• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.104-126
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• 2024

Buffer and backfill play an essential role in isolating high-level radioactive waste and retard the migration of leaked radionuclides in deep geological disposal system. A bentonite mixture, which exhibits a swelling property, is considered for buffer and backfill materials, and excessive groundwater inflow from surrounding rock mass may affect stability and efficiency of their role as an engineered barrier. Therefore, stringent quality control as well as in-situ installation management and inflow water constrol for buffer and backfill are required to ensure the safety of deep disposal facilities. In this study, we analyzed the design requirements of buffer and backfill by examining various laboratory tests and a field study of the Steel Tunnel Test at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. We introduced how to control the quality of buffer and backfill construction in-field, and also presented how to handle excessive groundwater inflow into disposal caverns, validating the groundwater retention capacity of bentonite pellets and the effectiveness of geotexile use.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.382-393
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• 2020

The engineered barrier system of high-level radioactive waste disposal must maintain its performance in the long term, because it must play a role in slowing the rate of leakage to the surrounding rock mass even if a radionuclide leak occurs from the canister. In particular, it is very important to clarify gas dilation flow phenomenon clearly, that occurs only in a medium containing a large amount of clay material such as a bentonite buffer, which can affect the long-term performance of the bentonite buffer. Accordingly, DECOVALEX-2019 Task A was conducted to identify the hydraulic-mechanical mechanism for the dilation flow, and to develop and verify a new numerical analysis technique for quantitative evaluation of gas migration phenomena. In this study, based on the conventional two-phase flow and mechanical behavior with effective stresses in the porous medium, the hydraulic-mechanical model was developed considering the concept of damage to simulate the formation of micro-cracks and expansion of the medium and the corresponding change in the hydraulic properties. Model verification and validation were conducted through comparison with the results of 1D and 3D gas injection tests. As a result of the numerical analysis, it was possible to model the sudden increase in pore water pressure, stress, gas inflow and outflow rate due to the dilation flow induced by gas pressure, however, the influence of the hydraulic-mechanical interaction was underestimated. Nevertheless, this study can provide a preliminary model for the dilation flow and a basis for developing an advanced model. It is believed that it can be used not only for analyzing data from laboratory and field tests, but also for long-term performance evaluation of the high-level radioactive waste disposal system.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.453-467
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• 2016

Overall risks that can occur in a shield TBM tunnelling are studied in this paper. Both the potential risk events that may occur during tunnel construction and their causes are identified, and the causal relationship between causes and events is obtained in a systematic way. Risk impact analysis is performed for the potential risk events and ways to mitigate the risks are summarized. Literature surveys as well as interviews with experts were made for this purpose. The potential risk events are classified into eight categories: cuttability reduction, collapse of a tunnel face, ground surface settlement and upheaval, spurts of slurry on the ground, incapability of mucking and excavation, and water leakage. The causes of these risks are categorized into three areas: geological, design and construction management factors. Bayesian Networks (BN) were established to systematically assess a causal relationship between causes and events. The risk impact analysis was performed to evaluate a risk response level by adopting an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the consideration of the downtime and cost of measures. Based on the result of the risk impact analysis, the risk events are divided into four risk response levels and these levels are verified by comparing with the actual occurrences of risk events. Measures to mitigate the potential risk events during the design and/or construction stages are also proposed. Result of this research will be of the help to the designers and contractors of TBM tunnelling projects in identifying the potential risks and for preparing a systematic risk management through the evaluation of the risk response level and the migration methods in the design and construction stage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.19-41
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• 1986

Structural, radioactive, petrological, petrochemical, mineralogical and stable isotopic study as well as the review of previous studies of the uranium-bearing slates in the Ogcheon sequence were carried out to examine the lithological and structural controls, and geochemical environment in the uranium deposition in the sequence. And the study was extended to the coal-bearing formation (Jangseong Series-Permian) to compare the geochemical and sedimentologic aspects of uranium chemistry between Ogcheon and Hambaegsan areas. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The uranium mineralization occurs in the carbonaceous black slates of the middle to lower Guryongsan formation and its equivalents in the Ogcheon sequence. In general, two or three uranium-bearing carbonaceous beds are found with about 1 to 1.5km stratigraphic interval and they extend from Chungju to Jinsan for 90km in distance, with intermittent igneous intrusions and structural Jisturbances. Average thickness of the beds ranges from 20 to 1,500m. 2. These carbonaceous slate beds were folded by a strong $F_1$-fold and were refolded by subsequent $F_1$-fold, nearly co-axial with the $F_1$, resulting in a repeated occurrence of similar slate. The carbonaceous beds were swelled in hing zones and were shrinked or thined out in limb by the these foldings. Minor faulting and brecciation of the carbonaceous beds were followed causing metamorphism of these beds and secondary migration and alteration of uranium minerals and their close associations. 3. Uranium-rich zones with high radioactive anomalies are found in Chungju, Deogpyong-Yongyuri, MiwonBoun, Daejeon-Geumsan areas in the range of 500~3,700 cps (corresponds to 0.017~0.087%U). These zones continue along strike of the beds for several tens to a few hundred meters but also discontinue with swelling and pinches at places that should be analogously developed toward underground in their vertical extentions. The drilling surveyings in those area, more than 120 holes, indicate that the depth-frequency to uranium rich bed ranging 40~160 meter is greater. 4. The features that higher radioactive anomalies occur particularly from the carbonaceous beds among the argillaceous lithologic units, are well demonstrated on the cross sections of the lithology and radioactive values of the major uranium deposits in the Ogcheon zone. However, one anomalous radioactive zone is found in a l:ornfels bed in Samgoe, near Daejeon city. This is interpreted as a thermal metamorphic effect by which original uranium contents in the underlying black slate were migrated into the hornfels bed. 5. Principal minerals of the uranium-bearing black slates are quartz, sericite, biotite and chlorite, and as to chemical composition of the black slates, $Al_2O_3$ contents appear to be much lower than the average values by its clarke suggesting that the Changri basin has rather proximal to its source area. 6. The uranium-bearing carbonaceous beds contain minor amounts of phosphorite minerals, pyrite, pyrrhotite and other sulfides but not contain iron oxides. Vanadium. Molybdenum, Barium, Nickel, Zirconium, Lead, Cromium and fixed Carbon, and some other heavy metals appear to be positive by correlative with uranium in their concentrations, suggesting a possibility of their genetic relationships. The estimated pH and Eh of the slate suggests an euxenic marine to organic-rich saline water environment during uranium was deposited in the middle part of Ogcheon zone. 7. The Carboniferous shale of Jangseong Series(Sadong Series) of Permian in Hambaegsan area having low radioactivity and in fluvial to beach deposits is entirely different in geochemical property and depositional environment from the middle part of Ogcheon zone, so-called "Pibanryong-Type Ogcheon Zone". 8. Synthesizing various data obtained by several aspects of research on uranium mineralization in the studied sequence, it is concluded that the processes of uranium deposition were incorporated with rich organic precipitation by which soluble uranyl ions, $U{_2}^{+{+}}$ were organochemically complexed and carried down to the pre-Ogcheon sea bottoms formed in transitional environment, from Red Sea type basin to Black Sea type basin. Decomposition of the organic matter under reducing conditions to hydrogen sulfide, which reduced the $UO{_2}^{+2}$ ions to the insoluble uranium dioxide($UO_2$), on the other side the heavy metals are precipitated as sulfides. 9. The EPMA study on the identification of uraninite and others and the genetic interpretation of uranium bearing slates by isotopic values of this work are given separately by Yun, S. in 1984.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 2015

$CO_2$ geological storage plays an important role in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but there is a lack of research for CCS demonstration. To achieve the goal of CCS, storing $CO_2$ safely and permanently in underground geological formations, it is essential to understand the characteristics of them, such as total storage capacity, stability, etc. and establish an injection strategy. We perform the impedance inversion for the seismic data acquired from the Ulleung Basin in 2012. To review the possibility of $CO_2$ storage, we also construct porosity models and extract attributes of the prospects from the seismic data. To improve the quality of seismic data, amplitude preserved processing methods, SWD(Shallow Water Demultiple), SRME(Surface Related Multiple Elimination) and Radon Demultiple, are applied. Three well log data are also analysed, and the log correlations of each well are 0.648, 0.574 and 0.342, respectively. All wells are used in building the low-frequency model to generate more robust initial model. Simultaneous pre-stack inversion is performed on all of the 2D profiles and inverted P-impedance, S-impedance and Vp/Vs ratio are generated from the inversion process. With the porosity profiles generated from the seismic inversion process, the porous and non-porous zones can be identified for the purpose of the $CO_2$ sequestration initiative. More detailed characterization of the geological storage and the simulation of $CO_2$ migration might be an essential for the CCS demonstration.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.69-76
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• 2013

The incidence of globally infectious and pathogenic diseases such as H1N1 (swine flu) and Avian Influenza (AI) has recently increased. An infectious disease is a pathogen-caused disease, which can be passed from the infected person to the susceptible host. Pathogens of infectious diseases, which are bacillus, spirochaeta, rickettsia, virus, fungus, and parasite, etc., cause various symptoms such as respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, and acute febrile illness. They can be spread through various means such as food, water, insect, breathing and contact with other persons. Recently, most countries around the world use a mathematical model to predict and prepare for the spread of infectious diseases. In a modern society, however, infectious diseases are spread in a fast and complicated manner because of rapid development of transportation (both ground and underground). Therefore, we do not have enough time to predict the fast spreading and complicated infectious diseases. Therefore, new system, which can prevent the spread of infectious diseases by predicting its pathway, needs to be developed. In this study, to solve this kind of problem, an integrated monitoring system, which can track and predict the pathway of infectious diseases for its realtime monitoring and control, is developed. This system is implemented based on the conventional mathematical model called by 'Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) Model.' The proposed model has characteristics that both inter- and intra-city modes of transportation to express interpersonal contact (i.e., migration flow) are considered. They include the means of transportation such as bus, train, car and airplane. Also, modified real data according to the geographical characteristics of Korea are employed to reflect realistic circumstances of possible disease spreading in Korea. We can predict where and when vaccination needs to be performed by parameters control in this model. The simulation includes several assumptions and scenarios. Using the data of Statistics Korea, five major cities, which are assumed to have the most population migration have been chosen; Seoul, Incheon (Incheon International Airport), Gangneung, Pyeongchang and Wonju. It was assumed that the cities were connected in one network, and infectious disease was spread through denoted transportation methods only. In terms of traffic volume, daily traffic volume was obtained from Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). In addition, the population of each city was acquired from Statistics Korea. Moreover, data on H1N1 (swine flu) were provided by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and air transport statistics were obtained from Aeronautical Information Portal System. As mentioned above, daily traffic volume, population statistics, H1N1 (swine flu) and air transport statistics data have been adjusted in consideration of the current conditions in Korea and several realistic assumptions and scenarios. Three scenarios (occurrence of H1N1 in Incheon International Airport, not-vaccinated in all cities and vaccinated in Seoul and Pyeongchang respectively) were simulated, and the number of days taken for the number of the infected to reach its peak and proportion of Infectious (I) were compared. According to the simulation, the number of days was the fastest in Seoul with 37 days and the slowest in Pyeongchang with 43 days when vaccination was not considered. In terms of the proportion of I, Seoul was the highest while Pyeongchang was the lowest. When they were vaccinated in Seoul, the number of days taken for the number of the infected to reach at its peak was the fastest in Seoul with 37 days and the slowest in Pyeongchang with 43 days. In terms of the proportion of I, Gangneung was the highest while Pyeongchang was the lowest. When they were vaccinated in Pyeongchang, the number of days was the fastest in Seoul with 37 days and the slowest in Pyeongchang with 43 days. In terms of the proportion of I, Gangneung was the highest while Pyeongchang was the lowest. Based on the results above, it has been confirmed that H1N1, upon the first occurrence, is proportionally spread by the traffic volume in each city. Because the infection pathway is different by the traffic volume in each city, therefore, it is possible to come up with a preventive measurement against infectious disease by tracking and predicting its pathway through the analysis of traffic volume.