The book addresses fundamental issues faced by experimentalists, modelers and engineers interested in different physical, mechanical and transport aspects of biological tissues and chemically active geological materials, mainly clays and shales. The focus is on the couplings between electro-chemical and mechanical aspects involved in swelling and chemical consolidation. Emphasis is laid on the influence of these phenomena on mechanical properties and on transport properties. Applications in geo-environmental and geotechnical technologies, including nuclear and hazardous waste isolation, oil recovery, engineering geology, are addressed directly or implied. Control of long term effects of surgery and mechanical performance of prostheses may benefit from the modeling of irreversibilities that are of utmost importance in geological materials. Conversely, understanding the self-regulation mechanisms of biological tissues may be helpful in the design of efficient engineering materials.

Analysis of slope stability of chemically active clays Use of clays as barriers to store municipal and nuclear wastes Understanding the behaviour of native cornea, articular cartilage and intervertebral disc Analysis of pathologies, of natural and artificial repairs, consequences of surgery Development of artificial muscles

Inhalt
Influence of pore fluid composition on volume change. Behaviour of clays exposed to the same fluid as the pore fluid.- Consolidation, swelling and swelling pressure induced by exposure of clays soils to fluids different from the pore fluid .- Shear strength of clays and clayey soils: the influence of pore fluid composition.- Swelling media: concepts and applications.- Chemo-mechanical interactions in geological and biological materials: examples.- Multi-phase multi-species mixtures.- Constitutive equations for homoionic clays.- Constitutive equations for homoionic clays.- Mass transfer through membranes and generalized diffusion.- Finite element formulation, and simulations of laboratory tests.- Swelling shales and compacting cakes.- Molecular modelling of pore fluids in clays.- Polyelectrolyte gels: basics, modelling and simulation.