• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.11-19
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• 2008

The development of an excavation damaged zone, EDZ, due to the blasting impact and stress redistribution after excavation, can influence on the long tenn stability, economy, and safety of the underground excavation. In this study, the size and characteristics of an EDZ around an underground research tunnel, which was excavated by controlled blasting, in KAERI were investigated. The results were implemented into the modelling for evaluating the influence of an EDZ on hydro-mechanical behavior of the tunnel. From in situ tests at KURT, it was possible to determine that the size of EDZ was about l.5rn. Goodman jack tests and laboratory tests showed that the rock properties in the EDZ were changed about 50% compared to the rock properties before blasting. The size and property change in the EDZ were implemented to a hydro-mechanical coupling analysis. In the modeling, rock strengths and elastic modulus were assumed to be decreased 50% and. the hydraulic conductivity was increased 1 order. From the analysis, it was possible to see that the displacement was increased while the stress was decreased because of an EDZ. When an EDZ was considered in the model, the tunnel inflow was increased about 20% compared to the case without an EDZ.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2007

In situ and laboratory tests were carried out for investigating the Excavation Disturbed Zone(EDZ) generated from blasting at the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel(KURT), which is for the researches related to High-level radioactive waste disposal program. It was found that the EDZ was generated more than In from the laboratory rock tests and in situ experiments. RQD of the rock mass within $0{\sim}2(m)$, where the blasting impact was significant, was 17% lower than in the deeper zones without a serious blasting impact. It was also estimated that the deformability of rock mass was reduced about 40% after the blasting.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2007

The KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) located in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was recently constructed following the site investigation in 2003. Its dimension is 180 m in length, 6 m in width, and 6 m in height, and it has a horseshoe-like cross-sec-lion and is located in the ground to the depth of 90 m. When the tunnel was dug into the ground with 100 m in length, fresh rocks, weathered rocks and fracture-filling materials were taken and examined by mineralogical and chemical analyses. There are phyllosilicate minerals such as illite, smectite and chlorite including calcite, which are filling some faults and cracks of the KURT rock. The illite and smectite usually coexist in the fracture, where their content ratio is different according to which mineral is predominant. There are high concentrations of U and Th in the rocks coated with iron-oxides and filled with secondary materials as compared with those in the fresh rocks. It seems that the radionuclides, which are slowly leached from the parent rocks or exist as a dissolved form in the groundwater and hydrothermal solution, may have been migrated along the fractures and thereafter selectively sorbed and coprecipitated on the iron-oxides and the fracture-filling materials. These results will be very useful far the evaluation of environmental factors affecting the nuclides migration and retardation when long-term safety is considered to the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the future.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-116
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• 2017

The interaction of U(VI) (hexavalent uranium) species with natural organic matter (NOM) in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) groundwater is investigated using a laser spectroscopic technique. The luminescence spectra of the NOM are observed in the ultraviolet and blue wavelength regions by irradiating a laser beam at 266 nm in groundwater. The luminescence spectra of U(VI) species in groundwater containing uranium concentrations of $0.034-0.788mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ are measured in the green-colored wavelength region. The luminescence characteristics (peak wavelengths and lifetime) of U(VI) in the groundwater agree well with those of $Ca_2UO_2(CO_3)_3(aq)$ in a standard solution prepared in a laboratory. The luminescence intensities of U(VI) in the groundwater are weaker than those of $Ca_2UO_2(CO_3)_3(aq)$ in the standard solution at the same uranium concentrations. The luminescence intensities of $Ca_2UO_2(CO_3)_3(aq)$ in the standard solution mixed with the groundwater are also weaker than those of $Ca_2UO_2(CO_3)_3(aq)$ in the standard solution at the same uranium concentrations. These results can be ascribed to calcium-U(VI)-carbonate species interacting with NOM and forming non-radiative U(VI) complexes in groundwater.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2011

The first step in improving our understanding of uncertainties suclt as rock mass strength parameters and deformation modulus in rock masses around high-level radioactive waste disposal repositories, for improved safety, is to study the process of crack development in intact rock. Therefore, in this study, the fracture process and crack development were examined in samples of KURT granite taken from the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT), based on acoustic emission (AE) and moment tensor analysis. The results show that crack initiation, coalescence, and unstable crack occurred at rock uniaxial compressive strengths of 0.45, 0.73, and 0.84, respectively. In addition, moment tensor analysis indicated that during the early stage of loading, tensile cracks were predominant. With increasing applied stress, the number of shear cracks gradually increased. When the applied stress exceeded the stress level required for crack damage, unstable shear cracks which directly result in failure of the rock were generated along the failure plane.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2010

Removal and mineralization of dissolved uranium by bacteria in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel), Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) was investigated. Two different bacteria, IRB (iron-reducing bacteria) and SRB (sulfate-reducing bacteria) was used, and minerals formed by these bacteria were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared to uranyl ions, ferric ions were preferentially reduced by IRB, showing that there is no significant reduction and removal of uranium. However, uranium concentration considerably decreased by addition of Mn(II). Results show that a sulfide mineral such as mackinawite (FeS) is formed by SRB respiration through combination of Fe(II) and S without manganese sulfide formation. In the presence of Mn(II), however, uranium is removed effectively, suggesting that the sorption and incorporation of uranium could be affected by Mn(II) onto the sulide minerals.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2011

In this study, an in situ heater test for investigating the thermo-mechanical behavior related to heat flow was carried out. It was the first in situ heater test in Korea. For the test, an adequate design of heater, observation sensors, and data logging system was developed and installed with a consideration of the site condition and the test purposes. It was possible to observe that steep joints are overwhelmingly developed in the test area from a joint survey. The major rock and rock mass properties at the test site could be determined from the thermal and mechanical laboratory tests using the rock cores from the site. From the measured rock temperature distribution, it was possible to observe the influence of the rock joints and the heat flow through tunnel wall. When the heater temperature was maintained as $90^{\circ}C$, the rock temperature at 0.3 m from the heater hole was increased up to $40^{\circ}C$.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.6C
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• pp.305-314
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• 2012

This paper presents the quantitative damage assessment of granite taken from KAERI Underground Research Tunnel using acoustic emission (AE). The results determined showed the crack initiation and crack damage stress occurred at 48%, 72% of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and until the applied stress level was reached the crack damage stress, the damage degree was 0.06. When the applied stress exceeded 80%, 90% of UCS, the damage degree were 0.34, 0.06 and which were similar to those obtained from axial deformation modulus. The simply regression analysis was used to interpret the relationship of the two damage assessment techniques and the two were highly correlated ($R^2$=0.90). Therefore, damage degree based on the AE energy and mohr-coulomb failure criterion were adopted to predict the mechanical properties. As results, the axial deformation modulus, rock strength, internal friction angle, and cohesion of KURT rock were reduced 6%, 12%, 7%, and 3% until the applied stress was 70% of UCS. But when the applied stress reached 90% of UCS, the results were more reduced 69%, 72%, 62%, and 24%, respectively.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2009

The optical fiber cable acting as a sensor was embedded in the underground research tunnel and portal area in order to monitor their stability and the spatial temperature variation. This system includes two types of sensing function to monitor the distributed strain and temperature along the line, where sensor cable is installed, not a point sensing. According to the results of one year monitoring around the KURT, there is no significant displacement or movement at the tunnel wall and portal slope. However, it would be able to aware of some phenomena as an advance notice at the tunnel wall which indicates the fracturing in rockmass and shotcrete fragmentation before rock falls accidently as well as movement of earth slope. The measurement resolution for rock mass displacement is 1 mm per 1 m and it covers 30 km length with every 1m interval in minimum. In temperature, the cable measures the range of $-160{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ with $0.01^{\circ}C$ resolution according to the cable types. This means that it would be applicable to monitoring system for the safe operation of various kinds of facilities having static and/or dynamic characteristics, such as chemical plant, pipeline, rail, huge building, long and slim structures, bridge, subway and marine vessel. etc.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2012

Based on the data observed and analyzed on a groundwater flow system in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) site, the transport of radionuclides, which were assumed to be released at the supposed position, was calculated on the time-domain. A groundwater pathway from the release position to the surface was identified by simulating the groundwater flow model with the hydrogeological characteristics measured from the field tests in the KURT site. The elapsed time when the radionuclides moved through the pathway is evaluated using TDRW (Time Domain Random Walk) method for simulating the transport on the time-domain. Some retention mechanisms, such as radioactive decay, equilibrium sorption, and matrix diffusion, as well as the advection-dispersion were selected as the factors to influence on the elapsed time. From the simulation results, the effects of the sorption and matrix diffusion, determined by the properties of the radionuclides and underground media, on the transport of the radionuclides were analyzed and a decay chain of the radionuclides was also examined. The radionuclide ratio of the mass discharge into the surface environment to the mass released from the supposed repository did not exceed $10^{-3}$, and it decreased when the matrix diffusion were considered. The method used in this study could be used in preparing the data on radionuclide transport for a safety assessment of a geological disposal facility because the method could evaluate the travel time of the radionuclides considering the transport retention mechanism.