Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project: Analysis of horizontal waste emplacement boreholes of a nuclear waste repository in tuff

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:60143

Arulmoli, K; John, C M

In support of the design of a nuclear waste repository in tuff, two dimensional thermal and thermal-mechanical analyses of horizontal emplacement boreholes were performed using finite-element and boundary-element codes. In the finite-element analyses five different equivalent continuum models of a tuff rock mass were used to investigate the state of deformation and stress around the borehole for times up to 300 years following waste emplacement. These models were an isotropic linear elastic model, an ubiquitous joint model with single and orthogonal joints, an a compliant joint model also with single and orthogonal joints. The case of boreholes intersected by discrete fractures was analyzed using boundary-element models. The results of analyses using the various models of the borehole were consistent and indicated stable conditions even when low estimates of the strength of the joints within the tuff rock mass were assumed. 25 refs.

• Research Organization: Agapito (J.F.T.) and Associates, Inc., Rolling Hills Estates, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 60143
• Report Number(s): SAND--86-7133; ON: DE87010529
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
BOREHOLES
DEFORMATION
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
JOINTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
ROCKS
STRESSES
STRUCTURAL MODELS
THERMAL STRESSES
TUFF
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
Yucca Mountain Project