Abstract Summary
It is proposed to develop a multi scale model to numerically investigate the gas transport processes at play in clay barriers, and improve their mechanistic understanding. Motivated by the experimental evidences that such processes are governed by the rock structure at a micro level, the model integrates a representative element volume which contains a detailed reproduction of the microstructure constituents, like the pore network or the bedding planes. From this local description of the material, the macroscopic response to loading can be derived using homogeneisation techniques. Applying this model to an injection test helps reproducing the creation of preferential pathways.
