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Coupled Processes in Clays: Experiments, Modeling, Applications

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A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 7482

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Gianvito Scaringi

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Guest Editor

Institute of Hydrogeology, Engeneering Geology and Applied Geophysics, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: thermomechanical and chemomechanical coupling in clays; natural and engineered clay slopes; landslides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The mechanical behavior of clays is dominated by the coupling of hydraulic, thermal, and (bio)chemical processes occurring at the micro and macroscales. The “special” yet complex nature of clay soils make their study, use, and enhancement challenging. This Special Issue aims to promote the latest advancements in our understanding of coupled processes in clays, from experimental achievements to modeling solutions and engineering applications. Submissions that concern the role of clays in engineered barriers are particularly welcome, and so are those that investigate their role in the stability of natural and engineered slopes.

Dr. Gianvito Scaringi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

thermo-hydromechanical coupling
(Bio)-chemomechanical coupling
state- and rate-dependent processes
unsaturated soil
soil improvement
expansive clay
clay barrier
slope stability
landslide
erosion
constitutive modeling
numerical modeling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 5640 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

THM Response in the Near Field of an HLW Disposal Tunnel in the Callovo-Oxfordian Clay Host Rock Caused by the Imposed Heat Flux at Different Water Drainage Conditions

by Asta Narkuniene, Gintautas Poskas, Darius Justinavicius and Raimondas Kilda

Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1187; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12101187 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1092

Abstract

Heat load from high-level radioactive waste (HLW) packages will result in elevated temperatures around the disposal tunnel. Differences in thermal expansion between rock and water will induce the redistribution of stresses. The assessment of the thermo-hydromechanical (THM) regime is necessary to evaluate the potential for fracture development. For this purpose, it is important to evaluate the nature and extent of induced strains, and their impact on rock permeability, which, subsequently, is important for radionuclide transport. This paper presents the modeling activities of the Lithuanian Energy Institute performed in the framework of the European joint program EURAD and the analysis of the influence of temperature on clay-based material behavior. Within this study, different stress conditions and material properties (isotropic, anisotropic) were analyzed with a thermo-poroelastic material model for the Callovo-Oxfordian clay host rock in the 100 m × 100 m domain. The heat load on the clay rock comes from a tunnel with a radius of 1.25 m. The overall THM response of the clay host rock system to the heat load is performed with the COMSOL Multiphysics (Burlington, MA, USA) software. The THM response near the HLW disposal tunnel was analyzed in terms of temperature, pore pressure, displacements, and stresses, and the results are presented in this work. Besides the impact of anisotropy, the effect of hydraulic conditions at the tunnel boundary was also analyzed. The modeling results revealed that anisotropy in stress and properties had an impact on the hydro-mechanical response of the material even during excavation and waiting phases. The analysis also showed that the water drainage condition on the tunnel boundary had no effect on the thermal state around the tunnel, but it had a significant impact on the hydro-mechanical response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupled Processes in Clays: Experiments, Modeling, Applications)

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12 pages, 3926 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Preparation and Swelling Inhibition of Mixed Metal Hydroxide to Bentonite Clay

by Bowen Zhang, Qingchen Wang, Yan Wei, Wei Wei, Weichao Du, Jie Zhang, Gang Chen and Michal Slaný

Minerals 2022, 12(4), 459; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12040459 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2562

Abstract

In this paper, mixed metal hydroxide (MMH) was prepared via MgCl₂ and AlCl₃ by the co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD, TGA laser and particle size analysis. The inhibitory effect of MMH on the swelling of clay was evaluated by linear expansion, mud ball, laser particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis and TGA. The linear expansion experiment showed that MMH with a ratio of Mg:Al = 3:1 displayed a strong inhibitory effect on bentonite expansion when 0.3% MMH was added to the drilling fluid, demonstrating better inhibition than 4.0% KCl. Within 48 h, only a few cracks were visible on the mud ball surface in the 0.3% MMH suspension, which indicates that MMH can inhibit wet bentonite for deep hydration. X-ray diffraction and particle size analyses of bentonite were conducted before and after MMH was added to illustrate the inhibition. MMH also displayed high temperature resistance in water-based drilling fluid as a shear strength-improving agent, and its dynamic plastic ratio and shear force were stable after aging at 200 °C for 16 h. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupled Processes in Clays: Experiments, Modeling, Applications)

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Graphical abstract

19 pages, 3460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Modeling of Laboratory Experiments on Granular MX-80 Bentonite with COMSOL Multiphysics

by Asta Narkuniene, Darius Justinavicius, Povilas Poskas, Dalia Grigaliuniene and Valdas Ragaisis

Minerals 2022, 12(3), 277; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12030277 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1695

Abstract

Radioactive waste disposal, as the final step of the open nuclear fuel cycle, is an important process to protect humans and the environment from harmful effects of ionising radiation. Approaching the construction of the geological repository, the understanding and predictability of the behavior of engineered barrier material becomes more important than ever. Therefore, a number of research studies are being focused on the experimental and numerical analysis of the engineered barrier material state and behavior under repository conditions. Engineered barrier material will be in contact with the host rock and waste packages, and its properties and behavior will be governed by complex and coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes. This paper presents the modeling activities of the Lithuanian Energy Institute, performed in the framework of the H2020 project BEACON (Bentonite Mechanical Evolution). The numerical model, developed in COMSOL Multiphysics (Burlington, MA 01803, USA), was applied for the modeling of experiments, performed by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), on granular MX-80 bentonite in the odeometer cell. The hydromechanical behavior of a compacted bentonite sample was analyzed under different conditions: hydration with groundwater under confined volume conditions and hydration under free swelling conditions and subsequent mechanical loading. Model outcomes (swelling pressure, saturation, dry density, and void ratio) were compared to the available experimental data. The modeling results were in line with the analyzed experimental data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupled Processes in Clays: Experiments, Modeling, Applications)

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Review

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16 pages, 875 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Mechanisms of Thermally Induced Volume Changes in Fine Soil

by Hamed Hoseinimighani and Janos Szendefy

Minerals 2022, 12(5), 572; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12050572 - 01 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1469

Abstract

New geotechnical applications such as nuclear waste disposal, geothermal structure, thermally active landfills, and other structures dealing with temperature fluctuations in the short-term and long-term, have made it almost impossible to neglect the effect of temperature on the mechanical behavior of soils such as in conventional geotechnical designs. An important aspect in geotechnical engineering has always been the volumetric behavior that could be more critical in fine soils due to their complex nature. Therefore, a clear understanding on thermally induced volume changes in fine soils is essential in order to perform such thermal related geotechnical designs and to ensure safety and functionality during their lifetime. In this context, this paper presents a critical review on the current knowledge for thermally induced volumetric changes in fine soils as well as the effect of temperature on mechanical parameters. Thermal volume expansion and contraction occur in fine soils based on their stress history; however, some essential questions and discrepancies are still unresolved. The further assessment of proposed mechanisms is conducted in this paper that highlight the importance of microstructure and chemical interactions to be considered when studying thermal volume changes in fine soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupled Processes in Clays: Experiments, Modeling, Applications)

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