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

Quality assurance in management of geotechnical experiments for nuclear waste disposal

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:7194699
;  [1]
  1. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, Manitoba (Canada)

Research and development (R and D) of technology for the disposal of nuclear fuel waste in plutonic rock is being undertaken in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program, jointly funded by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Research and Ontario Hydro under the auspices of the CANDU Owner's Group. A major component of the R and D is geotechnical research to improve the understanding of the response of the host rock to a waste repository; investigate the interactions between the waste package, sealing systems, and rock; elucidate geotechnical factors affecting potential transport of waste elements from the repository; and establish and refine techniques and procedures for repository engineering. Nine major experimental activities are currently in various stages of planning and implementation at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL). A general description of a quality assurance (QA) program developed at AECL for R and D on nuclear waste disposal has been published previously. This QA program is project-oriented and is designed specifically for and R and D environment. The full application of the QA program is being phased into the management of the operating phase experiments because some activities were under way prior to establishment of the QA program.

OSTI ID:
7194699
Report Number(s):
CONF-920606--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 65; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English