Stability analysis of caverns excavated in heterogeneous salt formations

Abstract

In this paper, the influence of the presence of non-salt interbeds in the vicinity of salt caverns on the stability of the caverns was investigated. In order to describe the time-dependent inelastic behavior of rock salt, an empirical viscoplastic creep model bounded by a diagnostic failure criterion was utilized. The creep model is then implemented in a finite element program to analyze the stability of a storage cavern excavated in a salt formation interspersed with a non-salt interbed. Finally, stress distribution in the salt formation and time-dependent closure of the cavern obtained by the finite element analyses are presented and interpreted. © Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee).