4. Advanced Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Laboratory Testing
Lecturer
Alessio Ferrari
Introduction
Geomechanics with multiphase and non-isothermal conditions are found in numerous energy-related engineering applications, such as petroleum engineering, nuclear waste storage engineering, unconventional energy resources and CO2 geological sequestration. These applications require an understanding of the behaviour of the involved geomaterials (soils, rocks, shales) and an increased ability to predict their behaviours in variable situations.
This course provides insight on advanced experimental techniques for dealing with geomaterials in multiphase and non-isothermal conditions. The available evidence for the effects of the changes in the degree of saturation and temperature are summarized, providing the attendees with the possibility to anticipate the behaviours of geomaterials under non-isothermal and partially saturated conditions. Modern techniques for testing the materials under coupled (thermo-hydro-chemical-mechanical) conditions are introduced.
The main topics discussed in the course are:
- Microstructural investigation of porous materials
- Testing geomaterials in partially saturated conditions
- Experimental methods to measure suction
- Techniques for suction control (liquid and vapour transfer)
- Hydro-Mechanical apparatuses
- Non iso-thermal testing of geomaterials
- Techniques for temperature measurement and control
- Effects of temperature on measurements
- Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical testing facilities
