Modelling the piping-assisted erosion of clay barriers

Recent laboratory and field experiments have provided evidences of the erosion and piping of clay-based barriers. Predicting these phenomena is essential for the performance assessment of bentonite barriers and containments. This paper presents a non-local multi-physics model for bentonite erosion induced by piping flow that includes swelling, detachment of particles and co-transport of detached particles with piping flow. The erosion is controlled by the balance between the cohesive strength, which depends on the swelling, and the shear force, which depends on the water velocity and chemistry. The accuracy of the model is tested by comparison of simulation results with experimental data from pinhole tests and material erosion in boreholes. It is demonstrated that the model predicts accurately the total mass eroded by the piping flow. For example, the results show that the mass loss induced by piping-assisted erosion during the installation of a bentonite plug can reach 10.3% of the original mass, which may significantly reduce the sealing capacity of bentonite plugs in boreholes. The results of simulations show that the eroded mass depends on the borehole diameter and flow rate. The minimum flow rates required to erode 10% of the original mass are 0.8 L/s and 0.045 L/s for db = 56 mm and 160 mm, respectively. These results demonstrate how the proposed formulations can be used to quantify the piping-assisted erosion of clay barriers, such as buffers, backfills, and plugs considered for geological disposal of higher activity waste, and the sealing of investigation boreholes and abandoned geo-energy wells.