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The small scale in situ test at HADES (ATLAS) will be designed specifically to be able to overheat
the Boom clay to study its ultimate temperature limit and possible thermal induced irreversible
damage.
Numerical tools allowing simulation at time and repository scale of the THM process in the clay
host formation will be further developed and improved in the frame of TIMODAZ project. The development
will focus on the:
Constitutive modelling in a continuum framework to incorporate heat changes and transfers,
moisture transfer, mechanical stress – strain evolution (including the development, evolution
of microcracks and the viscous – creep effects), and their interaction, especially in relation
with thermal effects
New damage model for unsaturated porous media
Utilisation of local 2 nd gradient models in order to provide objective descriptions of the behaviour
in the post-localization regime within the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling
problem (possibly including the case of non saturated media).
Modelling of sealing processes under thermal load based on PFC3D (discontinuum) code.
Coupled THMC analysis to examine the possible role of geochemical variables on the development
and evolution of the DZ.
Finally, all laboratory and in situ experiments as well as the modelling development will be constantly
supported and linked with the performance assessment to assess the significance of the DZ
in the safety case for disposal in clay host rock and to provide direct feedback to repository design
teams especially the thermal limits that the clays could sustain.
4. Conclusions
The knowledge gained within the TIMODAZ project will allow assessing the significance of the
TDZ (Thermal Damaged Zone) in the Safety Case for disposal in clay host rock and providing direct
feedback to repository design teams.
5. Acknowledgements
This project is co-funded by the European Commission (EC) as part of the sixth Euratom research
and training Framework Programme (FP6) on nuclear energy (2002-2006) under contract FI6W-
036449.
References
[1] Bernier F., Li X.L., Bastiaens W., Ortiz L., Van Geet M., Wouters L., Frieg B., Blümling
P.,Desrues J., Viaggiani G., Coll C., Chanchole S., De Greef V., Hamza R., Malinsky L., Vervoort
A., Vanbrabant Y., Debecker B., Verstraelen J., Govaerts A., Wevers M., Labiouse V.,
Escoffier S., Mathier J.-F., Gastaldo L., Bühler Ch. SELFRAC: Fractures And Self-Healing
Within The Excavation Disturbed Zone In Clays- Final report, European Commission,
CORDIS Web Site, EUR 22585, 2006.
[2] http://www.timodaz.eu/
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