ABSTRACT
Rock salt formations have long been recognized as a valuable resource - not only for salt mining but for construction of oil and gas storage caverns and for isolation of radioactive and other hazardous wastes. Current interest is fast expanding towards construction and re-use of solution-mined caverns for storage of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen, compressed air and other gases. Evaluating the long term performance and safety of such systems demands an understanding of the coupled mechanical behavior and transport properties of salt. This volume presents a collection of 60 research papers defining the state-of-the-art in the field. Topics range from fundamental work on deformation mechanisms and damage of rock salt to compaction of engineered salt backfill. The latest constitutive models are applied in computational studies addressing the evolution and integrity of storage caverns, repositories, salt mines and entire salt formations, while field studies document ground truth at multiple scales. The volume is structured into seven themes:
- Microphysical processes and creep models
- Laboratory testing
- Geological isolation systems and geotechnical barriers
- Analytical and numerical modelling
- Monitoring and site-specific studies
- Cavern and borehole abandonment and integrity
- Energy storage in salt caverns
The Mechanical Behavior of Salt X will appeal to graduate students, academics, engineers and professionals working in the fields of salt mechanics, salt mining and geological storage of energy and wastes, but also to researchers in rock physics in general.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |115 pages
Theme 1: Microphysical processes and creep models
chapter |13 pages
Mechanisms of dilatancy in rock salt at the grain-scale and implications for the dilatancy boundary
chapter |11 pages
A threshold stress for pressure solution creep in rock salt: Model predictions vs. observations
chapter |10 pages
4D microtomography of brine-assisted healing processes in deformation-damaged rocksalt: A first look
chapter |9 pages
Microstructure and permeability of vein-bearing Upper Permian anhydrite rock (Gorleben-Bank, Germany)
part |107 pages
Theme 2: Laboratory testing
chapter |11 pages
Insights from an experimental campaign on rock salt and implications at the cavern scale
chapter |12 pages
WEIMOS: Shear behaviors of bedded salt clay seams and their impact on disposal room porosity
chapter |10 pages
WEIMOS: Laboratory investigation and numerical simulation of damage reduction in rock salt
chapter |12 pages
Investigation of fluid transport in rock salt under repository-relevant conditions – the PeTroS project
chapter |12 pages
Creep behaviour of bischofite, carnallite and mixed bischofite-carnallite-halite salt rock at in situ conditions
part |116 pages
Theme 3: Geological isolation systems and geotechnical barriers
chapter |9 pages
Evaluation of current knowledge for building the Safety Case for salt-based repositories
chapter |10 pages
Influence of selected model parameters for integrity analysis of disposal of heat-generating waste in bedded salt
chapter |10 pages
Derivation of a non-local criterion to assess functionality and robustness of rock salt barrier
chapter |11 pages
Design and performance assessment of engineered barrier systems in a salt repository for HLW/SNF
chapter |9 pages
Compaction of crushed salt for safe containment – Overview of phase 2 of the KOMPASS project
chapter |9 pages
Laboratory and numerical analysis for the simulation of crushed salt compaction behavior
chapter |14 pages
Crushed salt compaction - a new approach for lab test analysis, physical modeling and numerical simulation
chapter |13 pages
Pilot plant tests to demonstrate the functionality of sealing systems made of salt cut bricks
part |124 pages
Theme 4: Analytical and numerical modelling
chapter |10 pages
Deformation patterns in the mechanically stratified evaporites over an active basement fault
chapter |12 pages
Modeling the behavior of underground structures in a rock salt formation: A coupled Finite Element approach
chapter |14 pages
Influence of pressure solution and evaporate heterogeneity on the geo-mechanical behavior of salt caverns
chapter |15 pages
WEIMOS: Simulations of two geomechanical scenarios in rock salt resembling structures at WIPP
chapter |9 pages
Analyzing Field Data from the Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS): A High-Resolution 3D Numerical Study
chapter |10 pages
Preliminary study on thermomechanical modeling for correlation with microacoustic measurements in the Morsleben repository
part |65 pages
Theme 5: Monitoring and site-specific studies
chapter |10 pages
In-situ analysis of cavern convergence and closure in a complex geological and operational setting
chapter |12 pages
Storage of production brine in potash mine rooms: Investigation of rock mechanical feasibility
chapter |11 pages
Study of sylvinite heterogeneous creep characteristics and their influence on shaft stability
part |73 pages
Theme 6: Cavern and borehole abandonment and integrity
chapter |12 pages
Finite Element modeling of natural sealing of wellbores in salt using advanced, laboratory-based salt creep laws
chapter |8 pages
Integrity of the geological formation barrier - A comprehensive approach for the assessment of salt caverns
chapter |14 pages
Development of surface deformations above salt caverns depending on the abandonment scenario
chapter |13 pages
The influence of a threshold stress for pressure solution creep on cavern convergence and subsidence behavior – An FEM study
part |69 pages
Theme 1: Microphysical processes and creep models