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Title: Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden

Abstract

It is generally agreed that the most practicable method of isolating nuclear wastes from the biosphere is by deep burial in suitable geologic formations. Such burial achieves a high degree of physical isolation but raises questions concerning the rate at which some of these wastes may return to the biosphere through transport by groundwater. Any suitable repository site will be disturbed first by excavation and second by the thermal pulse caused by the radioactive decay of the wastes. To assess the effectiveness of geologic isolation it is necessary to develop the capability of predicting the response of a rock mass to such a thermal pulse. Ultimately, this requires field measurements below the surface in media representative of those likely to be encountered at an actual repository. Access to a granitic rock mass adjacent to a defunct iron ore mine at Stripa, Sweden, at a depth of about 350 m below surface has provided a unique opportunity to conduct a comprehensive suite of hydrological and thermo-mechanical experiments under such conditions. The results of these field tests have shown the importance of geologic structure and the functional dependence of the thermo-mechanical properties on temperature in developing a valid predictive model. The resultsmore » have also demonstrated the vital importance of carrying out large-scale investigations in a field test facility.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
OSTI Identifier:
6775925
Report Number(s):
LBL-11651; CONF-8010132-1
TRN: 81-000813
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 75th anniversary of the Illinois State Geological Survey symposium, Urbana, IL, USA, 9 Oct 1980
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; GRANITES; ROCK MECHANICS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; FIELD TESTS; FRACTURES; HYDROLOGY; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; ROCK CAVERNS; SWEDEN; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; CAVITIES; EUROPE; FAILURES; IGNEOUS ROCKS; MANAGEMENT; MECHANICS; PLUTONIC ROCKS; ROCKS; SCANDINAVIA; TESTING; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WESTERN EUROPE; 052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 580300 - Mineralogy, Petrology, & Rock Mechanics- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Witherspoon, P A. Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden. United States: N. p., 1980. Web.
Witherspoon, P A. Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden. United States.
Witherspoon, P A. 1980. "Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6775925.
@article{osti_6775925,
title = {Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden},
author = {Witherspoon, P A},
abstractNote = {It is generally agreed that the most practicable method of isolating nuclear wastes from the biosphere is by deep burial in suitable geologic formations. Such burial achieves a high degree of physical isolation but raises questions concerning the rate at which some of these wastes may return to the biosphere through transport by groundwater. Any suitable repository site will be disturbed first by excavation and second by the thermal pulse caused by the radioactive decay of the wastes. To assess the effectiveness of geologic isolation it is necessary to develop the capability of predicting the response of a rock mass to such a thermal pulse. Ultimately, this requires field measurements below the surface in media representative of those likely to be encountered at an actual repository. Access to a granitic rock mass adjacent to a defunct iron ore mine at Stripa, Sweden, at a depth of about 350 m below surface has provided a unique opportunity to conduct a comprehensive suite of hydrological and thermo-mechanical experiments under such conditions. The results of these field tests have shown the importance of geologic structure and the functional dependence of the thermo-mechanical properties on temperature in developing a valid predictive model. The results have also demonstrated the vital importance of carrying out large-scale investigations in a field test facility.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6775925}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}

Conference:
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