³ for raw type bentonite.

Plutonium profiles obtained in H-type bentonite can be explained by diffusion equation with constant concentration source. Diffusivity ranges from 10^-13 to 10¹² m²/s for H-type and Kuroishi impure sodium bentonite. Diffusivity in both raw type and purified Tsukinuno bentonite was was estimated to less than 10^-14 M²/s. Diffusivity in H-type bentonite showed a tendency to decrease with increasing density. Influence of in bentonite was also studied. Quartz content up to 50% or hematite content up to 1% did not influence diffusivity significantly in H-type bentonite.

The chemical species of plutonium in pore water of Na-type and H-type were estimated Pu(OH)₃^-; and PuO₂^- , respectively.     

膨润土热传导性能时效性试验研究

在不同初始条件下试验研究了静置时间对高庙子钠基膨润土GMZ07和MX80膨润土压实样热传导性能的影响。在保持试样干密度和含水率不变情况下,将不同初始状态试样分别静置1、5、30、60、100 d,随后采用热探针法进行热传导系数测试,并对部分试样进行压汞试验。试验结果表明：GMZ07和MX80膨润土的热传导系数均随静置时间的增长而减小,静置早期热传导系数减小较快,随着静置时间延续,热传导系数逐渐趋于稳定。在相同干密度下,静置时间引起的热传导系数减小量随含水率的增大而增大。结合压实膨润土试样的微观孔隙结构变化,认为膨润土热传导系数随静置时间发生变化的主要原因是：试样静置过程中,蒙脱石发生水化膨胀,部分土中水转变成热传导性能较差的惰性水,导致膨润土的热传导系数减小。     

An upscaling method and a numerical analysis of swelling/shrinking processes in a compacted bentonite/sand mixture

This paper presents an upscaling concept of swelling/shrinking processes of a compacted bentonite/sand mixture, which also applies to swelling of porous media in general. A constitutive approach for highly compacted bentonite/sand mixture is developed accordingly. The concept is based on the diffuse double layer theory and connects microstructural properties of the bentonite as well as chemical properties of the pore fluid with swelling potential. Main factors influencing the swelling potential of bentonite, i.e. variation of water content, dry density, chemical composition of pore fluid, as well as the microstructures and the amount of swelling minerals are taken into account. According to the proposed model, porosity is divided into interparticle and interlayer porosity. Swelling is the potential of interlayer porosity increase, which reveals itself as volume change in the case of free expansion, or turns to be swelling pressure in the case of constrained swelling. The constitutive equations for swelling/shrinking are implemented in the software GeoSys/RockFlow as a new chemo‐hydro‐mechanical model, which is able to simulate isothermal multiphase flow in bentonite. Details of the mathematical and numerical multiphase flow formulations, as well as the code implementation are described. The proposed model is verified using experimental data of tests on a highly compacted bentonite/sand mixture. Comparison of the 1D modelling results with the experimental data evidences the capability of the proposed model to satisfactorily predict free swelling of the material under investigation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shrinkage and desiccation cracking in bentonite–sand landfill liners

Data are reported on the shrinkage and desiccation cracking exhibited by bentonite-enhanced sand mixtures (BES) upon air-drying. Mixtures containing 10 and 20% bentonite by dry weight, compacted at moisture contents ranging from 8 to 32%, were investigated. Hydraulic conductivity data for BES specimens saturated and tested immediately after compaction, and for similar specimens that had no visible damage after air-drying, are also presented.

All the mixtures exhibited volumetric shrinkage upon air-drying with the amount of shrinkage increasing with increasing moisture content during compaction. At any initial moisture content mixtures containing 20% bentonite shrink more than those containing 10% bentonite, but the shrinkage is insensitive to the compactive effort. Compacted beds of BES containing 10 and 20% bentonite exhibit no visible desiccation cracking as the top surface is dried when compacted at 15 and 14% moisture content, respectively, and only minor cracking when compacted at initial moisture contents of 20 and 15%, respectively. For the range of mixtures tested, it appears that cracking only occurs when BES undergoes more than about 4% volumetric shrinkage when air-dried. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of intact BES specimens is unaffected by a drying episode prior to testing.