Mechanical behavior of New Mexico rock salt in triaxial compression up to 200 /sup 0/C
Experiments were conducted to determine the 'quasi-static' mechanical behavior of rock salt in support of the structural design of a waste isolation pilot plant. The salt studied was from the Salado formation in the Delaware Basin, southeastern New Mexico. Three groups of tests are discussed to identify the relative and site-specific importance of deviator stress, confining pressure (mean stress), temperature, time (loading rate), and stress path. The three groups of experiments consist of (1) hydrostatic loading, (2) triaxial compression tests (sigma/sub 1/>sigma/sub 2/=sigma/sub 3/=const), and (3) variables stress path tests including experients at approximately constant sigma/sub 1/ and at constant mean stress. The range of parameters considered was 0< or =p (hydrostatic pressure) < or =34.5 MPa, 0< or =sigma/sub 2/=sigma/sub 3/< or =20.7 MPa, 0< or =(sigma/sub 1/-sigma/sub 3/)< or =62 MPa, 23< or =T (temperature) < or =200 /sup 0/C, and 1.7< or =d(sigma/sub 1/-sigma/sub 3/)/dt < or =3.5 kPa/s. All data were generated on 100-mm-diameter specimens. The rock salt exhibited nonlinear response under all loading conditions, a low initial elastic limit (sigma/sub 1/-sigma/sub 3/)< or =0.7 MPa, and an apparent inseparability of permanent deformations into time-independent and time-dependent components. Pressure and temperature did not alter the elastic constants over the range 29.6< or =E< or =36.5 GPa and 0.17< or =..nu..< or =0.26, depending on core lithology. Pressure and temperature affected the principal strain ratio, the ratio of volumetric to shear strain, rock salt ductility, and the ultimate stress. In particular, low pressure and temperature permitted pronounced dilatancy and loss in load bearing ability. Under such conditions the volumetric strains reached sizeable fractions of the shear strains, vertical-barepsilon/(epsilon/sub 1/-epsilon/sub 3/) vertical-bar> or =0.2.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185
- OSTI ID:
- 5431464
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 85:B2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Mechanical behavior of New Mexico rock salt in triaxial compression up to 200/sup 0/C
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
ROCK MECHANICS
COMPRESSION
DUCTILITY
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LOADING RATE
MEDIUM PRESSURE
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SALT DEPOSITS
SHRINKAGE
STRAIN RATE
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
580300* - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage