Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Engineered barrier development for a nuclear waste repository in basalt

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6351210

The BWIP Engineered Barrier Program has been developed to provide an integrated approach to the development of site-specific Engineered Barrier assemblages for a repository located in basalt. The goal of this program is to specify engineered and natural barriers which will ensure that nuclear and non-radioactive hazardous materials emplaced in a repository in basalt do not exceed acceptable rates of release to the biosphere. A wide range of analytical and experimental activities related to the basalt repository environment, waste package environment, waste/barrier/rock interactions, and barrier performance assessment provide the basis for selection of systems capable of meeting licensing requirements. Work has concentrated on specifying and testing natural and man-made materials which can be used to plug boreholes in basalt and which can be used as multiple barriers to surround nuclear waste forms and containers. The Engineered Barriers Program is divided into two major activities: multiple barrier studies and borehole plugging. 8 figures, 4 tables.

Research Organization:
Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-77RL01030
OSTI ID:
6351210
Report Number(s):
RHO-BWI-SA-64; CONF-8005175-1; ON: DE81024439
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English