On the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behaviour of a Sheared Callovo-Oxfordian Claystone Sample with Respect to the EDZ Behaviour

To better understand the impact of temperature elevation on the response of the excavation damaged zone around repository cells and galleries for radioactive waste disposal, the combined effects of shear and temperature elevation were investigated in the laboratory on the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone. To do so, a hollow cylinder thermal triaxial cell with short drainage path specifically developed for low permeability rocks was used. Once properly saturated under stress conditions close to in situ, the specimen was sheared along a constant effective mean stress path mimicking the stress path followed during gallery excavation. The shear stress was afterwards released and an undrained heating test was performed on the sheared specimen. It was observed that the temperature increase under undrained conditions led to a thermal increase in pore water pressure resulting in a decrease in mean effective stress that brought back the sheared specimen to failure, evidencing a thermally induced failure. Steady state radial permeability tests performed at various stages of the test demonstrated that the overall permeability of the sheared specimen was comparable to that before shearing, confirming the excellent self-sealing properties of the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone. This shows that, in spite of being possibly remobilised by temperature elevation, the EDZ will keep an overall permeability constant equal to that of the massive rock, keeping the same isolation properties.