Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in clay barriers

A thermo-hydro-mechanical model is presented to tackle the complex coupling problems encountered in clay barriers. A detailed formulation coupling the heat, moisture (liquid water and water vapour) and, air transfer in a deformable unsaturated soil is given. The formulation of the Alonso-Gens’s mechanical model for unsaturated soil is also incorporated. The sensitivity to some parameters and their determinations are analysed. Finally, a small scale wetting – heating test on compacted bentonite is performed for validation; the numerical results are compared to the experimental measurements.