Experimental study on the performance of light and dense backfills
Numerical modeling is a cost-effective and important approach to examine the long-term performance of engineered materials. However, to identify the appropriate constitutive model for a particular material it is necessary to measure physical properties in a laboratory. Laboratory experiments provide the data from which the input parameters for the selected model can be interpreted. This paper studies the mechanical behaviour of two clay-based sealing materials — light backfill and dense backfill — recommended for use in disposal of nuclear waste in a proposed Canadian repository. Test specimens of light and dense backfills were saturated in a triaxial cell and then subjected to specified isotropic and shearing stress paths to measure consolidation and shear characteristics. The triaxial results are interpreted in a critical state context. The light backfill results suggest that it has similar stress–strain behaviour to a bentonite–sand buffer, which has a similar composition, but different preparation procedures and design requirements. Results from testing of dense backfill indicate that it is a much stiffer and stronger material than light backfill. Dense backfill is expected to provide mechanical support to the used-fuel container and other sealing components of the Canadian repository, and the mechanical behaviour of dense backfill satisfies these requirements.