• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.255-263
• /
• 2005

Migration experiments of THO and 237Np have performed through a sampled granite core in Chemlab2 probe at the Aspo hard Rock laboratory. The elution curves of THO were analysed to determine hydraulic properties such as the extent of dispersion effect according to flow rates. The retardation phenomena of the solutes were observed and described with elution curves and migration plumes. After migration test, the rock core was opened, and the remaining radioactivities on the rock fracture surfaces were measured. The transport process was simulated with a two-dimensional channel model. The mass transport process was described with three types of basic processes ; advection, sorption and matrix diffusion. By the combination of these processes, effects of each process on transport were described in terms of elution curves and migration plumes. By comparing the simulation results to the experimental one, it was possible to analyse the retardation effect quantitatively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.605-618
• /
• 2001

For the mechanical stability assessment of a deep underground high-level waste repository. computer simulations using FLAC3D were carried out and important parameters including stress ratio, depth, tunnel size, joint spacing, and joint properties were chosen from sensitivity analysis. The main effect as well as the interaction effect between the important parameters could be investigated effectively using fractional factorial design . In order to analyze the stability of the disposal tunnel and deposition hole in a discontinuous rock mass, different modelings were performed under different conditions using 3DEC and the influence of joint distribution and properties, rock properties and stress ratio could be determined. From the three dimensional modelings, it was concluded that the conceptual repository design was mechanically stable even in a discontinuous rock mass.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.21 no.9
• /
• pp.1452-1461
• /
• 1997

The hot press apparatus to obtain the solidified rocks with 60mm of diameter against rock waste was developed, and the optimum conditions for solidification were founded out, of which were 300.deg. C of temperature and 1hr of holding time. The solidified rocks reinforced with the fibers (carbon, steel) were made by means of a hydrothermal hot press method. Fracture toughness of those was obtained using the round compact tension(RCT) specimens. Load and displacement behaviours of the solidified rocks reinforced with the fibers were dependent upon the fiber volume fraction and kind of the fibers. Strength and fracture energy of the solidified rocks with steel were much larger than those of the solidified ones with carbon because of the Bridge's effect, multiple cracking and crack branching phenomena.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.243-253
• /
• 2009

In this study, research status on radionuclide and colloid migration in underground research facilities including KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) was investigated. Some foreign underground research facilities constructed in crystalline rock formations such as granite were briefly introduced and compared. International joint researches concerned with the radionuclide and colloid migration were investigated particularly for the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) and $\ddot{A}$sp$\ddot{o}$ Hard Rock Laboratory by analyzing major research items, on-going research projects, and future plans.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.28-53
• /
• 2024

In general, high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated as a result of nuclear power generation should be disposed within the country. Determination of the disposal site and host rock for HLW deep geological repository is an important issue not only scientifically but also politically, economically, and socially. Considered host rock types worldwide for geological disposal include crystalline rocks, sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, and salt dome. However, South Korea consists of various rock types except salt dome. This paper not only analyzed the geological and rock mechanical characteristics on a nationwide scale with the preliminary results on various rock type studies for the disposal host rock, but also reviewed the characteristics and possibility of various rock types as a host rock through deep drilling surveys. Based on the nationwide screening for host rock types resulted from literature review, rock distributions, and detailed case studies, Jurassic granites and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks (Jinju and Jindong formations) were derived as a possible candidate host rock types for the geological disposal. However, since the analyzed data for candidate rock types from this study is not enough, it is suggested that the disposal rock type should be carefully determined from additional and detailed analysis on disposal depth, regional characteristics, multidisciplinary investigations, etc.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.38-51
• /
• 2019

Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) can describe not only swelling owing to decrease in effective stress, but also wetting-induced swelling due to decrease in suction. And the BBM can also consider increase in cohesion and apparent preconsolidation stress with suction, and decrease in the apparent preconsolidation stress with temperature. Therefore, the BBM is widely used all over the world to predict and to analyze coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of bentonite which is considered as buffer materials at the engineered barrier system in the high-level radioactive waste disposal system. However, the BBM is not well known in Korea, so this paper introduce the BBM to Korean rock engineers and geotechnical engineers. In this study, Modified Cam Clay (MCC) model is introduced before all, because the BBM was first developed as an extension of the MCC model to unsaturated soil conditions. Then, the thermo-elasto-plastic version of the BBM is described in detail.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2004.02a
• /
• pp.51-59
• /
• 2004

The geological research as a part of HLW disposal program in Korea is carried out to provide necessary data for the establishment of the reference repository system in term of design and safety assessment in the crystalline rock terrains. Six deep boreholes were drilled to obtain hydrogeological and hydrochemical data from Jurassic granites in the Yuseong area, Korea. The core observation, televiewer logging and hydraulic testing were carried out during and after drilling and multi-packer system were installed in the boreholes of 500m depth for hydraulic and hydrochemical monitoring including environmental isotopes. The integration of hydrogeochemical and hydrodynamic data would be built greater confidence for the understanding of groundwater system in fractured rock mass. This geoscientific program could be possible to suggest a general guideline to develop the reference disposal concept of high-level radioactive waste in Korea.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.243-261
• /
• 2016

This research study focuses on utilizing sandstone which is overburden waste rock in coal mines to use in concrete as a replacement of fine aggregate. Physical properties of sandstone like water absorption, moisture content, fineness modulus etc., were found to be similar to conventional fine aggregate. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis was carried out for analysing elemental composition of sandstone. There was no sulphur content in sandstone which is a good sign to carry the replacement. Fine aggregate was replaced with sandstone at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by volume and moulds of concrete cubes and cylinders were prepared. Compressive strength of concrete cubes was tested after 3, 7 and 28 days and split tensile & flexural strength was determined after 28 days. The strength was found to be increasing marginally with increase in sandstone content. Fine aggregate that was replaced by 100% sandstone gave highest strength among all the replacements for the compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths. Though increase in strength was marginal, still sandstone can be an effective replacement for sand in order to save the natural resource and utilize the waste sandstone.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.501-518
• /
• 2019

The rock properties measured under in-situ geological condition can be used to increase the reliability in numerical simulations with regard to the long-term performance of a high-level waste repository. In this study, the change in mechanical properties of KURT (Korea atomic energy research institute Underground Research Tunnel) granite was evaluated under the simulated THM (Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical) coupled condition due to a deep geological formation in the disposal repository. The rock properties such as uniaxial compression strength, indirect tensile strength, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio were measured under the coupled test conditions (M, HM, TM, THM). It was found that the mechanical properties of KURT granite is more susceptible to the change in saturation rather than temperature within the test condition of this study. The changes in uniaxial compression strength and indirect tensile strength from the rock samples of dried or saturated conditions showed the maximum relative error of about 20% and 13% respectively under the constant temperature condition. Therefore, it is necessary to use the material properties of rock measured under the coupled THM condition as input parameters for the numerical simulation of long-term performance assessment of a disposal repository

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
• /
• 2000.09a
• /
• pp.105-115
• /
• 2000

As large underground projects such as radioactive waste disposal, hot water and heat storage, and geothermal energy become influential, the study, which consider all aspects of thermics, hydraulics and mechanics would be needed. Thermo Hydro-Mechanical coupling analysis is one of the most complex numerical technique because it should be implemented with the combined three governing equations to analyze the behavior of rock mass. In this study, finite element code, which is based on Biot's consolidation theory, was developed to analyze the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in continuum rock mass. To verify the implemented program, one-dimensional consolidation model under the isothermal and non-isothermal conditions was analyzed and was compared with the analytic solution. The parametric study on two-dimensional consolidation was also performed and the effects of several factors such as poisson's ratio and hydraulic anisotropy on rock mass behavior were investigated. In the future, this program would be revised to be used for analysis of general discontinuous media with incorporating discrete joint model.