Validation of modelling approaches for claystone rock mass

Research project 02E10427 was elaborated with the aim of further developing the less exten-sive information about characteristics and load-bearing behaviour of argillaceous rocks in comparison to rock salt, looking in particular at the consolidated argillaceous rocks at the Tournemire location?focusing on physical modelling and numerical simulation, as well as on field and laboratory investigations. The main findings from the different aspects looked at during this research project can be summarised as follows:

• Concerning physical modelling, the strain-based combined failure and dilatancy criterion formulated in this report yields a first plausible approach to an explanation of the time-dependent development of the observed softening phenomena in the Tournemire drift sys-tem.

• Sets of own model parameters based on own mechanical laboratory investigations of Tournemire claystone material could successfully be derived.

• The usage of borehole observation equipment developed within this project (calliper probe, borehole camera, and humidity sensors) provided extensive insights into the load-bearing behaviour of the claystone rock masses at the URL locations Tournemire and Mont Terri.