• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.211-221
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• 2003

At Aspo hard rock laboratory in Sweden, an in-situ heater experiment called "$\"{A}"{s}"{p}"{o}$ Pillar Stability Experiment (APSE)" is prepared to assess capability to predict spatting and stability in a rock mass between deposition holes for radioactive waste. To Predict reasonably fracturing process at rock pillar under a planned configuration before testing, a boundary element code FRACOD has been applied for modelling. The code has been improved to simulate explicitly fracture evolution both at rock boundaries and in intact rocks. A new inverse stress reconstruction technique using boundary element has been also developed to transfer stress field by excavation and thermal loading into the FRACOD model. This article presents the results from predictive modelling far the planned in-situ test condition. Excavation induced stresses might cause slight fracturing in the pillar walls. Typical shear fractures have been initiated and propagated near central pillar walls during 120 days of heating, but overall rock mass remained stable under the considered configuration. The effects of pre-existing joints and properties of fractures are also discussed. It is found from the results that FRACOD can properly model essential rock spatting and propagation at deep tunnels and boreholes.at deep tunnels and boreholes.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.301-313
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• 2015

The rock cavern storage for spent fuel has been assessed to apply in Korea with reviewing the state of the art of the technologies for surface storage and rock cavern storage of spent fuel. The technical feasibility and economic aspects of the rock cavern storage of spent fuel were also analyzed. A considerable area of flat land isolated from the exterior are needed to meet the requirement for the site of the surface storage facilities. It may, however, not be easy to secure such areas in the mountainous region of Korea. Instead, the spent fuel storage facilities constructed in the rock cavern moderate their demands for the suitable site. As a result, the rock cavern storage is a promising alternative for the storage of spent fuel in the aspect of natural and social environments. The rock cavern storage of spent fuel has several advantages compared with the surface storage, and there is no significant difference on the viewpoint of economy between the two alternatives. In addition, no great technical difficulties are present to apply the rock cavern storage technologies to the storage of domestic spent fuel.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2003

The United States Antarctic program (USAP) through its principal Support Contractor Raytheon polar Services Co. (RPSC), has recently finished a 3 years projects, almost 936m length of underground utility tunnels at Amundsen-Scott station. It accommodates the piping that conveys fresh water from current well sites, as well as waste water to repositories in abandoned wells. The under snow tunnels allow year-round access for system operations and maintenance.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 1996

High temperature confined compressive tests for thermomechanical failure criteria were carried out for Iksan and Whandeung granites. Authors suggested new polynomial type failure coefficient functions by which conventional Hoek-Brown failure criteria was extended to thermomechanical one. Obtained results are as follow; 1) Failure coefficients, m and s of Hoek and Brown's empirical failure criteria were decreased as temperature increased. 2) Theoretically calculated values by suggested equations and experimented ones by confined compressive test were well coincided.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.89-102
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• 2012

The buffer and backfill are important components of the engineered barrier system in a high-level waste repository, which should be constructed in a hard rock formation at a depth of several hundred meters below the ground surface. The primary function of the buffer and backfill is to seal the underground excavation as a preferred flow path for radionuclide migration from the deposited high-level waste. This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of Kyungju Ca-bentonite, which is the candidate material for the buffer and backfill in the Korean reference high-level waste disposal system. The factors that influence the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of the buffer and backfill are analyzed. The factors considered are the dry density, the temperature, the sand content, the salinity and the organic carbon content. The possibility of deterioration in the sealing performance of the buffer and backfill is also assessed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.134-148
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• 2008

The state of in situ stress is an important factor in considering the suitability of a site as a geological repository for nuclear waste. In this study, three-dimensional distinct numerical analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of deformation zones on the state of stress in the Oskarshamn area, which is one of two candidate sites in Sweden. A discontinuum numerical model was constructed by explicitly representing the numerous deformation zones identified from site investigation and far-field tectonic stress was applied in the constructed model. The numerical model successfully captured the variation of measured stress often observed in the rock mass containing large-scale fractures, which shows that numerical analysis can be an effective tool in improving the understanding of the state of stresses. Discrepancies between measured and modelled stress are attributed to the inconsistent quality of measured stress, uncertainty in geological geometry. and input data for fractures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1324-1329
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• 2018

This study presents a practical application of complementary safety indicators, which can be applied in a safety assessment of a radioactive waste repository by excluding a biosphere simulation and comparing the artificial radiation originating from the repository with the background natural radiation. Complementary safety indicators (radiotoxicity flux from geosphere and radiotoxicity concentration in seawater) were applied in the safety assessment of a rock-cavern type low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) repository in the Republic of Korea. The natural radionuclide ($^{40}K$, $^{226,228}Ra$, $^{232}Th$, and $^{234,235,238}U$) concentrations in the groundwater and seawater at the Gyeongju LILW repository site were measured. Based on the analyzed concentrations of natural radionuclides, the levels of natural radiation were determined to be $8.6{\times}10^{-5}$ - $8.0{\times}10^{-4}Sv/m^2/yr$ and $6.95{\times}10^{-5}Sv/m^3$ for radiotoxicity flux from the geosphere and radiotoxicity concentration in seawater, respectively. From simulation results obtained using a Goldsim-based safety assessment model, it was determined that the radiotoxicity of radionuclides released from the repository is lower than that of the natural radionuclides inherently present in the natural waters. The applicability of the complementary safety indicators to the safety case was discussed with regard to reduction of the uncertainty associated with biosphere simulations, and communication with the public.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.33-41
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• 2008

The longest tunnel has been halted at Daekwanryung by the failure of the host country of the Winter Olympiad in 2014, but modern High-Power TBM will come to Korea to excavate these long tunnels to establish the better horizontal connection between the western and eastern countries to improve the strong powerful logistic strategy of Korean peninsula. Train operation provides a key function of air movements in a long underground tunnel, and heat generation from transit vehicles may account of the most heat release to the ventilation and emergency systems. This paper indicates the optimal fire suppress services and safety provision for the long railway tunnel which is designed twin tunnel with length 22km in Gangwon province of Korea. The design of the fire-fighting systems and emergency were prepared by the operation of the famous long-railway tunnels as well as the severe lessons from the real fires in domestic and overseas experiences. Designers should concentrate the optimal solution for passenger's safety at the emergency state when tunnel fires, train crush accidents, derailment, and etc. The optimal fire-extinguishing facilities for long railway tunnels are presented for better safety of the comfortable operation in this hard rock tunnel of eastern mountains side of Korea. Since year 1900, hard rock tunnel construction has been launched for railway tunnels in Korea, tunnels have been built for various purposes not only for infrastructure tunnels including roadway, railway, subway, and but also for water and power supply, for deposit food, waste, and oils etc. Most favorable railway tunnel system was discussed in details; twin tunnels, distance of cross passage, ventilation systems, for the comfortable train operations in the future.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.179-192
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• 2013

This study is characterized the groundwater flow pattern near crystalline site of Yangbook-Myeon, Gyeong-ju City, South Korea. From the time series analyses, groundwater level could be classified into 4 types reflecting the hydrogeological characteristics and rainfall pattern. The type I (DB1-1, DB1-2) may be directly influenced by rainfall pattern. The type II (DB1-3, DB1-7, KB-1, KB-2, KB-3, KB-7, KB-14, KB-15) may be influenced by rainfall event as well as groundwater flow through water-conducting features. The type III (DB-5, DB1-6, DB2-2, KB-10, KB-11, KB-13) may be predominantly happens in the crystaline rock mass, groundwater in this type flows through the minor fracture networks rather than direct effect of rainfall event. The type IV (DB1-8, KB-9) may be influenced by irregular variation of the groundwater level due to anisotropy and heterogeneity of crystalline rock.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

Earthquake can change underground stress condition around the hypocenter and affect the fracture systems of the rocks. In Korea, the M5.8 Gyeongju earthquake on September 12, 2016 and M5.4 Pohang earthquake on November 15, 2017 occurred inside the Yangsan fault zone and possibly affected the fracture systems in the Yangsan fault zone and nearby rock masses. In this study, the characteristics of the fracture system (fracture orientation, number of the fractures, fracture spacing and aperture, dip angle, fracture density along depth, and relative rock strength) of the rocks in the low/intermediate level radioactive waste repository site located in the coastal area of the East Sea are analyzed by the impact of the Gyeongju and Pohang earthquakes using acoustic televiewer data taken from the boreholes at the radioactive waste repository site in 2005 and 2018. As a result of acoustic televiewer logging analysis, the fracture numbers, fracture aperture, and fracture density along depth overall increased in 2018 comparing to those in 2005. This increase tendency may be due to changes in the fracture system due to the impact of the earthquakes, or due to weathering of the wall of the boreholes for a long period longer than 10 years after the installation of the boreholes in 2005. In the borehole KB-14, on the whole, the orientation of the fractures and the average fracture spacing are slightly different between 2005 and 2018, while dip angle and relative rock strength in 2005 and 2018 are similar each other.