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Context In the context of the Cigéo project, the excavation of underground galleries in the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone induces a network of fractures around the excavated zone. This fracturing exhibits a typical profile of propagation in mixed I/II mode, which originates from the instantaneous discharge of the claystone after excavation. The topology and spatial extent of […]

Joint PhD position at UCLouvain and Ecole des Ponts in Geomechanics Grain breakage is a common occurrence in granular media when the intergranular forces exceed the individual particle strength and is of major importance in many areas of geosciences. Experimental evidences suggest that particle breakage may significantly influence the mechanical behavior of the material promoting […]

Clay materials have been considered as potential candidate for closure structures in high-level radioactive waste repositories. In spite of several studies investigating its hydro-mechanical behaviour, the kinetics of the re-saturation process and the development of swelling pressure of clay materials, observed in the large-scale experiments during long periods (e.g. several years), can still not be […]