Title
Viscohypoplastic bentonite (VIBE) model
Description
The design of the bentonite buffer in nuclear waste repositories relies on Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) constitutive models for bentonite. Although a number of advanced models have been developed in the past, one aspect has been overlooked so far: time. This omission is surprising given that the repository design lifetime is at least a hundred thousand years. Building on a previous double-structure hypoplastic model, a new THM viscohypoplastic bentonite (VIBE) model is presented that incorporates time-dependent behaviour, notably stress relaxation and creep.
References
Mašín, D. (2026). Viscohypoplastic Bentonite (VIBE) Model. Engineering Geology 370, August 2026, 108827, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2026.108827 [Open Access CC BY 4.0]
Data download: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5348185
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