| Abstract: | To provide a better understanding of sedimentary basin geological history, it is important to describe correctly the evolution of the various physical, mechanical and hydraulic properties of clayey rocks as a function of burial depth. As a contribution to this field, a programme of experimental studies on reworked clay samples compacted under various load pressures in oedometric conditions has been set up. The evolution of samples under compaction was followed with microscopic and macroscopic measurements. In a specially designed oedometric cell, samples are compacted under different total stresses from 0.1 to 50 MPa. In this cell, cylindrical cores are submitted to progressive loading from both ends under controlled pore pressure conditions. The symmetrical loading allows more even deformation about the midplane of the sample. This device allows the evolution of hydraulic pressure, radial stress, displacement and expelled pore fluid to be followed as a function of time. In a first step, kaolinite was chosen because it retains a high permeability (compared with other clays such as illite or smectite), which allows compaction tests to be performed within a few days. A complete set of measurements was performed after the tests. These measurements are: (1) micro-structures investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mercury porosimetry, water removal under low water vapour pressure, granulometry and specific area measured by ethylene glycol adsorption; and (2) various physical parameters measured including hydraulic conductivity and thermal conductivity. TEM gives an understanding of the arrangement of particles. It was found that each particle is composed of several crystal units, each unit formed by ≈25 individual kaolinite layers. During compaction, these particles remain undeformed, but are rotated. The angular distribution of grain orientation is a function of the applied effective stress. This reorientation is in agreement with the observed decrease in porosity and pore size. It also explains the occurrence of a strong anisotropy in the thermal conductivity and hydraulic permeability. The combination of these experimental results allows a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the behaviour of kaolinite with respect to parameters such as permeability, porosity, mechanical and thermal properties, the knowledge of which are necessary for basin modelling. |
