Finite element analyses of rate-dependent thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviors of clayey soils based on thermodynamics

Clayey soils in the vicinity of energy geostructures may be exposed to long-term periodic thermal cycles. The creep and consolidation behaviors of the clayey soils can be both rate-dependent and temperature-dependent, and the underlying physical mechanisms are merely investigated theoretically. In this study, based on the theory of thermodynamics, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element (FE) program for saturated soils is developed for this purpose. The FE formulation accounts for the combined effect of rate and temperature through the novel concept of granular temperature. Simulations of THM coupled validation cases and a series of experimental observations on the soft Bangkok clay are carried out. The obtained numerical results exhibit good agreement with analytical solutions and laboratory measurements. It is found that three fundamental physical mechanisms contribute to the irreversible thermal contraction observed for normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays under drained thermal cycles: (1) the thermal creep excited by mass exchange from adsorbed water to free water; (2) the mechanical creep induced by confining stresses; and (3) the increase in granular packing caused by the thermal expansion of soil particles. The thermal contraction generally stabilizes within a few thermal cycles, as a result of the noticeable reduction in the thermal creep rate. It is further demonstrated that the transient heat transfer and the heating rate can greatly influence the deformation of clays subjected to thermal cycles.