Parametric study involving thermo/viscoelastic analyses of a room and pillar configuration

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6775909

Wagner, R A

Thermo/viscoelastic analyses were performed to determine the sensitivity of three parameters important in the design of radioactive waste repositories. These three parameters were repository depth, ratio of pillar height to pillar width (extraction ratio), and thermal loading. The relative importance of each parameter was determined by comparison of both the thermal and mechanical results with the magnitude of room closure being the major comparative item. A single room-and-pillar configuration was investigated in this near field study using the finite element method. The constitutive law describing the viscous behavior of the host rock (bedded salt) was derived from laboratory testing of specimens from Lyons, Kansas. The most influential of the three parameters, based on the parameter ranges considered, was repository depth. The influence of ventilation greatly reduces the temperature distribution near the room periphery. An optimum ratio of pillar height to pillar width exists for every combination of thermal loading and repository depth.

• Research Organization: RE/SPEC, Inc., Rapid City, SD (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6775909
• Report Number(s): ONWI-115; TRN: 81-000814
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
58 GEOSCIENCES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
DESIGN
STRESS ANALYSIS
ROCK MECHANICS
DEPTH
ROOM AND PILLAR MINING
THERMAL STRESSES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMOELASTICITY
DIMENSIONS
ELASTICITY
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
MINING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STRESSES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
UNDERGROUND MINING
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