Search results for "Opalinus Clay"
showing 10 items of 17 documents
1D Compression Behaviour of Opalinus Clay
2017
One of the main concerns related to tunnel excavations, drilling operations and wellbore stability in shales is the generation of excess pore water pressure due to changes in mechanical stress; therefore the consolidation of shales is a fundamental process that must be considered. This paper presents a compre- hensive methodology for analysing the compression and consolidation behaviour of shales. An apparatus to perform high-pressure oedometric tests is presented and an analytical method is introduced to analyse the shale consolidation behaviour, which allows information to be gathered on the coeffi cient of consolidation, stiffness, poroelastic properties, and permeability of the tested m…
Resistenza a taglio di campioni rimaneggiati di Opalinus Clay
2021
La nota presenta una selezione dei risultati di un ampio programma sperimentale condotto con l’obiettivo di caratterizzare, dal punto di vista della resistenza a taglio, dei campioni rimaneggiati di Opalinus Clay, attraverso l’esecuzione di prove triassiali non convenzionali. I risultati mostrano chiaramente l’influenza del grado di preconsolidazione sul comportamento meccanico del geomateriale e in particolare sulla resistenza a taglio, che risulta caratterizzata da un picco di resistenza poco marcato e da un comportamento dilatante. La presenza di giunti all’interno del provino altera completamente il comportamento originario del materiale, che diventa duttile e contraente. Inoltre, in ta…
The Role of Anisotropy on the Volumetric Behaviour of Opalinus Clay upon Suction Change
2017
An experimental investigation to analyse the anisotropic volumetric response of shaly and sandy facies of Opalinus Clay upon suction variations is presented. Obtained results demonstrate the different behaviour of the tested facies to a wetting-drying cycle. The shaly facies exhibits higher water retention capacity and stronger volumetric response than the sandy facies. Anisotropic response is experienced by both facies with the strain perpendicular to bedding higher than in the parallel direction. The sandy facies exhibits a more pronounced anisotropic behaviour in particular during the drying phase. A detailed analysis of the response in the two directions with respect to the bedding orie…
One dimensional consolidation of Opalinus Clay from shallow depth
2017
First experimental results on Opalinus Clay from shallow depth (< 30 m depth) are presented and compared to results on cores from Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory (~ 300 m depth). Samples were tested in one dimensional condition using an advanced experimental technique. The samples from the two sites show similar properties in terms of geotechnical characterization and one dimensional compressibility/swelling indexes, despite the different source depths.
One-dimensional compression and consolidation of shales
2016
This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for analysing the compression and consolidation behaviour of shales. An apparatus was designed to perform oedometric high-pressure tests by applying a maximum vertical total stress of 100 MPa and simultaneously controlling the pore water pressure of the specimen. An analytical method was formulated to analyse the shale consolidation behaviour, which allows information to be gathered on the coefficient of consolidation, stiffness, poroelastic properties, secondary compression and permeability of the tested material as a function of the applied stress conditions. Results obtained on Opalinus Clay shale using the developed methodology are present…
Discussion on “Experimental Deformation of Opalinus Clay at Elevated Temperature and Pressure Conditions: Mechanical Properties and the Influence of …
2021
AbstractThe testing procedure and results on saturated samples of Opalinus Clay in the work of Schuster et al. (Rock Mech Rock Eng https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02474-3, 2021) were conducted and presented using strain rates two to four orders of magnitudes higher than the rates needed to allow pore pressure equilibrium in the material, both in drained and undrained conditions. This leads to an erroneous estimation of the mechanical properties in saturated conditions. We discuss this aspect in the context of shale testing. We also discuss the effect of drying-induced fissuring on the mechanical properties of geomaterials tested in dry conditions.
Numerical investigation on water exchange of shale samples
2020
Interest in the hydraulic and mechanical characterization of shales has grown in recent years, because of their application in the context of energy geotechnics. In the frame of nuclear waste disposal shales are considered as host formations for the placements of nuclear waste at high depths. In the frame of hydrocarbon production they are considered as unconventional reservoirs, from which extracting natural gas. Understanding how fluids flow through shales is then a key aspect for both fields of application. This paper focuses on the analysis of the transport of water vapour through laboratory samples. After reviewing the balance and flow laws that govern the transport of fluid in unsatur…
Geochemical Interactions of Plutonium with Opalinus Clay Studied by Spatially Resolved Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
2017
Plutonium plays an important role within nuclear waste materials because of its long half-life and high radiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate with high spatial resolution the reactivity of the more oxidized forms of Pu(V,VI) within Opalinus Clay (OPA) rock, a heterogeneous, natural argillaceous rock considered as a potential repository host. A combination of synchrotron based X-ray microprobe and bulk techniques was used to study the spatial distribution and molecular speciation of Pu within OPA after diffusion and sorption processes. Microscopic chemical images revealed a pronounced impact of geochemical heterogeneities concerning the reactivity of the natural barrier mat…
Experimental assessment of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a shale caprock during CO2 injection
2021
Abstract The presented experimental study focuses on the hydro-mechanical characterisation of a shale caprock (Opalinus Clay) in contact with carbon dioxide. The objective of this paper, consists in the evaluation of the material's sealing capacity in terms of entry-pressure, mechanical behaviour and sensitivity of the transport properties to chemo-mechanical effects induced by gaseous and liquid CO2 injection. Two types of Opalinus Clay core samples are tested; shaly and carbonate-rich. The sealing capacity has been evaluated on the shaly OPA according to the stepwise and the residual methods and compared to the results from mercury intrusion porosimetry. The obtained results and the diffe…
Effect of the mineralogical composition on the elastoplastic hydromechanical response of Opalinus Clay shale
2021
Abstract Opalinus Clay is the shale currently under investigation as the host formation for geological radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland. Its hydromechanical response has been widely studied, and the experimental results show a range of values whose dispersion needs to be clarified. This work aims to explain the dispersion in the literature results by correlating the hydro-mechanical response to the mineralogical variability of the tested specimens . Based on published microstructural studies, the Opalinus Clay shale is herein schematised as a sequence of two kinds of layers: the shaly (high in clay-mineral content) and the sandy (low in clay-mineral content) layers. The mineralogic…