Fully coupled THM constitutive model for clay rocks: formulation and application to laboratory tests
This study presents a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) constitutive model for clay rocks. The model is formulated within the elastic-viscoplasticity framework, which considers nonlinearity and softening after peak strength, anisotropy of stiffness and strength, as well as permeability var...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/422297 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/422297 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.03.037 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Hard soil Soft rocks Unsaturated/saturated conditions THM coupling processes Thermal pressurization Constitutive model Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geotècnia::Mecànica de roques |
| Sumario: | This study presents a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) constitutive model for clay rocks. The model is formulated within the elastic-viscoplasticity framework, which considers nonlinearity and softening after peak strength, anisotropy of stiffness and strength, as well as permeability variation due to damage. In addition, the mechanical properties are coupled with thermal phenomena and accumulated plastic strains. The adopted nonlocal and viscoplastic approaches enhance numerical efficiency and provide the possibility to simulate localization phenomena. The model is validated against experimental data from laboratory tests conducted on Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) claystone samples that are initially unsaturated and under suction. The tests include a thermal phase where the COx specimens are subjected to different temperature increases. A good agreement with experimental data is obtained. In addition, parametric analyses are carried out to investigate the influence of the hydraulic boundary conditions (B.C.) and post-failure behavior models on the THM behavior evolution. It is shown that different drainage conditions affect the thermally induced pore pressures that, in turn, influence the onset of softening. The constitutive model presented constitutes a promising approach for simulating the most important features of the THM behavior of clay rocks. It is a tool with a high potential for application to several relevant case studies, such as thermal fracturing analysis of nuclear waste disposal systems. |
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