Advanced Containment System

Patent · 12 October 2004

OSTI ID:879991

Kostelnik, Kevin M ^[1]; Kawamura, Hideki ^[2]; Richardson, John G ^[1]; Noda, Masaru ^[2]

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1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Tokyo, JP

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. A trench is dug on either side of the zone of interest containing the buried waste so as to accommodate a micro tunnel boring machine. A series of small diameter tunnels are serially excavated underneath the buried waste. The tunnels are excavated by the micro tunnel boring machine at a consistent depth and are substantially parallel to each other. As tunneling progresses, steel casing sections are connected end to end in the excavated portion of the tunnel so that a steel tube is formed. Each casing section has complementary interlocking structure running its length that interlocks with complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent casing section. Thus, once the first tube is emplaced, placement of subsequent tubes is facilitated by the complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent, previously placed, casing sections.

• Research Organization: BECHTEL BWXT IDAHO LLC
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-99ID13727; AC07-94ID13223
• Assignee: Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC (Idaho Falls, ID)
• Patent Number(s): US 6,802,670
• Application Number: 10/411521
• OSTI ID: 879991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English