Soils and Foundations

Soils and Foundations

Volume 61, Issue 2, April 2021, Pages 496-505
Soils and Foundations

Technical Paper
Sealing performance of compacted block joints backfilled with bentonite paste or a particle-powder mixture

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2021.01.005Get rights and content
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Abstract

Technology gaps are inevitable parts of the buffer barriers in the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repositories. The mechanical properties, permeability and water-solute-radionuclide migration of buffer barrier are different when considering the gaps. The present study was designed to investigate the sealing effect of joint between the compacted blocks with two types of sealing materials, a bentonite paste (P) and a bentonite particles and powder mixture (P/P) both from the macro- and micro-aspects.

A series of laboratory test was conducted to study the hydro-mechanical properties of bentonite blocks after backfilling the joint between blocks. Both the intake and outflow water volume, and the pressure on radial and axial direction were monitored during the hydration. Following the permeability test, the joint’s sealing was evaluated by a final dry density, water content distribution and microstructure evolution. The results showed that the axial and radial pressure of blocks backfilled with bentonite P and bentonite P/P mixture were higher than that of blocks with a blank joint. Pressure preferentially increased in the low-stress areas (the joint areas), contributing to sealing of the joint. The hydraulic conductivities for backfilled bentonite blocks were almost on the same order of magnitude as to intact bentonite blocks, revealing a clear sealed hydraulic behavior. The final dry density decreased in the block area and increased in the joint area after hydration, forming a transition zone with a certain width. A smaller difference was found between the block and joint area in the backfilled block. The mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) test and scanning electron microscope (SEM) test showed that backfill decreased the numbers of inter-aggregates pores ranged between 8 and 15 μm compared with that in the blank joint. The comprehensive data showed that a joint backfilled with a bentonite P/P mixture has a higher swelling capacity, lower permeability, and denser structure compared with joint backfilled with bentonite P. The results suggested that joint backfilling improved the integrity of the blocks and enhanced the swelling property and impermeability compared with that of the non-backfilled blocks. Both bentonite P and bentonite P/P has satisfactory sealing performance of compacted block joints, with better effect of the later.

Keywords

Bentonite-sand mixture
Block joint
Permeability
Swelling pressure
Microstructure
Sealing effect

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Peer review under responsibility of The Japanese Geotechnical Society.