• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 1992

Norwegian technology related to preinvestigations, planning, design and construction of large underground caverns is wellknown worldwide. However, so far this technology is only slightly verified through scientiffic reports and documentation. The "Rock cavern stadium" research program is an interdisciplinary program related to the ongoing building and future use of Gjovik Olympic Subsite which is the largest cavern in the world for public purposes with a span of 61 meters and a height of 25 meters. The estimated budget for this program is about USD 4 million which is made possible through grants from The Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as well as through contributions from Norwegian and Swedish companies that are participating. The program is carried out in collaboration with The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology. The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and The Eastern Norway Research Center. The research program will continue until the end of 1994 to ensure that input comes from a full period of use in this stadium with different activities like exhibitions, conferences, concerts etc being included as verification through full-scale measurements and observations. The research program has five subtasks. Three of these are related to subjects like Energy consumption. HVAC installations. Fire safety design, Engineering geology and Rock mechanics, Environmental aspects. The fourth subtask is concerned with the collection of basic data, results and experience from these three subtasks to provide a basis for national Norwegian guidelines related to this interdisciplinary subject area. The guidelines will first be presented as a manual for planning and engineering purposes. The realization of this research program is a unique opportunity to enhance the expertise that has been acquired from this cavern stadium. By involving research in this extraordinary project from the excavation and building phase to its subsequent use. this will give the participants know-how and expertise which is very much in demand internationally. The coordination of the international activities between the participants as well as preparation of participations and presentations in international conferences and symposium are included in the fifth task of this national research program.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.1 s.66
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• pp.56-65
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• 2007

A new underground LNG storage concept in the rock mass has been developed by combining underground cavern construction and new ice-ring harrier technologies with the conventional cryogenic insulation system. Technical feasibility of the storage system has been verified through construction and operation of the pilot storage cavern and a full-scale project is expected to start in the near future. One of the most important issues in the LNG storage system is the operational efficiency of the storage to minimize heat loss during a long period of operation due to the cryogenic heat transfer. This paper presents several important results of heat transfer and coupled hydro-thermal analyses by a finite element code Temp/W and Seep/W. A series of heat transfer analyses for full-scale caverns were performed to determine design parameters such as boil-off gas ratio (BOR), insulation thickness and pillar width. The result of the coupled hydro-mechanical analysis showed that BOR for underground storage system remains at about 0.04 %/day during the early stage of the operation. This value could be even much lower when the discontinuities in the rock masses are taken into consideration.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2011

We performed a numerical modeling study of thermodynamic and multiphase fluid flow processes associated with underground compressed air energy storage (CAES) in a lined rock cavern (LRC). We investigated air tightness performance by calculating air leakage rate of the underground storage cavern with concrete linings at a comparatively shallow depth of 100 m. Our air-mass balance analysis showed that the key parameter to assure the long-term air tightness of such a system was the permeability of both concrete linings and surrounding rock mass. It was noted that concrete linings with a permeability of less than $1.0{\times}10^{-18}\;m^2$ would result in an acceptable air leakage rate of less than 1% with the operational pressure range between 5 and 8 MPa. We also found that air leakage could be effectively prevented and the air tightness performance of underground lined rock cavern is enhanced if the concrete lining is kept at a higher moisture content.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 1994

This study Is to summarize the contents for the investigation and design of the construction for oil storage. Since underground caverns are large scale, in their construction one should consider the mechanical stability of cave·rns and the economic view of construction. On the basis of them, cavern's section and layout were determined and water curtains were designed to maintain hydraulic equilibrium so that gases were sealed tightly. Also the supporting criteria for rock bolt and stotcrete were determined by means of the classification of rock masses and the results of finite element method. The criteria of grouting reinforcement were presented according to the results of injection test in the pilot holes of working face.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 1992

This study is to summarize the contents for the investigation and design of the construction for oil storage. Since underground caverns are large scale, in their construction one should consider the mechanical stability of caverns and the economic view of construction. On the basis of them, cavern's section and layout were determined and water curtains were designed to maintain hydraulic equilibrium so that gases were sealed tightly. Also the supporting criterial for rock bolt and stotcrete were determined by means of the classification of rock masses and the results of finite element method. The criteria of grouting reinforcement were presented according to the results of injection test in the pilot holes of working face.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1993.10b
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• pp.235-247
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• 1993

The 62 m span Olympic lee Hockey cavern in Gjovik, Norway, is located in jointed gneiss of average RaD = 70% and has a rock cover of only 25 to 50m, thus posing challenging design p problems. The investigations prior to construction included two types of stress measurements, cross-hole seismic tomography, special coe logging, Q-system classification and numerical modelling with UDEC-BB. Predicted maximum deformations were 4 to 8 mm; surprisingly small due to the high horizontal stresses recorded. Extensometer (MPBX) installations from the surface prior to construction, precision surface levelling and MPBX installed from inside the cavern give a combined measure of maximum deformations in the range 7 to 8 mm with the 62 m span fully e excavated, and three adjacent caverns for the Postal Services also completed.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.23 no.A
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• pp.69-81
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• 2003

Numerical analysis is important for the design, construction and maintenance of large caverns. The rock mass contains generally discontinuities such as faults, joints and fissures. The mechanical behavior and geometric characteristics of these discontinuities would have a significant impact on the stability of the caverns. In this research the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of the large cavern. The Barton-Bandis Joint Model (B-B J.M) was used as a constitutive model for the joint. In addition, two different cases 1) analysis with a support system and 2) analysis with no support system, were analyzed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The most significant parameters of in-situ stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. Displacement (horizontal, joint shear), maximum joint opening, maximum and minimum principal stresses, range of relaxed zone, rockbolt axial forces and shotcrete stresses were calculated at each excavation stage. As a result of analysis the calculated values proved to be under the allowable value Rockbolts also proved to be an efficient support measure to control joint shear displacement which had significant effects on extending the relaxed zone. As a consequence, the structural stability of the cavern was assured with an appropriate support system.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2002

This study aims to establish the methodology for design of an optimum water curtain system of the unlined underground oil storage cavern satisfying the requirements of hydrodynamic performance in a volcanic terrain of the south coastal area. For the optimum water curtain system in the storage facility, the general characteristics of groundwater flow system in the site are quantitatively described, i.e. distribution of hydraulic gradients, groundwater inflow rate into the storage caverns, and hydrogeologic influence area of the cavern. In this study, numerical models such as MODFLOW, FracMan/MAFIC and CONNECTFLOW are used for calculating the hydrogeological stability parameters. The design of a horizontal water curtain system requires considering the distance between water curtain and storage cavern, spacing of the water curtain boreholes, and injection pressure. From the numerical simulations at different scales, the optimum water curtain systems satisfying the containment criteria are obtained. The inflow rates into storage caverns estimated by a continuum model ranged from about 120 m$^3$/day during the operation stage to 130~140m$^3$/day during the construction stage, whereas the inflow rates by a fracture network model are 80~175m$^3$/day. The excavation works in the site will generate the excessive decline of groundwater level in a main fracture zone adjacent to the cavern. Therefore, the vertical water curtain system is necessary for sustaining the safe groundwater level in the fracture zone.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.38 no.7 s.156
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• pp.537-544
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• 2005

For the proper management of high pressurized gas storage caverns, analysis of groundwater flow field and inflow quantity according to the groundwater head, gas storage pressure and water curtain head should be performed. The finite element method has been widely used for the groundwater flow analysis surrounding underground storage cavern because it can reflect the exact shape of cavern. But the various simulations according to the change of design factors such as the width of water curtain, shape of cavern etc. are not easy when elements were set up. To overcome these limitations, two dimensional groundwater flow model is established based on the boundary element method which compute the unknown variable by using only the boundary shape and condition. For the exact computation of drainage rate into cavern, the model test is performed by using the exact solution and pre-developed finite element model. The test result shows that the model could be used as an alternative to finite element model when various flow simulations are needed to determine the optimizing cavern shape and arrangement of water curtain holes and so forth.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2009

Underground storage cavern is known as the most complicated underground project because of the complexity of construction schedule, tunnel size, and geological problems. In order to optimize the construction schedule of underground storage cavern, two up-to-date technologies were applied. The first technology was 3 dimensional visualization of complicated underground structures, and the second was 4 dimensional simulation considering construction resources, geological conditions and construction schedule. This application case shows that we can achieve optimized construction schedule in the ways to optimize the number of work teams, fleets, the sequence of tunnel excavation, the commencement time of excavation and the hauling route of materials and excavated rocks. 3 dimensional modeling can help designer being able to understand the status of complicated underground structures and to investigate the geological data in the exact 3 dimensional space. Moreover, using 4 dimensional simulation, designer is able to determine the bottle neck point which appear during hauling of excavated rocks and to investigate the daily fluctuation in cost.