ANALYSIS OF FULLY COUPLED THERMOMECHANICAL BEHAVIOR AROUND A RIGID CYLINDRICAL HEAT-SOURCE BURIED IN CLAY

The problem of fully coupled consolidation and heat flow around a rigi d cylindrical heat source buried in clay has been studied. The governi ng equations of the problem are summarized in the paper and a finite e lement time-marching scheme to obtain an approximate solution to the g overning equations is described. The stress strain behaviour of the sk eleton of the saturated soil has been represented by both a linear ela stic model and the modified Cam clay soil model. The results of a limi ted parametric study are presented with the aim of understanding the m ajor mechanisms of soil behaviour close to buried canisters of hot rad ioactive waste. A range of soil properties has been included in the st udy, and the effects of soil disturbance during canister emplacement h ave also been considered.