Investigation of long-wavelength elastic wave propagation through wet bentonite-filled rock joints

The saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer in the deep geological repository can cause bentonite swelling, intrusion into rock fractures, and erosion. Inevitably, erosion and subsequent bentonite mass loss due to groundwater inflow can aggravate the overall integrity of the engineered barrier system. Therefore, the coupled hydro-mechanical interaction between the buffer and rock during groundwater inflow and bentonite intrusion should be evaluated to guarantee the long-term safety of deep geological disposal. This study investigated the effect of bentonite erosion and intrusion on the elastic wave propagation characteristics in jointed rocks using a quasi-static resonant column test. Jointed rock specimens with different joint conditions (i.e. joint surface saturation and bentonite filling) were prepared using granite rock discs sampled from the Korea Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) and Gyeongju bentonite. The long-wavelength longitudinal and shear wave velocities were measured under different normal stress levels. A Hertzian-type power model was used to fit the wave velocities, and the relationship between the two fitted parameters provided the trend of joint conditions. Numerical simulations using three-dimensional distinct element code (3DEC) were conducted to better understand how the long-wavelength wave propagates through wet bentonite-filled rock joints. (c) 2023 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).