CHEMO‐PLASTICITY OF CLAYS SUBJECTED TO STRESS AND FLOW OF A SINGLE CONTAMINANT

Isothermal chemo-elasto-plasticity of clays is discussed, to describe strains induced in clay by permeation of it with a low dielectric constant organic contaminant, in the presence of stress. The strain is crucial in controlling permeability changes in chemically affected clay barriers of landfills and impoundments. The theory encompasses chemical softening or yield surface reduction, coefficient of chemical reversible expansion or contraction due to mass concentration increase, as well as chemical sensitivity of bulk plastic modulus. The experiments on chemistry and stress dependent permeability of Sarnia clay performed by Fernandez and Quigley (1985, 1991) are interpreted using this model. The numerical representations of the chemo-plastic softening function and the chemo-elastic strain function, as well as plastic bulk modulus sensitivity to concentration are evaluated for dioxane and ethanol. Specific requirements for the tests for chemo-plastic behavior of clays are discussed. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.