Recent doctoral dissertation research

Geffen, Larry

doi:10.1080/02783199009553304

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…The remaining minerals present are non-active: quartz, carbonates. Esteban [13] performed long term swelling tests on unsaturated samples of compacted Ascó clay powder with and without the addition of anhydrite and found that the delayed "secondary" heave was present only in the clay-anhydrite mixtures.…”

Section: Modelling Expansive Claysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is achieved if a pressure p c , = + is applied to the crystal. In (13), is the pressure of the liquid solution of the reference state, is the activity of the solution at the reference state, is the pressure applied to the crystal and is the current activity of the solution. Consider now the interfacial energy, , at the boundary crystal-solution.…”

Section: Crystal Growth and Swelling Pressurementioning

confidence: 99%

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The positive history of an error. Modelling the heave of a nuclear power station

Alonso

2023

E3S Web of Conf.

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The paper describes two different procedures to explain and to model the observed heave of a nuclear power plant founded on an expansive unsaturated claystone. In the initial model developed, the claystone was represented by a double structure (micro-macro) expansive clay. Field swelling records were accurately reproduced and the model was used to predict the long-term (40 yr) expected vertical displacements. Years after, it was realized that a more consistent explanation for the observed heave was the precipitation of gypsum crystals in discontinuities. The alternative physical phenomenon led to a re-formulation of an appropriate model, which is described in the paper. The key aspect of the long-term heave was the presence of anhydrite in the claystone mineralogical composition. The paper explains the physics of crystal growth that was triggered by the construction of the power station, the large excavation performed to locate the plant buildings and by the presence of a phreatic level, that was a consequence of the geometry of excavations. The new model, substantially more complex than the first one, is also able to reproduce available laboratory long-term swelling tests and field observations. It is hopefully a more reliable model to predict the long-term behaviour. The positive part of this history is that the initial model inspired the development of successful elastoplastic constitutive models for expansive clays.

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Section: Modelling Expansive Claysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Crystal Growth and Swelling Pressurementioning

confidence: 99%