Comparative tests for evaluating permeability changes of a compacted bentonite/sand mixture during shear
- Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Inst. of Environmental Systems
- Shimizu Corp., Tokyo (Japan)
A compacted mixture of Kunigeru VI bentonite and D-sand is being considered for use as an engineered barrier in low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities in Japan. An important issue is the maintenance of the retardation property of the mixture during shear that might be induced in such barriers by earthquakes and/or gradual tectonic deformations occurring over the design life of the facility. Comparative tests on a bentonite-sand mixture and kaolin-sand mixture were conducted by means of a recently-developed coupled shear and permeability testing apparatus under temperature controlled condition. The specific storage of bentonite-sand specimen during shear is also systematically evaluated with the new analytical theory for the constant flow permeability test. The present study reveals that (1) temperature control is preferred for measuring the permeability of extremely-low permeability materials with the constant-flow pump method; (2) both the permeability and specific storage of the mixture of Kunigeru VI bentonite and D-sand were not significantly influenced by shear strains up to 3% whereas the permeability of the kaolin-sand mixture increased almost linearly with the increment of shear strain; (3) the swelling of bentonite in the mixture under low confining stress decreases both the permeability and specific storage of bentonite-sand mixture; and (4) the constant flow permeability test method, with the newly derived theoretical analysis, promises to become a very effective means of investigating, rapidly and systematically, the permeability and specific storage of extremely-low permeability materials with relatively-low hydraulic gradients.
- OSTI ID:
- 572221
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961202-; TRN: 98:003777
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1996 Fall meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), Boston, MA (United States), 2-6 Dec 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Scientific basis for nuclear waste management XX; Gray, W.J. [ed.] [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)]; Triay, I.R. [ed.] [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)]; PB: 1389 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 465
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation and Application of the Constant Flow Technique in Testing Low-Permeability Geo-Materials
Design, testing and emplacement of sand-bentonite for the construction of a gas-permeable seal test (gast)