Thermo‐mechanical consolidation coupling analysis on jointed rock mass by the finite element method

Abstract

Describes the thermo‐mechanical consolidation coupling analysis and its discretization method for the simulations of nuclear waste storage on jointed rock mass using the finite element method. An anisotropic stress‐strain and permeable constitutive laws are employed for combining arbitrary oriented joint sets using compliance matrices. Evaluates the influence of non‐linear permeability of joint by cubic‐law assuming parallel plate flow caused by excavation and the local change of permeability around the excavated cavern in different joint angles. The results of the two‐dimensional rock mass models with combining arbitrary oriented joint sets show that the fluid flow direction followed along the direction of the joint sets, and this seemed to be clearly explained from the influence of joint orientations.

Citation

Sasaki, T. and Morikawa, S. (1996), "Thermo‐mechanical consolidation coupling analysis on jointed rock mass by the finite element method", Engineering Computations, Vol. 13 No. 7, pp. 70-86. https://doi.org/10.1108/02644409610151566