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| 2. |
- Andersson, J. C., et al.
(författare)
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Modeling the Äspö Pillar stability experiment
- 2010
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Ingår i: Rock Mechanics in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Proceedings of the European Rock Mechanics Symposium, EUROCK 2010. - 9780415586542 ; , s. 787-790
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents results of the 1st stages ofTaskAof the Decovalex 2011 project, the numerical modeling of the Äspö Pillar Stability experiment performed by the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory of the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The objective is to perform back calculation of the Äspö pillar behavior using state of the art numerical modeling techniques for the material behavior. The work is divided into three stages and it is the first stage of thework that will be presented in this paper. Seven international teams from six different countries participated in the task and contributed to the results presented in this paper, concerning back calculation of uniaxial and triaxial compressive core testing and elastic back calculation of the stress path for excavation-induced stresses. The results are useful for understanding the occurrence of spalling in the upper part of the pillar during excavation and the stress path modeling gives the first approximation of the yielding strength of the pillar. The calculated results agree well with observations measured during experiment.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Baghbanan, Alireza, et al.
(författare)
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Hydraulic properties of fractured rock masses with correlated fracture length and aperture
- 2007
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Ingår i: International Journal of Rock Mechanics And Mining Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 1365-1609 .- 1873-4545. ; 44:5, s. 704-719
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Permeability of fractured rocks is investigated considering the correlation between distributed fracture aperture and trace length, based on a newly developed correlation equation. The influence of the second moment of the lognormal distribution of apertures on the existence of representative elementary volume (REV), and the possibility of equivalent permeability tensor of the fractured rock mass, is examined by simulating flow through a large number of stochastic discrete fracture network (DFN) models of varying sizes and varying fracture properties. The REV size of the DFN models increases with the increase of the second moment of the lognormal distribution, for both the correlated and uncorrelated cases. The variation of overall permeability between different stochastic realizations is an order of magnitude larger when the aperture and length are correlated than when they are uncorrelated. The mean square error of the directional permeability increases with increasing value of the second moment of the lognormal distribution function, and good fitting to an ellipsis of permeability tensor can only be reached with very large sizes of DFN models, compared with the case of constant fracture aperture, regardless of fracture trace length.
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| 5. |
- Baghbanan, Alireza, 1971-
(författare)
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Scale and Stress Effects on Hydro-Mechanical Properties of Fractured Rock Masses
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this thesis, the effects of size and stress on permeability, deformability and strength of fractured rock masses are investigated. A comparison study was carried out to examine the effects of considering, or not considering, the correlation between distributions of fracture apertures and fracture trace lengths on the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rocks. The basic concepts used are the fundamental principles of the general theory of elasticity, Representative Elementary Volume (REV), the tensor of equivalent permeability, and the strength criteria of the fractured rocks. Due to the size and stress dependence of the hydro-mechanical properties of rock fractures, the overall effective (or equivalent) hydro-mechanical properties of the fractured rocks are also size and stress-dependent. However, such dependence cannot be readily investigated in laboratory using small samples, and so numerical modeling becomes a necessary tool for estimating their impacts. In this study, a closed-form relation is established for representing the correlation between a truncated lognormal distribution of fracture apertures and a truncated power law distribution of trace lengths, as obtained from field mapping. Furthermore, a new nonlinear algorithm is developed for predicting the relationship between normal stress and normal displacement of fractures, based on the Bandis model and the correlation between aperture and length. A large number of stochastic Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) models of varying sizes were extracted from some generated large-sized parent realizations based on a realistic fracture system description from a site investigation programme at Sellafield, UK, for calculating the REV of hydro-mechanical properties of fractured rocks. Rotated DFN models were also generated and used for evaluation of the distributions of directional permeabilities, such that tensors of equivalent permeability could be established based on stochastically established REVs. The stress-dependence of the permeability and the stress-displacement behaviour were then investigated using models of REV sizes. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) was used for numerical simulation of the fluid flow, deformability properties and mechanical strength behavior of fractured rocks. The results show significant scale-dependency of rock permeability, deformability and strength, and its variation when the correlation between aperture and trace length of fractures are concerned, with the overall permeability and deformability more controlled by dominating fractures with larger apertures and higher transmissivity and deformability, compared with fracture network models having uniform aperture. As the second moment of aperture distribution increases, a fractured rock mass shows more discrete behavior and an REV is established in smaller value of second moment with much larger model size, compared with the models with uniform fracture aperture. When the fracture aperture pattern is more scattered, the overall permeability, Young’s modulus and mechanical strength change significantly. The effect of stress on permeability and fluid flow patterns in fractured rock is significant and can lead to the existence or non-existence of a permeability tensor. Stress changes the fluid flow patterns and can cause significant channeling and the permeability tensor, and REV may be destroyed or re-established at different applied stress conditions. With an increase in the confining stress on the DEM models, the strength is increased. Compared with the Hoek-Brown criterion, the Mohr-Coulomb strength envelope provides a better fit to the results of numerical biaxial compression tests, with significant changes of the strength characteristic parameters occurring when the second moment of the aperture distribution is increased.
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| 6. |
- Baghbanan, Alireza, et al.
(författare)
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Scale and stress effects on permeability tensor of fractured rocks with correlated fracture length and aperture
- 2008
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Ingår i: Thermo-Hydromechanical and chemical coupling in geomaterials and applications. - 9781848210431 ; , s. 439-446
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of stress on permeability tensor and Representative Elementary Voliume (REV) of fractured rock masses is studied using a Discrete Element Approach (DEM). A new nonlinear model of rock fractures is developed for prediction of normal stress-normal displacement behavior of fractures based on the correlation between fracture aperture and length distributions. The results show that at small differential stress ratios K (=horizontal/vertical stresses) the overall permeability of fracture networks is generally decreased. However contribution from a few large fractures of higher hydraulic conductivity prevents drastic reduction of the overall permeability, compare with DFN models of constant fracture apertures regardless of fracture trace length. With large values of differential stress ratios, the overall permeability of the DFN models is controlled by a combination of highly conductive larger fractures and fractures with shear slipping and dilation. With increasing differential stress ratios (K=1,3,4 and 5) the REV of a fractured rock may exist at much larger model sizes comparing with the model without stress (K=0).
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| 7. |
- Baghbanan, Alireza, et al.
(författare)
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Stress effects on permeability in fractured rock mass with correlated fracture length and aperture
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Journal of Rock Mechanics And Mining Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 1365-1609 .- 1873-4545. ; 45:8, s. 1320-1334
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of stress on permeability and fluid flow patterns in fractured rock masses is studied when distributed fracture aperture is correlated with fracture trace length, using a discrete element method (DEM). The basic assumptions are that the rock matrix is impermeable and linearly elastic, and that the fluid flows only in fractures. A new nonlinear algorithm is developed for prediction of normal stress-normal displacement behavior of fractures based on the Bandis model and the correlation between aperture and length. The results show that when small stress ratios (K = horizontal/vertical stress) are applied at the model boundaries, the overall permeability of the fracture network is generally decreased. However, contribution from a few large fractures of higher hydraulic conductivity prevents drastic reduction of the overall permeability, compared with models that assume uniform fracture apertures. With large values of the stress ratio, both the overall permeability and flow patterns are controlled by a combination of highly conductive larger fractures and fractures with shear slipping and dilation, with much increased overall permeability and shear-induced flow channeling. With increasing stress ratios, it becomes more and more difficult to establish an equivalent permeability tensor and representative elementary volume (REV) of a fractured rock, compared with the unstressed model. These results show significant difference between correlated and non-correlated aperture and fracture length distributions, and highlight more significant scale and stress dependence of hydro-mechanical behavior of fractures rocks when geometric parameters of rock fractures are correlated.
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| 8. |
- Birkholzer, Jens T., et al.
(författare)
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25 years of DECOVALEX - Scientific advances and lessons learned from an international research collaboration in coupled subsurface processes
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Rock Mechanics And Mining Sciences. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 1365-1609 .- 1873-4545. ; 122
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper provides an overview of an international research collaboration for advancing the understanding and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological systems. The creation of the international DECOVALEX Project, now running for over 25 years, was initially motivated by the recognition that prediction of these coupled effects is an essential part of the performance and safety assessment of geologic disposal systems for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Later it was realized that these processes also play a critical role in other subsurface engineering activities, such as storage of CO2, exploration of enhanced geothermal systems, and unconventional oil and gas production through hydraulic fracturing. Research teams from radioactive waste management organizations, national research institutes, regulatory agencies, universities, as well as industry and consulting groups have participated in the DECOVALEX Project, providing a wide range of perspectives and solutions to these complex problems. Analysis and comparative modeling of state-of-the-art field and laboratory experiments has been at the core of the collaborative work, with an increasing focus on characterizing uncertainty and blind prediction of experimental results. Over these 25 years, many of the major advances in this field of research have been made through DECOVALEX, as evidenced by three books, seven journal special issues, and a good number of seminal papers that have emerged from the DECOVALEX modeling work. Examples of specific research advances will be presented in this paper to illustrate the significant impact of DECOVALEX on the current state-of-the-art of understanding and modeling coupled THMC processes. These examples range from the modeling of large-scale in situ heater tests representing mock-ups of nuclear waste disposal tunnels, to studies of fluid flow and chemical-mechanical coupling in heterogeneous fractures, and to the numerical analysis of controlled-injection meso-scale fault slip experiments.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Borgesson, L., et al.
(författare)
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Thermo-hydro-mechanical characterisation of a bentonite-based buffer material by laboratory tests and numerical back analyses
- 2001
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Ingår i: International Journal of Rock Mechanics And Mining Sciences. - 1365-1609 .- 1873-4545. ; 38:1, s. 95-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents some laboratory tests performed on the bentonite used as buffer material in the engineered barrier experiment in Kamaishi mine in Japan and a collective effort of four research groups to characterise the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the bentonite by comparing numerical calculations with the laboratory test results. Each research group used finite element programs with constitutive models capable to simulate both liquid and vapour flux of water, heat transfer, volume change, swelling pressure and mechanical deformation. Numerical calibrations were performed against results obtained from three types of laboratory tests: water infiltration tests, thermal gradient tests and swelling pressure tests. Parameter values, which could not be directly measured in laboratory tests, were obtained with these calculations.
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