Concrete structure, used to store radioactive materials, are subjected to mechanical, hydrous and thermal loading, which can affect the structural strength, the porous space and permeability. The knowl- edge of the behaviour and the main characteristic of the material should…
Concrete structure, used to store radioactive materials, are subjected to mechanical, hydrous and thermal loading, which can affect the structural strength, the porous space and permeability. The knowl- edge of the behaviour and the main characteristic of the material should be checked in order to take into ac- count drying shrinkage. In the first part, we present the experimental devices and the principal parameters studied. Prismatic samples are used for drying shrinkage and loss of mass during time measurements, and measurements of drying shrinkage. In a second part, gas permeability tests were carried out on this material after approximately 10 months of drying. Samples are cored from each prismatic sample (used for shrinkage measurements) : either from the transverse direction or from the longitudinal direction. Principles of gas per- meability test are presented and experimental process is described. Finally, we discuss the experimental re- sults obtained in terms of anisotropy induced by the desiccation phenomenon. As a result, an induced anisot- ropy of permeability is then measured experimentally.