Coupled processes in environmental geomechanics: theoretical, computational and experimental modelling

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Environmental geomechanics is the key discipline for solving geoenvironmental problems that have complex interactions between mechanics, physics and chemistry, which profoundly influences the modelling of geomaterial behaviour. The underlying theme of the Discovery Grant relates to Thermo- Hydro- Mechanical- Chemical(THMC) coupling in materials and focuses on the following:(i) Chemical interfaces and their influence on the mechanics and integrity of geosynthetic barriers used in waste containment, (iii) THMC processes in geomaterials susceptible to chemical damage with applications to geologic storage of CO2, and (iii) Coupled THM processes in porous rocks with special reference to heat-induced hydraulic hysteresis in the fluid transport processes. These topics are critically important to geoenvironmental endeavours, which has an impact on human health and the environment, particularly as they relate to containment of toxic wastes derived from mine tailings and landfill, geologic sequestration of CO2 in saline aquifers and acid mine drainage and the deep geologic storage of high-level heat-emitting nuclear fuel wastes. The research involves model development, laboratory experimentation and computational modelling and can be viewed as a necessary prelude to full-scale field investigations. Computational model development and their validation by recourse to experiments is well founded in the scientific method and is vital, particularly when the alternative involves costly field scale tests that lack sufficient definition for model development. Computational approaches are necessary in view of time scales relevant to many containment strategies: e.g. the time scales of interest to nuclear waste isolation are of the order of 10,000 years, while storage and containment of leachate and toxic materials from wastes and geologic sequestration of CO2 have to be regarded as permanent. The Discovery Grant will train environmental geomechanicists with a balanced outlook on the importance (and limitations) of experimental research and sophisticated modelling, and an asset to scientific, engineering and regulatory communities in Canada and internationally.