Clay modified crushed salt for shaft sealing elements. Material optimization and evaluation in field tests

Salt-based materials are intended to use for backfill and sealing systems in geotechnical barriers in underground HLW-repositories. Due to the creep of the saliniferous host rock, the salt backfill will be compacted during several hundreds or thousands years of operation to a minimum of porosity resp. permeability. To raise the sealing potential of a salt-based backfill, the porosity after construction should be minimized by optimal material performance and compaction performance. A procedure to optimize the grain size distribution of crushed salt and its water and clay content is described. The optimized salt fraction gets a better compaction behavior than straight mine-run salt. The addition of a filler-like material (e.g. Friedland Clay Powder) reduces the total porosity and permeability. Backfill columns made from crushed salt and clay probably include an instant sealing function.