Microstructural evolution and physico-chemical behavior of compacted clayey soil submitted to an alkaline plume

In the French concept of deep nuclear waste repositories, the galleries should be backfilled with excavated argillite after the site has been filled. Some additives like lime could be used to improve the mechanical characteristics of the argillite. After thousands of years, the degradation of the concrete lining of the galleries will generate an alkaline solution (pH value > 12) that will diffuse through the backfill. This study presents the effect of a saturated Ca(OH)2 solution circulation through lime-treated sample at 60 °C for 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. The effect of such circulation on the lime-treated Manois argillite (MA) was assessed by petrographical examination coupled to image analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyser of soil pieces. The objective of this study is to make the link among the mineralogical transformations, the textural and mechanical changes produced in the compacted clayey soil as a consequence of the alkaline solution circulation.