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http://dx.doi.org/10.5516/NET.06.2011.018

AN ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY AND SWELLING PRESSURE OF KYUNGJU CA-BENTONITE FOR USE AS A CLAY-BASED SEALING MATERIAL FOR A HIGH-LEVEL WASTE REPOSITORY  

Cho, Won-Jin (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
Lee, Jae-Owan (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
Kwon, Sang-Ki (Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Inha University)
Publication Information
Nuclear Engineering and Technology / v.44, no.1, 2012 , pp. 89-102 More about this Journal
Abstract
The buffer and backfill are important components of the engineered barrier system in a high-level waste repository, which should be constructed in a hard rock formation at a depth of several hundred meters below the ground surface. The primary function of the buffer and backfill is to seal the underground excavation as a preferred flow path for radionuclide migration from the deposited high-level waste. This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of Kyungju Ca-bentonite, which is the candidate material for the buffer and backfill in the Korean reference high-level waste disposal system. The factors that influence the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of the buffer and backfill are analyzed. The factors considered are the dry density, the temperature, the sand content, the salinity and the organic carbon content. The possibility of deterioration in the sealing performance of the buffer and backfill is also assessed.
Keywords
High-level Waste; Repository; Buffer; Backfill; Sealing Performance; Hydraulic Conductivity; Swelling Pressure;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)  (Related Records In Web of Science)
Times Cited By SCOPUS : 0
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