Interaction of nuclear waste panels with shafts and access ramps for a potential repository at Yucca Mountain: Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:60168

John, C M

A series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional analyses of a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain were performed to estimate the thermal stresses that would be experienced at the possible locations of shafts or ramps providing access to the repository horizon. Two alternative assumptions were made for the initial state of stress, and calculations were performed to investigate behavior at repository scale. The computed states of stress were also used as boundary conditions for a series of analyses of the access ramps and vertical shafts. The results of the repository scale analyses indicated that there is a region above the repository horizon where the horizontal stresses are reduced as a consequence of the thermal loads imposed by waste emplacement. If the initial state of stress is relatively low then the total horizontal stresses near the ground surface above the repository may be tensile. An evaluation of the total stress state relative to the strength of the rock matrix and vertical and near vertical joints indicates that there is no potential for development of new fractures in the matrix, but joints near the surface could be activated if the initial stress state is low. 13 refs., 24 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Agbabian Associates, El Segundo, CA (United States); Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 60168
• Report Number(s): SAND--84-7213; ON: DE88000269
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NEVADA
SHAFTS
THERMAL STRESSES
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project