Numerical modelling on water retention and permeability of compacted GMZ bentonite under free-swelling conditions

In this study, a solid–liquid–gas coupled equation was established to simulate water retention characteristics of highly compacted GMZ bentonite. Then, modelling results were compared with laboratory test results. Results indicate that GMZ bentonite has a strong moisture expansion (or a limit drying shrinkage) characteristic. The control equation can simulate the water absorption and deformation characteristics very well at high relative humidity (or low suction). Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) observation reveals the course grain soil texture of the surface under low relative humidity (RH), while the surface of GMZ bentonite becomes smooth (more fine-grained soil texture) as RH increases. Differences were found between the porosities calculated by macroexperiment results and microscopic observations with ESEM method. This is because only the interaggregate pores can be observed by ESEM photographs. Additionally, we find that the simulated effective porosities are close to the results calculated by microscopic tests, while the effective porosity is considered as the main flow channel of flow. Further, the intrinsic permeability, the effective water and gas permeability are calculated based on the proposed model. The modelling results coincide well with the laboratory experimental results and support the reliability of the proposed model.     

高压实膨润土的非饱和渗透膨胀模型

高放废弃物深地质处置库中,作为缓冲/回填材料的高压实膨润土的设计功能是,遇水吸湿导致土体膨胀变形,以密封高压实膨润土块体砌置时形成的块体与块体之间和块体与围岩之间的施工缝隙以及围岩中因处置库开挖卸载引起的裂缝,形成阻障围岩中地下水渗入内库引起核素迁移,与库内高放废物的辐射扩散的人工屏障。高压实膨润土在自由膨胀条件下的膨胀应变和非饱和渗透系数由渗透试验测得;孔隙比和吸力的关系由压汞试验测得。吸力和含水率的函数关系可由土-水特征曲线测试试验得到。因此,自由膨胀条件下膨润土的非饱和渗透膨胀模型由膨胀应变、非饱和渗透系数和孔隙比与吸力的函数关系建立。结果表明：渗透系数和体积应变都随吸力减小而增加,因为吸力减小会导致孔隙比增加。这一发现有助于设计高放废物的最终处置方案。     

An unsaturated hydraulic conductivity model for compacted GMZ01 bentonite with consideration of temperature

As one of the most important properties of compacted bentonite used as buffer/backfill materials, hydraulic conductivity is influenced by various factors including temperature, microstructure and suction (or degree of saturation), etc. Based on the readily available results of both temperature-controlled water-retention tests and unsaturated infiltration tests under confined (constant volume) conditions, influences of temperature and microstructure variations on unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ01) bentonite were analyzed. Then, a revised unsaturated hydraulic conductivity model considering temperature effects and microstructure changes was developed. With this proposed model, prediction and comparison were made on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted GMZ01 bentonite at 20 °C. Results show that water-retention capacity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite decreases as temperature increases and the degree of the temperature influence depends on suction. Under confined conditions, influence of hydration on microstructure of compacted GMZ01 bentonite depends on pore size. The proposed model can well describe the variations of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity with suction at different temperatures. However, further improvement of the proposed model is needed to account for the phenomenon of inter-aggregate pores clogging that occurred at the initial stage of hydration of compacted GMZ01 bentonite under confined conditions.     

Insights into the water retention behaviour of GMZ bentonite pellet mixture

Bentonite pellets are recognized as good buffer/backfill materials for sealing technological voids in high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. Compared to that of a traditional compacted bentonite block, one of the most important particularities of this material is the initially discrete pellets and the inevitable heterogeneous porosity formed, leading to a distinctive water retention behaviour. In this paper, water retention and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were conducted on pellet mixture (constant volume), single pellet (free swelling) and compacted block (constant volume) of GMZ bentonite, water retention properties and pore structure evolutions of the specimens were comparatively investigated. Results show that the water retention properties of the three specimens are almost similar to each other in the high suction range (>?10 MPa), while the water retention capacity of pellet mixture is lower than those of the compacted block and single pellet in the low suction range (<?10 MPa). Based on the capillary water retention theory (the Young–Laplace equation), a new concept ‘saturated void ratio’ that was positively related to water content and dependent on pore size distribution of the specimen was defined. Then, according to the product of saturated void ratio and water density in saturated void, differences of water retention properties for the three specimens at low suctions were explained. Meanwhile, MIP tests indicate that as suction decreases, the micro- and macrovoid ratios of pellet mixture and compacted block decrease as the mesovoid ratio increases, while all the void ratios of single pellets increase. This could be explained that upon wetting, water is successively adsorbed into the inter-layer, inter-particle and inter-pellet voids, leading to the subdivision of particles and swelling of aggregates and pellets. Under constant volume condition, aggregates and pellets tend to swell and fill into the inter-aggregates or inter-pellets voids. While under free swelling condition, the particles and aggregates in a single pellet tend to swell outward rather than squeezing into the inter-aggregate voids, leading to the expansion of the pores and even formation of cracks. Results including the effects of initial conditions (initial dry density and fabric) and constraint conditions (constant volume or free swelling) on the water retention capacity and pore structure evolution reached in this work are of great importance in designing of engineering barrier systems for the HLW repository.

     

A water retention model accounting for void ratio changes in double porosity clays

This paper presents a constitutive model that predicts the water retention behaviour of compacted clays with evolving bimodal pore size distributions. In line with previous research, the model differentiates between the water present inside the saturated pores of the clay aggregates (the microstructure) and the water present inside the pores between clay aggregates (the macrostructure). A new formulation is then introduced to account for the effect of the macrostructural porosity changes on the retention behaviour of the soil, which results in a consistent evolution of the air-entry value of suction with volumetric deformations. Data from wetting tests on three different active clays (i.e. MX-80 bentonite, FEBEX bentonite, and Boom clay), subjected to distinct mechanical restraints, were used to formulate, calibrate, and validate the proposed model. Results from free swelling tests were also modelled by using both the proposed double porosity model and a published single porosity model, which confirmed the improvement in the predictions of degree of saturation by the present approach. The proposed retention model might be applied, for example, to the simulation of the hydromechanical behaviour of engineered bentonite barriers in underground nuclear waste repositories, where compacted active clays are subjected to changes of both suction and porosity structure under restrained volume conditions.

     

Investigation of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of GMZ bentonite pellet mixtures

Bentonite pellet mixtures are considered as one of the candidate sealing materials for deep geological disposals of radioactive waste. One of the particularities of this material is the initial heterogeneous distribution of pellets and porosity within the mixture, leading to complex hydro-mechanical behaviour. In this paper, the hydro-mechanical properties of GMZ bentonite pellet mixtures were investigated in the laboratory by carrying out water retention tests on pellet mixtures under constant-volume condition and single pellets under free swelling condition, as well as a infiltration test on a column specimen of pellet mixture. In the infiltration test, the relative humidity and radial swelling pressure were monitored at five heights, the axial swelling pressure was also recorded. The instantaneous profile method was applied to determine the unsaturated hydraulic conductivities. Results show that, in high suction range (>?10 MPa) the water retention curve of pellet mixture under constant-volume condition was comparable to that of a single pellet under free swelling condition, while in low suction range (<?10 MPa) the latter exhibits a much higher water retention capacity. Due to clogging of large pores, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity decreases as suction decreases to around 25 MPa. However, with further suction decrease, the hydraulic conductivity increases continuously until the value at saturated state, as in the case of most unsaturated soils. The radial swelling pressure at different heights develops with local sudden increase and decrease, which was attributed to local rearrangement of pellets upon wetting. By contrast, as the axial swelling pressure was measured on the global surface of the specimen, it develops in a more regular fashion.

     

高庙子膨润土水化膨胀特性及其微观机理研究

膨润土具有遇水膨胀的特性,是高放核废料深地质处置库理想的缓冲回填材料。膨胀特性是其作为缓冲材料最重要的性能之一,同时受多方面因素的影响。本文以我国首选缓冲材料高庙子膨润土为研究对象,以含水率和干密度为控制变量,以恒体积法为试验方法,研究了高压实高庙子膨润土的水化膨胀特性,采用压汞试验法(MIP)对膨润土微观结构进行了研究,并以此对水化膨胀特性进行了解释。膨胀力试验结果表明,高庙子膨润土的膨胀力发展形式和最大膨胀力均受试样含水率和干密度影响,干密度较小时,水化曲线呈明显的双峰结构,干密度较大时,水化曲线形态与含水率相关,随着含水率增大,双峰结构逐渐消失。MIP试验结果表明,高庙子膨润土的孔径分布同样受含水率和干密度影响,随着含水率和干密度降低,集合体间大孔隙体积增多。膨润土的水化膨胀曲线受集合体间大孔隙影响显著。大孔隙较多时,膨润土集合体能迅速膨胀形成临时结构,当膨胀力超过临时结构的极限荷载时发生坍塌,膨胀力回落,内部结构重组后继续水化达到最大膨胀力,因此其水化膨胀曲线呈明显的双峰结构。随着大孔隙量减少,水化膨胀曲线由双峰结构演变成一条平滑曲线。     

温控高压实GMZ01膨润土-砂混合物土水特性

纯膨润土中掺入一定比例的石英砂,可以有效地提高工程屏障的热传导特性、力学强度和长期稳定性,并可降低屏障系统的工程造价; 但同时也会改变混合物的土水特征。本文采用水汽平衡法和渗析法吸力控制技术,开展了不同温度(20℃、40℃和60℃)、恒体积条件下,高压实GMZ01膨润土-石英砂混合物(7:3)试样的持水特性试验。结果表明,体积与吸力恒定时,高压实高庙子膨润土-砂混合物的含水量随温度升高而减少,但温度影响幅度取决于吸力水平; 低吸力范围内,混合物的饱和度大于1,其原因可能是由于混合物中结合水密度大所引起的; 基于Frendlund常温方程的万敏模型,能够拟合考虑温度影响的GMZ01膨润土-砂混合物土水特征曲线。     

化学作用下高庙子膨润土屏障性能演化行为

深地质处置库运营过程中,受地下水化学成分、可能泄露的核素等近场化学条件影响,膨润土工程屏障性能可能发生衰减。围绕化学作用下膨润土屏障性能的演化行为,以我国北山处置库预选场地为工程背景,以内蒙古高庙子膨润土为研究对象,首先介绍了高庙子膨润土的基本物理性质及北山预选场地近场化学条件;在此基础上,详细总结了化学作用下高庙子膨润土水力、力学及阻滞等屏障性能演化行为相关研究成果。结果表明:化学作用对膨润土持水、渗透特性的影响可分别依据渗透吸力及双电层理论解释;化学作用下膨润土膨胀力的衰减与其水化膨胀机制有关,化-力耦合及化-水-力耦合作用下膨润土变形特性因渗透固结、化学软化效应而发生改变;膨润土的吸附与扩散特性受核素浓度、离子环境、pH值等因素影响。最后,提出化学作用下膨润土屏障性能演化研究应重点关注的方向。     

An experimental study of the water transfer through confined compacted GMZ bentonite

GMZ bentonite has been considered as a possible material for engineered barrier in the Chinese program of nuclear waste disposal at great depth. In the present work, the hydraulic conductivity of this bentonite was determined by simultaneous profile method. A specific infiltration cell equipped with five resistive relative humidity probes was designed for this purpose. The water retention properties were studied under both confined and unconfined conditions; the results show that at high suctions (> 4 MPa) the water retention capacity is independent of the confining condition, and by contrast, at low suctions (< 4 MPa) the confined condition resulted in significant low water retention. Furthermore, the microstructure was investigated at mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) in different states: on oven-dried powder, bentonite slurry, as-compacted and wetted samples. It has been observed that the soil powder is constituted of aggregates of various sizes; these aggregates are destroyed by full saturation at a water content equal to the liquid limit; compaction at the initial water content of 11–12% and a dry density of 1.7–1.75 Mg/m³ led to a microstructure characterized by a dense assembly of relatively well preserved aggregates; saturation of the compacted sample under constant volume condition defined a non-homogeneous microstructure with the presence of well preserved aggregates. This non-homogeneous microstructure would be due to the non uniform distribution of the generated swelling pressure within the soil sample upon wetting. The hydraulic conductivity determined has been found decreasing first and then increasing with suction decrease from the initial value of about 80 MPa to zero; the decrease can be attributed to the large pore clogging due to soft gel creation by exfoliation process, as observed at ESEM.     

两种高庙子钠基膨润土膨胀特性比较研究

对两种高庙子钠基膨润土（简称GMZ001和GMZ07）在不同初始干密度下进行膨胀力试验、常压力下的膨胀变形试验以及压缩试验。试验结果表明,GMZ001的膨胀能力要比GMZ07的大,并且GMZ001比GMZ07更难压实。对饱和后两种膨润土进行压汞试验和扫描电子显微镜测试后发现,在相同孔隙比下,GMZ07集聚体间孔隙较多,并且GMZ001集聚体的水化程度大于GMZ07。结合土工和微观试验的结果,认为导致两者力学性能差异的主要原因是由于颗粒粒径大小的差异以及蒙脱石含量的不同。最后利用蒙脱石孔隙比的概念对两种膨润土的浸水膨胀试验结果进行归一化,并对膨润土的膨胀特性进行了预测。     

Model suggested for an important part of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a water unsaturated bentonite

The hydro-mechanical behaviour of a clay-based buffer material for nuclear waste disposal has been investigated in a laboratory program. In this program, the main focus was on the influence of confinement on water uptake and swelling pressure during suction decrease. The laboratory program and some of the results are presented by Dueck [Dueck, A., 2006. Laboratory results from hydro-mechanical tests on a water unsaturated bentonite. submitted for publication.].

The results from the laboratory tests were used to find a relationship between water content, void ratio, swelling pressure and suction. Two equations for swelling pressure represent the outline of the model.

In the first equation, the swelling pressure developed during water uptake is normalised by a pressure corresponding to the swelling pressure at saturation. This is done in order to be independent of void ratio. A relationship between the normalised swelling pressure and the degree of saturation is suggested.

The second equation describes a relationship between the swelling pressure, the water content and the actual suction (or relative humidity). The equation is based on a thermodynamic relationship and includes the retention curve (i.e. water content vs. suction under free swelling conditions).

The model can be used for a state where two of the four variables; water content, void ratio, swelling pressure and suction are known and can thus be useful to evaluate field measurements and model late stages of the wetting process. An example of an application is given. The equations are mainly based on results from tests with increasing degrees of saturation under constant void ratio but are also suggested for use with increasing void ratio.     

化学溶液作用下基于压实膨润土孔隙结构演化的土水特征模型研究

在高放废弃物深地质处置库复杂的地下水环境影响下,缓冲/回填材料微观孔隙结构的改变通常会大大影响其水力性质.为探究这种影响,众多学者从不同理论出发,建立了相应的土水特征模型.然而,针对这些模型的对比研究较少,且缺少将模型应用于考虑化学影响的情况.在压实膨润土微观结构分析的基础上,基于分形理论和双孔理论,分别构建了压实膨润...     

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。     

Thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of two heavily overconsolidated clays

An experimental study on the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of two heavily overconsolidated clays is presented. Laboratory tests have been conducted on a Spanish bentonite (FEBEX bentonite) and a Belgian kaolinitic/illitic clay (Boom clay), statically compacted at different initial dry densities and water contents. Volume change behaviour of the soils during suction reduction paths at different temperatures and during heating-cooling cycles at constant water content or suction have been investigated through the use of suction and temperature controlled oedometer cells. In addition, the volume change response under unconfined conditions and constant water content has been measured to determine thermal expansion coefficients. The results show similarities and differences between the observed behaviour of the two types of clays that have been interpreted on the basis of their different structures and regarding their proportion of intra-aggregate water.     

全吸力范围生物炭−黏土混合土的土−水特性

土−水特征曲线在研究非饱和土的水力与力学特性中发挥着重要的作用。生物炭具有多孔结构、高比表面积和强吸附的特性。将生物炭改性土应用于垃圾填埋场上覆盖层,因受自然环境因素的影响会使其水力特性发生改变。为了研究全吸力范围内生物炭掺量对生物炭−黏土混合土保水特性的影响,利用蒸汽平衡法（吸力范围 3～368 MPa）、滤纸法（吸力范围 0 ～40 MPa）和压力板法（吸力范围 0～1.5 MPa）控制土样的吸力,测定吸力平衡后土样的含水率和饱和度,得到全吸力范围内生物炭−黏土混合土的土−水特征曲线。试验结果表明：（1）3种吸力测试方法很好地表达了生物炭−黏土混合土全吸力范围内的土−水特征曲线。（2）生物炭能够影响黏土的保水性,但在一定的吸力范围内,生物炭−黏土混合土的保水性还与孔隙结构和孔隙中水的形态相关。（3）通过压力板法测得,试样的进气值随着生物炭掺量的增加而减小。当吸力值小于进气值时,曲线出现水平段,土样始终处于饱和状态,生物炭掺量越大,试样的保水性越好。（4）由生物炭−黏土混合土微观孔隙结构以及生物炭在黏土中的分布形态来解释生物炭改性黏土的保水能力随生物炭掺量的变化关系。     

两种膨润土的土-水特征曲线

用滤纸法和压力板法对Kunigel-V1和高庙子两种膨润土进行试验研究,量测不同孔隙比情况下的土-水特征曲线,研究土-水特征曲线与孔隙比之间的关系以及两种膨润土的土-水特性。试验结果表明：用吸力与含水率的关系表示土-水特征曲线时,在吸力较大的情况下,孔隙比对土-水特征曲线的影响不大;用吸力与饱和度的关系表示土-水特征曲线时,土-水特征曲线随着孔隙比的减小向右上方移动,即在吸力一定的情况下,饱和度随着孔隙比的减小而增加,并且此变化接近于线性变化。另外,孔隙比相同时,Kunigel-V1和高庙子膨润土的土-水特征曲线比较接近,即两种膨润土的持水特性比较相近     

压实膨润土在盐溶液中的膨胀变形特性

采用蒸馏水以及浓度不同的NaCl溶液作为浸泡溶液,对商用膨润土进行了膨胀变形试验。结果表明在相同的荷载作用下,膨胀变形随浸泡溶液浓度的增加而减小。这是因为浸泡溶液的浓度越大,溶液的渗透吸力也越大,渗透吸力的增加将引起施加在黏土颗粒上有效应力的增加,使得在外部施加荷载相同时膨润土的膨胀变形随溶液浓度的增加而减小。当压实膨润土在盐溶液中膨胀时,其有效应力pe可分为两部分,即施加荷载部分p和渗透吸力部分p。对于浸泡于蒸馏水和NaCl溶液中的膨润土试样,其膨胀后的蒙脱石孔隙比em与有效应力pe之间的关系可采用同一关系曲线表示,此时施加于黏土颗粒上的有效应力的渗透吸力部分p=(p/)0.66。     

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.