Centrifuge tests on simulation of the ''cookie cutter'' mechanism of chimney collapse into underground openings: Final report
The underground testing of nuclear devices causes the formation of large underground cavities which eventually may be filled by rubble and soil falling from the roof of the cavity. The zone of collapsing soil progresses upward toward the ground surface to form a ''chimney.'' The mechanisms of chimney collapse are important to understand for two important reasons. (1) A devastating and sudden propagation of the collapse may result in the formation of a surface crater which may threaten personnel and equipment in the vicinity of the crater. (2) Different collapse patterns are known to occur in the field and some of these collapse patterns are known to be associated with leakage of radioactive wastes to the ground surface. A number of centrifuge tests were conducted by Kutter et al. (1988), to study the collapse of cavities in uniform dry sands. In these materials, the chimney collapse patterns were found to involve continuous, smoothly varying shear strain patterns in the chimney. The pattern of collapse in one of the tests is shown in figure 1. Figure 1a shows the surface crater that formed on the ground surface due to the collapse of a 6 inch diameter cavity buried 18'' beneath the ground surface. This result was obtained by draining fluid out of a 6'' rubber bag while the centrifuge was spinning at 11 g.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Davis (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5911282
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-21208; ON: DE89014100
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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