Several boreholes were drilled for site comparison of a deep geological repository (DGR) in Northern Switzerland. The main target of the exploration program was the >100m thick Opalinus Clay, the designated host rock encountered at approximately 450 to 100 ...
The complex mechanics of porous and granular media play a significant role in various industrial processes and natural phenomena. As an example, understanding the mechanics of how failure occurs, localizes and propagates in porous brittle solids under vari ...
The note presents a selection of the results of a large experimental program conducted with the aim of characterizing the shear strength of Opalinus Clay and Speswhite Kaolin in remoulded and reconstituted conditions, through the execution of unconventiona ...
Wyoming-type bentonite is one of the materials to be used as part of the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) in deep geological disposal facilities for the safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel.In the KBS-3 type repository, the canisters containing the spent fue ...
Offshore pipelines that transport hydrocarbons under high pressure and high temperature are usually thermally insulated to maintain an elevated temperature and prevent any heat loss to the surroundings. However, the temperatures at the outer-wall of the pi ...
The hydromechanical response of a Wyoming-type bentonite (MX-80) and its interface with steel was studied in terms of shear resistance under different hydration levels. A series of shear tests under constant normal stress were performed in total suction co ...
Geotechnical engineering scenarios engaged in internal erosion or mineral dissolution were found worldwide, from CO2 sequestration projects to internal erosion of earth dams. Materials subjected to loss of solid phase from their internal fabric vary from s ...
The response of the soil-structure interface can significantly affect the performance of any geotechnical structure. Thermal cycles are a new factor that influence the response to all structures that have an energy function in addition to the structural on ...
Gas shale swelling during hydraulic stimulation is one of the major challenges in unconventional gas development. It is hypothesized that the large volumetric strain upon water imbibition is a consequence of dramatic changes in capillary pressure and disjo ...
Fabric characteristics and shear deformation behaviour were analysed in four intact small-scale samples, including two disturbed and two undisturbed samples of naturally deposited sand from a shoal in the San Francisco Bay. Triaxial compression tests were ...
The development and construction of offshore wind farms requires the correct estimation of the friction that can be mobilised at the rock/grout interface. In conventional studies, the shear behaviour of a joint is usually investigated with laboratory tests ...
The 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 h ...
Triaxial testing of argillaceous rocks and shales is significantly more challenging than conventional rock mechanical testing. The challenges are mainly related to the very low permeability of these geomaterials, and their sensitivity to exposure of atmosp ...
Dense granular flows -debris or pyroclastic flows, avalanches, granular flows in heaps, silos or rotating drums-are ubiquitous to many natural and industrial processes. Their grain composition is often polydisperse, with particles differing in shape, size ...
Energy piles are shallow geothermal systems integrated into structures already required for structural functions of civil works that provide both geothermal energy supply and structural support to the built environments. This research work is driven by the ...
