Application of models for jointed rock to the analysis of prototype testing for the Yucca Mountain Project
A combined experimental and analytical approach to the development of jointed rock mass characterization and modeling methods for the Yucca Mountain Project is being pursued at Sandia National Laboratories. Techniques for loading a significant portion of the rock mass near a drift boundary are being developed and tested in the welded tuff units in G-Tunnel at the Nevada Test Site. Several of the test methods under consideration involve the use of large flatjacks, inserted into narrow slots cut in the walls or floor of a drift, to provide a controlled means to load a volume of rock. This paper presents an example of the application of models for jointed rock mass behavior to the analysis of flatjack tests conducted in G-Tunnel. Detailed numerical analyses of some of the flatjack tests are being performed to assist the experimenters in developing the test procedure and as part of an effort to develop and evaluate numerical models that can be used for the site characterization and performance assessment activities at Yucca Mountain. These analyses were performed using both a linear model with a reduced modulus to simulate joint effects and a recently developed compliant joint rock mass model, which takes into account the spacing, orientation, and shear and normal displacement behavior of two orthogonal joint sets. Comparisons between the linear and nonlinear analytical methods and between the analytical and experimental results are presented. These comparisons allow one to evaluate the utility of the available analytical methods and to suggest possible improvements to both the analytical and experimental techniques. 8 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 137715
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--89-2146C; CONF-900646--9; ON: DE90006807
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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