The paper reports the results of an experimental study carried out on a bentonite compacted to a dry density of up to 1·7 Mg/m3, a high value for this type of soil. The soil fabric has been studied using a variety of techniques, revealing a clear bimodal pore distribution that corresponds to two distinct structural levels: a microstructural one and a macrostructural one. The main testing programme has been performed using oedometers especially designed to apply a very large range of suctions. By applying the axis-translation technique (using nitrogen as the gas fluid), it has been possible to reach suctions up to 15 MPa. The higher suction range has been achieved by applying a controlled atmosphere where the relative humidity has been fixed by a solution of sulphuric acid or salts. In this way suctions up to 550 MPa could be reached. The maximum vertical stress that could be applied in the apparatus was 10 MPa. Two types of test have been carried out: (a) tests in which a combination of loading paths at constant suction and drying/wetting paths at constant load were applied; (b) swelling tests under constant-volume conditions in order to determine the swelling pressure and the stress path followed during wetting. The results of the experimental programme are examined, taking into account the role of the soil fabric in controlling observed mechanical behaviour. In addition, the results of the laboratory tests are reproduced and interpreted using a generalised plasticity model that considers explicitly the interaction between macrostructure and microstructure. In this way, it is possible to achieve a more complete understanding of the mechanisms that underlie observed behaviour, and in particular the interplay between the two structural levels.

The paper reports the results of an experimental study carried out on a bentonite compacted to a dry density of\ud up to 1·7 Mg=m3, a high value for this type of soil. The soil fabric has been studied using a variety of techniques, revealing a clear bimodal pore distribution that corresponds to two distinct structural levels: a microstructural one and a macrostructural one. The main testing programme has been performed using oedometers especially designed to apply a very large range of suctions. By applying the axis-translation technique (using nitrogen as the gas fluid), it has been possible to reach suctions up to 15 MPa. The higher suction range has been achieved by\ud applying a controlled atmosphere where the relative humidity has been fixed by a solution of sulphuric acid or salts. In this way suctions up to 550 MPa could be reached. The maximum vertical stress that could be\ud applied in the apparatus was 10 MPa. Two types of test have been carried out: (a) tests in which a combination of loading paths at constant suction and drying/wetting\ud paths at constant load were applied; (b) swelling tests under constant-volume conditions in order to determine the swelling pressure and the stress path followed during wetting. The results of the experimental programme are examined, taking into account the role of the soil fabric\ud in controlling observed mechanical behaviour. In addition, the results of the laboratory tests are reproduced and interpreted using a generalised plasticity model that considers explicitly the interaction between macrostructure and microstructure. In this way, it is possible to achieve a more complete understanding of the mechanisms that underlie observed behaviour, and in particular the interplay between the two structural levels.Peer Reviewe

This paper presents a formulation to incorporate the influence of water salinity on the swelling behaviour of a MX-80 bentonite into previously developed hydro-mechanical models that can reproduce swelling under dilute conditions. The effects of salinity on macro-and microstructural water chemical potentials were introduced. In addition, a description of solute transport was included to characterise the evolution of the system's salinity. A simplified geochemical model was adopted to idealise the geochemical complexity of bentonite. In addition, the modelling of the destructuration process that occurs during swelling was modified to account for the effect of salinity. The formulation was implemented in a multiphysics partial differential equation finite element solver, and the numerical model was used to simulate several vertical free swelling tests with feed water of different salt contents (deionised, 10, 35 and 70 g/L). The results demonstrate that even though the model can be developed further, it represents a significant improvement over models that do not account for the effects of salinity.

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DIFFERENTIATED INTRA-AND INTER-AGGREGATE WATER CONTENT MODELS OF MX-80 BENTONITE VicenteCNavarro /a 3CLauraCxsensio a 3CGemaCweClaCMorenaC a 3CXavierCPintado b andCÁngelC Yustres a a Geoenvironmental Group3C)ivilC8ngineeringCwepartment3CUniversityCofC)astilla0LaC Mancha3Cxvda7C)amiloCJoséC)elaCsRn3CBTS4BC)iudadCReal3CSpain b (1TechCOy3CLaulukujaCO3CSSO+SCHelsinki3CFinland /