diff --git a/src/coreComponents/constitutive/contact/BartonBandis.hpp b/src/coreComponents/constitutive/contact/BartonBandis.hpp
index e8949781147..f6f4639cca6 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/constitutive/contact/BartonBandis.hpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/constitutive/contact/BartonBandis.hpp
@@ -140,10 +140,21 @@ real64 BartonBandisUpdates::computeHydraulicAperture( real64 const aperture,
   using namespace fields::contact;
 
   // Note: compressive
-  real64 const hydraulicAperture = ( fractureState == FractureState::Open ) ? (aperture + m_aperture0) : m_aperture0 / ( 1.0 - 9.0 * normalTraction /m_referenceNormalStress );
-  dHydraulicAperture_dNormalTraction =
-    ( fractureState == FractureState::Open ) ? 0.0 : hydraulicAperture / ( 1.0 - 9.0 * normalTraction /m_referenceNormalStress ) * 9.0/m_referenceNormalStress;
-  dHydraulicAperture_aperture = ( fractureState == FractureState::Open ) ? 1.0 : 0.0;
+  real64 hydraulicAperture = -1e99;
+  if( fractureState == FractureState::Open )
+  {
+    hydraulicAperture = (aperture + m_aperture0);
+    dHydraulicAperture_dNormalTraction = 0.0 ;
+    dHydraulicAperture_aperture = 1.0;
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    hydraulicAperture = m_aperture0 / ( 1.0 - 9.0 * normalTraction /m_referenceNormalStress );
+    dHydraulicAperture_dNormalTraction = hydraulicAperture / ( 1.0 - 9.0 * normalTraction /m_referenceNormalStress ) * 9.0/m_referenceNormalStress;
+    dHydraulicAperture_aperture = 0.0;
+  }
+
+
 
   return hydraulicAperture; ///It would be nice to change this to return a tuple.
 }
diff --git a/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.cpp b/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.cpp
index 3cba71973ca..ff4c5e8d754 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.cpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.cpp
@@ -312,6 +312,8 @@ void FlowSolverBase::setConstitutiveNamesCallSuper( ElementSubRegionBase & subRe
 
   setConstitutiveName< PermeabilityBase >( subRegion, viewKeyStruct::permeabilityNamesString(), "permeability" );
 
+  setConstitutiveName< HydraulicApertureBase >( subRegion, viewKeyStruct::hydraulicApertureNamesString(), "hydraulicAperture" );
+
   if( m_isThermal )
   {
     setConstitutiveName< SolidInternalEnergy >( subRegion, viewKeyStruct::solidInternalEnergyNamesString(), "solid internal energy" );
@@ -630,6 +632,26 @@ void FlowSolverBase::updatePorosityAndPermeability( SurfaceElementSubRegion & su
   arrayView1d< real64 const > const newHydraulicAperture = subRegion.getField< flow::hydraulicAperture >();
   arrayView1d< real64 const > const oldHydraulicAperture = subRegion.getField< flow::aperture0 >();
 
+  string const & hydraulicApertureName = subRegion.getReference< string >( viewKeyStruct::hydraulicApertureNamesString() );
+  HydraulicApertureBase & hydraulicApertureModel = subRegion.getConstitutiveModel< HydraulicApertureBase >( hydraulicApertureName );
+
+  constitutive::ConstitutivePassThru< HydraulicApertureBase >::execute( hydraulicApertureModel, [=, &subRegion] ( auto & castedHydraulicApertureModel )
+  {
+    typename TYPEOFREF( castedHydraulicApertureModel )::KernelWrapper hydraulicApertureWrapper = castedHydraulicApertureModel.createKernelUpdates();
+    for( localIndex k = 0; k < subRegion.size(); ++k )
+    {
+      real64 const normalStress = 0.0; 
+      real64 dHydraulicAperture_aperture = 0.0;
+      real64 dHydraulicAperture_dNormalTraction = 0.0; 
+      newHydraulicAperture[k] = hydraulicApertureWrapper.computeHydraulicAperture( oldHydraulicAperture[k],
+                                                                                   normalStress,
+                                                                                   0,
+                                                                                   dHydraulicAperture_aperture,
+                                                                                   dHydraulicAperture_dNormalTraction );
+    }
+  } );
+
+
   string const & solidName = subRegion.getReference< string >( viewKeyStruct::solidNamesString() );
   CoupledSolidBase & porousSolid = subRegion.getConstitutiveModel< CoupledSolidBase >( solidName );
 
diff --git a/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.hpp b/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.hpp
index e67bae98e2e..c8c3e7c15c8 100644
--- a/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.hpp
+++ b/src/coreComponents/physicsSolvers/fluidFlow/FlowSolverBase.hpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class FlowSolverBase : public PhysicsSolverBase
 
     static constexpr char const * fluidNamesString() { return "fluidNames"; }
     static constexpr char const * solidNamesString() { return "solidNames"; }
+    static constexpr char const * hydraulicApertureNamesString() { return "hydraulicApertureNames"; }
     static constexpr char const * permeabilityNamesString() { return "permeabilityNames"; }
     static constexpr char const * solidInternalEnergyNamesString() { return "solidInternalEnergyNames"; }
     static constexpr char const * thermalConductivityNamesString() { return "thermalConductivityNames"; }