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U.S. Department of Energy
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Pore-water extraction from unsaturated tuffs using one-dimensionsal compression

Conference ·
OSTI ID:145622
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. PRC Environmental Management Inc., Denver, CO (United States)
  2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
  3. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
To support the study of the unsaturated-zone hydrochemistry at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a one-dimensional compression system was developed and tested to extract unaltered and uncontaminated pore-water samples from unsaturated tuff. The major components of the compression system include a high strength steel-alloy corpus ring and nickel-alloy sample sleeve that confine a core sample, and a base platen and piston for application of the axial stress. The base platen and piston are fitted with drainage grooves to alloy pore water to drain during compression. Results obtained using the compression system indicate that pore-water samples could be obtained from nonwelded-tuff cores that had initial moisture contents as small as 8 percent (by weight) and from welded tuff cores that had initial moisture contents as small as 6.5 percent (by weight). For the ambient moisture conditions of tuffs present at Yucca Mountain, the one-dimensional compression system is more effective for extracting pore water than a previously tested triaxial-compression device.
Research Organization:
American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States); American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States)
OSTI ID:
145622
Report Number(s):
CONF-910435--Vol.2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English