• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.157-178
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• 2013

This study gives a conceptual and basic direction to develop a URL (underground research laboratory) program for establishing the performance and safety of a deep geological disposal system in Korea. The concept of deep geological disposal is one of the preferred methodologies for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Advanced countries with radioactive waste disposal have developed their own disposal concepts reasonable to their social and environmental conditions and applied to their commercial projects. Deep geological disposal system is a multi-barrier system generally consisting of an engineered barrier and natural barrier. A disposal facility and its host environment can be relied on a necessary containment and isolation over timescales envisaged as several to tens of thousands of years. A disposal system is not allowed in the commercial stage of the disposal program without a validation and demonstration of the performance and safety of the system. All issues confirming performance and safety of a disposal system include investigation, analysis, assessment, design, construction, operation and closure from planning to closure of the deep geological repository. Advanced countries perform RD&D (research, development & demonstration) programs to validate the performance and safety of a disposal system using a URL facility located at the preferred rock area within their own territories. The results and processes from the URL program contribute to construct technical criteria and guidelines for site selection as well as suitability and safety assessment of the final disposal site. Furthermore, the URL program also plays a decisive role in promoting scientific understanding of the deep geological disposal system for stakeholders, such as the public, regulator, and experts.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.90-102
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• 2015

To understand the hyrogeochemical variation of bedrock aquifer during underground space construction, various graphical methods including multiple-component plots and chemical trends were used to estimate the mixing rate between seawater and freshwater and to investigate the evolution of water quality. The water chemistry and mixing rate between fresh and sea waters, which are generally localized in the construction area (MW-7, in land), shows typical characteristics of freshwater that doesn’t affect its validity as seawater intrusion. Especially, the water chemistry of a MW-4 (coastline) was classified as Na-Cl type, Na-HCO₃ type, and Ca-Cl type due to the influence of the seawater intrusion. And hydrogeochemical and isotopic data show that local freshwater is subjected to geochemical processes, such as reverse ion-exchange. Throughout the Chadha’s diagrams, four different case histories with the temporal and spatial variation of groundwaters in the study area were proposed, which is recommended to interpret the hydrogeochemical reactions effectively.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.279-292
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• 2004

The underground research tunnel is essential to validate the integrity of a reference high-level waste disposal system, and the safety of geological disposal. In this study, a basic design of an underground research tunnel (URT) was tried to be developed. The candidate site for URT was described briefly, and it was intended to suggest the basic concept of the underground research tunnel. In order to develop the design of URT based on the basic concept, design requirements were established. Based on the basic concept and the design requirements, the basic design of URT was performed. Research items to be studied in the URT were also derived in this study.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.19-30
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• 1991

The trend of Radio active waste disposal project is generally to choose The Rock Cavern type because it is the most safest and easy to get concent from The neighbor hood. On the Construction of rock Cavern for R -A. W.0 has to take care follows ; The first of all, to survey rock crack formation. 2nd, The Movement of Underground water. 3rd, Nuclear and Geochemical problems. 4th, to examine physical feature of rocks ets.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

For the safe disposal of intermediate level radioactive waste according to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's notice and KORAD's management plan for low and intermediate level radioactive waste, the disposal concentration limit was derived based on the IAEA methodology. The evaluation of the derived disposal concentration limit revealed that it is not suitable as a practical limit for intermediate level radioactive waste. This is because the disposal concentration limit according to the IAEA methodology is derived using a single value of radioactive waste density and the disposal facility's volume. The IAEA methodology is suitable for setting the concentration limit for vault type disposal, which consists of a single type of waste, whereas an underground silo type disposal facility is composed of several types of radioactive waste, and thus the IAEA methodology has limitations in determining the disposal concentration limit. It is necessary to develop and apply an improved method to derive the disposal concentration limit for intermediate level radioactive waste by considering the radioactivity of various types of radioactive waste, the corresponding scenario evaluation results, and the regulatory limit.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.1 s.66
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• pp.17-25
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• 2007

Research and development for disposal of contaminants including radioactive wastes in deep underground have been carried out from laboratory works. However, validation and reliability of the data from the laboratory are arguing issues because they are not obtained from real disposal situations. Underground research laboratory (URL) is not only a solution to overcome such limitations, but also a valuable facility for performance assessment as an engineering scale. However, it requires much budget, and environmental issues can give rise to social conflicts easily. Such considering points related to URL are discussed as well as current status of worldwide URLs are introduced. Furthermore study plans for solute transport in a small-scale underground research tunnel (KURT), which was authorized recently as an non-radioactive facility in Korea, also described.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.31-54
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• 2017

In the countries operating nuclear reactors, the development of high-level radioactive waste(HLW) disposal technique is considered as an urgent and important issue for sustainable utilization of nuclear energy. In Korea, in which a low and intermediate radioactive waste repository is already operating, the construction of an underground research laboratory for in situ validation studies became a matter of interest with increasing concerns on the management of HLW. In order to construct and to operate an underground HLW repository safely in deep underground, the stability of rock mass should be guaranteed. As an important factor on rock stability, excavation damaged zone (EDZ) has been studied in many underground research laboratories in foreign countries. For accurate evaluation of the characteristics and effects of EDZ under disposal condition, it is required to use reliable investigation method based on the analysis of previous studies in similar conditions. In this study, status of foreign underground research laboratories in other countries, approaches for investigation the characteristics, size, and effect of EDZ, and major findings from the researches were surveyed and reported. This will help the accomplishment of domestic researches for developing HLW management techniques in underground research laboratory.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.316-324
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• 2014

In the underground 500 m depth, the high level radioactive waste disposal system is made by boring the tunnel in the base rock and putting the high level waste disposal canister that is the surrounding form with the buffer material. According to the many statistics, it is the tendency that the earthquake increases in the Korean peninsula every year. In case that the earthquake is generated, the disposal canister in the rock mass can be broken due to the shearing force in the underground. Furthermore, a major environmental problems can be caused by the radioactive harmful substances. In this study, the earthquake-proof type buffer material was developed with the protection method safely on the earthquake. The main parameter having an effect on the earthquake-resistant performance was analyzed and the earthquake-proof type buffer material was designed. The shear analysis model was developed and the performance of the earthquake-proof type buffer material was evaluated by using ABAQUS.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1991.04a
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• pp.20-25
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• 1991

In order to predict properly the effects of ground motion associated wi th earthquakes on underground radioactive waste disposal facilities, understanding of the structural behavior of an underground opening in discontinuous rook masses subjected to dynamic loadings is essential. Therefore, this paper includes literature review on computational models for discontinuous rook masses and on mathematical models for the structural analysis of underground openings. Then, structural analyses of underground openings using the distinct element computer program written for the static and dynamic analysis of discontinuous rook masses have been performed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.68-84
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• 1991

A numerical analysis using Universal Distinct Element Code program for the nuclear waste disposal cavern has been performed for a typical Korean crystalline rock condition with same geometry of Swedish low and intermediate nuclear waste disposal repository(S.F.R). The stress concentration, displacement and safety factor for the typical single cross section of cavern, 5 caverns and a silo are analyzed.