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Coupled THM processes in EDZ of crystalline rocks using an elasto-plastic cellular automaton

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

This paper aims at a numerical study of coupled thermal, hydrological and mechanical processes in the excavation disturbed zones (EDZ) around nuclear waste emplacement drifts in fractured crystalline rocks. The study was conducted for two model domains close to an emplacement tunnel; (1) a near-field domain and (2) a smaller wall-block domain. Goodman element and weak element were used to represent the fractures in the rock mass and the rock matrix was represented as elasto-visco-plastic material. Mohr–Coulomb criterion and a non-associated plastic flow rule were adopted to consider the viscoplastic deformation in the EDZ. A relation between volumetric strain and permeability was established. Using a self-developed EPCA2D code, the elastic, elasto-plastic and creep analyses to study the evolution of stress and deformations, as well as failure and permeability evolution in the EDZ were conducted. Results indicate a strong impact of fractures, plastic deformation and time effects on the behavior of EDZ especially the evolution of permeability around the drift.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40520130315, 50709036). Special thanks are directed to Prof. John A Hudson, Dr. Lanru Jing and Dr. Jonny Rutqvist for their invaluable suggestions and comments. Helpful discussions and contributions were provided by members of DECOVALEX-THMC Task B research teams.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 430071, Wuhan, China

    Peng-Zhi Pan, Xia-Ting Feng, Xiao-Hua Huang & Hui Zhou

  2. Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China

    Qiang Cui

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  1. Peng-Zhi Pan
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  2. Xia-Ting Feng
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  3. Xiao-Hua Huang
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  4. Qiang Cui
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  5. Hui Zhou
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Correspondence to Xia-Ting Feng.

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Pan, PZ., Feng, XT., Huang, XH. et al. Coupled THM processes in EDZ of crystalline rocks using an elasto-plastic cellular automaton. Environ Geol 57, 1299–1311 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1463-1

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