• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.465-475
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• 2003

Groundwater inflow into the caverns constructed in fractured rock mass was simulated by numerical modeling, NAPSAC (DFN, discrete fracture network model) and NAMMU (CPM, continuous porous media model), a finite-element software package for groundwater flow in 3D fractured media developed by AEA Technology, UK. The input parameters for modeling were determined on surface fracture survey, core logging and single hole hydraulic test data. In order to predict the groundwater inflow more accurately, the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity was considered. The anisotropic hydraulic conductivities were calculated from the fracture network properties. With a minor adjustment during model calibration, the numerical modeling is able to reproduce reasonably groundwater inflows into cavern and the travel length and times to the ground surface along the flow paths in the normal, dry and rainy seasons.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-58
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• 2001

In order to protect the environment from waste disposal activities, the prediction of the flux and flow paths of the contaminants from underground facilities should be assessed as accurately as possible. Especially, the prediction of the pathways and travel times of the nuclides from high level radioactive wastes in a deep repository to biosphere is one of the primary tasks for assessing the ultimate safety and performance of the repository. Since the contaminants are mainly transported with groundwater along the discontinuities developed within rock mass, the characteristics of groundwater flow through discontinuities is important for the prediction of contaminant fates as well as safety assessment of a repository. In this study, the actual fracture network could be effectively generated based on in situ data by separating geometric parameter and hydraulic parameter. The calculated anisotropic hydraulic conductivity was applied to a 3D porous medium model to calculate the path flow and travel time of the large studied area with the consideration of the complex topology in the area. Using the model, the pathways and travel times for groundwater were analyzed. From this study, it was concluded that the suggested techniques and procedures for predicting the pathways and travel times of groundwater from underground facilities to biosphere is acceptable and those can be applied to the safety assessment of a repository for radioactive wastes.