HGM – hydrogeomechanics experimental platform

The HydroGeoMechanics (HGM) experimental platform is equipped with devices dedicated to the fields of “Rock Mechanics” and “Transport in Porous Media.” These technical devices make it possible to carry out tests to characterize the mechanical, petrophysical, and thermal properties of rocks, tests to characterize the physical properties of fluids and flows in porous media, acoustic and ultrasound analyses in rocks, and geotechnical tests.

The platform can set up a wide range of experimental conditions (hygrometry, temperature, stress, pressure, and fluid type) on samples of varying sizes (from micrometers to meters) in order to reproduce environmental conditions (from the surface to several kilometers deep in the Earth’s crust) in the laboratory. The areas of application are: surface infrastructure (roads, quarries, engineering structures), natural hazards (ground movements, seismicity), the environment (groundwater pollution), and underground structures (mines, gas and radioactive waste storage).

The HGM platform conducts tests for research purposes or as part of its service offering. It can also rent out its equipment to external researchers and personnel.