Boom clays

Most repository sites under consideration for commercial spent fuel disposal are in reducing environments, such as in Boom clay formations of the Mol site, Belgium, where U02 is thermodynamically stable. In oxygen-free conditions, Spahiu et al. (2002) have shown that fuel in an... 

Maes, A., Bruggeman, C., Geradets, K., and Vancluysen, J. (2003). Quantification of the interaction of Tc with dissolved boom clay humic substances. Environ. Sci. Technol. 37, 747-753. 

Humic Acid Extracted from Boom Clay Samples... 

Sultan, N., Delage, P. Cui, Y.J. 2002. Temperature effects on the volume change behaviour of Boom clay. Eng. Geol. 64 pp. 135-145. 

Boom Clay formation, which extends over a large part of North Europe, has been extensively investigated (Beer et al. (1977), Horseman et al. (1987), Baldi et al. (1991), Sultan (1997), Romero Morales (1999)). Specimens in this study come from Mol in Belgium where underground facilities exist. They have been taken at 223 m depth in a 100 m average thickness formation. The in situ stress state is slightly anisotropic (Ko = 0.9). 

Table 1. Hydro-Mechanical Properties of Boom Clay (Horseman et al. (1987) Bernier and Van Cauteren (1998)) and Opalinus Clay (Thury et al. (2000) Harrington et al. (2001)).

An experimental set up (high pressure triaxial cell and local strain measurement system) and an experimental procedure have been developed in order to quantify the permeability evolution with deviatoric stress on clays of very low permeability. Developed techniques have been improved on concrete and sandstone. We are able to detect with precision strain localization and we are able to measure with the pulse method, permeability, at different stages of loading. A testing program on both Boom Clay and Opalinus is in progress. 

Baldi G., Hueckel T., Peano A. and Pellegrini R. (1991). Further check and development of the thermo-hydro-geomechanical model for Boom Clay and a clay based buffer material with an emphasis on thermo-mechanics of water solid system. Bergamo, Italy, ISMES. 

Bernier F. and Van Cauteren L. (1998). Instrumentation programme near the surface of an advancing tunnel in Boom Clay. 2nd Int. Symposium on Hard Soils-Soft Rocks, Naples-Italy. 

Horseman S. T., Winter M. G. and Entwistle D. C. (1987). Geotechnical characterization of boom clay in relation to the disposal of radiactive waste, Commission Europeenne. 

Romero Morales E. (1999). Characterization and thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated Boom Clay an experimental study. Barcelone, Universite polytechnique de Barcelonne. 

Maes N, Moors H, Dierckx A, Aertsens M, Wang L, De Canniere P, Put M. (2001). Studying the migration behaviour of the radionuclides in boom clay by electromigration. 3rd Symposium and Status ReportonElectrokineticRemediation EREM-2001).Schriftenreihe Angewandte Geologic Karlsruhe 63 35-1-35-21. 

Put, M., Monsecour, M. Fonteyne, A. 1992. Mobility of the dissolved organic material in the interstitial Boom clay water. Radiochimica Acta, 58/59, 315-317. 

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