• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.239-255
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• 2007

An underground research tunnel is essential to validate the integrity of a high-level waste disposal system, and the safety of geological disposal. In this study, KAERI underground research tunnel(KURT) was constructed in the site of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). The results of the site investigation and the design of underground tunnel were presented. The procedure for the construction permits and the construction of KURT were described briefly. The in-situ experiments being carried out at KURT were also introduced.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.359-369
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• 2011

In this study, physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of rock samples were investigated to estimate the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) developed during the construction of the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel. The average porosity in the EDZ was increased by about 140%. The average wave velocity, Young's modulus, and uniaxial compressive strength in the EDZ were decreased by about 11, 37, and 16%, respectively. And the thermal conductivity in the EDZ was decreased by about 20%. From the laboratory tests, the EDZ size could be estimated to be around 1.1-2.4 m.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.2 s.55
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• pp.87-101
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• 2005

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.561-573
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• 2023

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) constructed the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) to analyze the hydrogeological/geochemical characteristics of deep rock mass. Numerous boreholes have been drilled to conduct various field tests. The selection of suitable investigation intervals within a borehole is of great importance. When objectives are centered around hydraulic flow and groundwater sampling, intervals with sufficient groundwater flow are the most suitable. This study defines such points as hydraulic outliers and aimed to detect them using borehole geophysical logging data (temperature and EC) from a 1 km depth borehole. For systematic and efficient outlier detection, machine learning algorithms, such as DBSCAN, OCSVM, kNN, and isolation forest, were applied and their applicability was assessed. Following data preprocessing and algorithm optimization, the four algorithms detected 55, 12, 52, and 68 outliers, respectively. Though this study confirms applicability of the machine learning algorithms, it is suggested that further verification and supplements are desirable since the input data were relatively limited.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.199-208
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• 2012

To develop site characterization technologies for a radioactive waste disposal research in KAERI, the geological and hydrogeological investigations have been carried out since 1997. In 2006, the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) was constructed to study a solute migration, a microbiology and an engineered barrier system as well as deeply to understand geological environments in in-situ condition. This study is performed as one of the site characterization works around KURT. Several investigations such as a lineament analysis, a borehole/tunnel survey, a geophyscial survey and logging in borehole, were used to construct the geological model. As a result, the geological model is constructed, which includes the lithological model and geo-structural model in this study. Moreover, from the results of the in-situ hydraulic tests, the hydrogeological properties of elements in geological model were evaluated.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-18
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• 2005

The underground research tunnel, which is under construction in KAERI for the validation of HLW disposal system, is excavated in a granite rock by drill&blasting. In order not to disturb the operation at the research facilities including Hanara reactor by the blasting for the excavation of $6m{\times}6m$ tunnel, a test blasting at the site was performed. Using the vibration equation derived from the test blasting, it was possible to predict the vibration at different locations at KAERI and to conclude that the blasting design would meet the design criteria at the major facilities in KAERI. The noise and vibration generated by the main blasting were continuously measured. In the case of vibration, the measured values were lower than the predicted one from the vibration equation. It is, therefore, concluded that the influence of blasting work for the construction of 280m long research tunnel on the major facilities in KAERIl would be insignificant.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.188-202
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• 2004

If an underground research facility for the validation of disposal concept is constructed in KAERI, it is expected to have a thick weathered zone and varying surface topology. In this study, the influence of different geological conditions, tunnel slope, tunnel size, and sequential excavation is investigated by 3D mechanical analysis using FLAC3D. Around the tunnel, it is not expected to develop any plastic zone and the maximum stress might be as high as 5 ㎫. The maximum compressive stress will be developed at about 20 m to e dead end of the tunnel. There is no difference on stress and displacement distributions between the cases with and without sequential excavation. It is expected to have stress release in the roof and floor after the excavation of the tunnel. There is no significant influence of weathered zone size, tunnel size, and tunnel slope on the stress and displacement distributions. The modeling for the intersection shows the minimum factor of safety is above 3, when the in situ stress ratio K is 3. From the study, it was possible to demonstrate that the small scale disposal research tunnel in KAERI will be mechanically stable.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.1 s.66
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• pp.43-55
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• 2007

An underground research tunnel, KURT, was constructed at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, for various in situ validation experiments related to the development of a high-level radioactive waste disposal system. KURT, which has length of 255 m (access tunnel 180 m and research modules 75 m) and size of $6m{\times}6m$ was excavated in a cryatalline rock mass. In the KURT project, different rock mechanics studies had been carried out during the concept design, site characterization, detailed design, and construction stages. From the geophysical survey, borehole investigation, and rock property tests in laboratory and in situ, the rock and rock mass properties required for the mechanicsl stability analysis of KURT could be achieved and used for the input parameters of computer simulations. In this paper, important results from the rock mechanics studies at KURT and the three-dimensional mechanical stability analysis will be introduced.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.639-652
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• 2012

A three-dimensional discrete fracture network model was developed in order to simulate the hydraulic characteristics of a granitic rock mass at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) Underground Research Tunnel (KURT). The model used a three-dimensional discrete fracture network (DFN), assuming a correlation between the length and aperture of the fractures, and a trapezoid flow path in the fractures. These assumptions that previous studies have not considered could make the developed model more practical and reasonable. The geologic and hydraulic data of the fractures were obtained in the rock mass at the KURT. Then, these data were applied to the developed fracture discrete network model. The model was applied in estimating the representative elementary volume (REV), the equivalent hydraulic conductivity tensors, and the amount of groundwater inflow into the tunnel. The developed discrete fracture network model can determine the REV size for the rock mass with respect to the hydraulic behavior and estimate the groundwater flow into the tunnel at the KURT. Therefore, the assumptions that the fracture length is correlated to the fracture aperture and the flow in a fracture occurs in a trapezoid shape appear to be effective in the DFN analysis used to estimate the hydraulic behavior of the fractured rock mass.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.122-134
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• 2006

현재 한국원자력연구소에서는 고준위폐기물 처분시스템의 다양한 현장 실증연구를 위해 원자력연구소내 지하처분연구시설(KAERI Underground Research Tunnel, KURT)가 건설되었다. 터널 크기 $6m{\times}6m$, 총길이 255m(진입터널 180m, 연구모듈 75m) 인 KURT는 결정질 화강암반에 위치하고 있다. KURT 에서는 개념설계, 부지조사, 시설설계, 건설 과정에서 다양한 암석 역학 관련 연구들이 수행되었다. 물리탐사, 시추공조사, 암석물성시험, 현장 물성 시험 등을 통해 KURT 의 구조적 안정성 평가에 필요한 암석 및 암반의 물성이 얻어졌으며 이들 물성은 해석 모델의 입력자료로 활용되었다. 본 연구에서는 KURT 에서 수행되었던 암석역학 관련 시험과 주요들을 소개하고 시험을 통해 얻어진 주요 결과와 이를 활용한 3차원 구조해석에 대해 논의하고자 한다.