Comparison between predicted and measured south drift closures at the WIPP using a transient creep model for salt

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6021840

Munson, D E; Fossum, A F

The US Department of Energy is constructing and operating the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a research and development facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico, to determine whether or not defense-generated high-level radioactive waste can be stored safely in bedded salt. The goal of the WIPP modeling program is to develop the capability to predict room responses from one site to another without a priori knowledge of the actual room responses. Data from one of the early WIPP excavations, called the South Drift, have already been used to form an initial evaluation of computational models for predicting room closures as a result of salt creep. In that study, a significant unresolved discrepancy existed between predicted and measured room closures. It was suggested that future studies address alternate forms of the constitutive law. In this paper, an alternate form of the creep model for salt is used that is founded upon the deformation-mechanism map for the micromechanical deformation processes. This model embodies both steady-state and transient creep. Also, quasi-static plasticity is incorporated into the complete constitutive model for salt. The conclusion is drawn that the combination of the mechanistic creep model, plasticity, and flow potential can approximate the late time South Drift deformation. Further improvement of the model fit of plasticity in the future is expected to further improve the simulation.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); RE/SPEC, Inc., Rapid City, SD (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6021840
• Report Number(s): SAND-85-2238C; CONF-860609-2; ON: DE86007147
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANHYDRITE
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SULFATES
CAVITIES
CREEP
DEFORMATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM SULFATES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYHALITE
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM SULFATES
ROCK MECHANICS
SALT CAVERNS
SALT DEPOSITS
SULFATE MINERALS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS