Concrete/Clay Reactivity In The Bure Underground Research Laboratory

A concrete/clay-stone (contact A) and a cement/clay-stone (contact B) interface have been sampled in the Meuse Haute Marne Underground Research Laboratory (MHM-URL) operated by ANDRA. Contact A is mainly characterized by (1) the dissolution of the portlandite in the concrete depth, (2) the carbonation of the concrete and (3) the precipitation of gypsum. For contact B, observation of a white crust at the interface seems to indicate a greater reactivity in comparison to the concrete/-clay-stone system. Mineralogical characterization of this crust indicates the new-crystallization of carbonates and calcium silicate hydroxides CSH phases.