Unsaturated properties for non-Darcian water flow in clay

SummaryClay rock formations, and compacted clay (e.g., bentonite) used as backfill within disposal drifts, have been considered as natural and engineered barriers, respectively, for isolating high-level nuclear wastes in mined geologic repositories. Accurately modeling unsaturated flow in those clay materials is important for assessing the performance of a geological repository. While the non-Darcian behavior of water flow in clay materials has been demonstrated in the literature, a systematic study of modeling unsaturated non-Darcian flow is still lacking. Based on a hypothesis that pore water in clay becomes non-Newtonian as a result of water–clay interaction, we propose new constitutive relationships for unsaturated flow, including a relationship between water flux and hydraulic gradient and those among capillary pressure, water saturation, and hydraulic conductivity. An evaluation based on a set of laboratory experimental observations supports the usefulness of the proposed relationships. More experimental studies are desirable for further confirming the non-Newtonian water flow behavior in clay materials and evaluating the proposed relationships.

► Pore water in clay may become non-Newtonian as a result of water–clay interaction.
► We propose constitutive relationships for unsaturated flow of non-Newtonian fluids.
► Experimental observations support the usefulness of our results.