Convective drying tests of silt: experimental studies and modelling

In the design of nuclear waste disposals, an important topic concerns the development of an excavated damage zone, where the permeability increases. A correct numerical prediction of the coupled processes occurring during excavation is therefore needed. During the modelling of the tunnel excavation, the hydraulic boundary condition at the gallery wall has a deep influence on the response of the low-permeability geomaterials. In the cavities, the relative humidity is usually controlled thanks to a ventilation system. Thus, for long term predictions, a thermodynamical equilibrium could be reached between the air humidity in the gallery and the soil surface pore pressure.