In situ flow testing of a cement borehole seal in welded tuff
- Stone & Webster Engineering, Inc., Boston, MA (United States)
- Serata Geomechanics, Inc., Richmond, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Nevada, Reno (United States)
Exploratory boreholes, shafts and tunnels drilled or excavated prior to or during the construction of a subsurface nuclear repository may create direct passages for radionuclide transport to the biosphere. Waste isolation at the Yucca Mountain repository suite will require that penetrations (boreholes, shafts, etc.) of the geological barrier be sealed, primarily to prevent excessive flow of groundwater and/or air into the emplaced wastes and to retard the migration of radionuclides to the accessible environment. Cement is being considered as part of multicomponent seals or plugs for the repository due to its relatively low permeability, high strength, longevity, and swelling capacity. Cement or concrete has long been used as a hydrological barrier in underground mines and in the oil and gas industry. However, insufficient tests data exists about the hydraulic performance of cement plugs under in-situ conditions (i.e. as affected by scale, and field installation and environment), and particularly about their long-term sealing effectiveness. The objectives of the research are to determine the hydraulic conductivities of the cement plug, host stuff, and their interface, and to identify the effects of size and field installation on the borehole plug performance.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 145468
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/14352-1; CONF-930644-Vol.2; ON: DE94014602; TRN: 94:007529-0089
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 34. US symposium on rock mechanics, Madison, WI (United States), 27-30 Jun 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Rock mechanics in the 1990s: Proceedings; Volume 2; Haimson, B. [ed.]; PB: 396 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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