• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2015

Concrete is the most widely used material of construction. Concrete gained the popularity as a construction material due to the easy availability of its component materials, the easy formability, strength and rigidity upon setting and curing.In construction industry, strength is the primary criterion in selecting a concrete for a particular application. Now a days, the substantial amount of waste materials, containing the properties of the Pozzolana, is being generated from the major industries; and disposal of such industrial wastes generated in abundance is also a serious problem from the environmental and pollution point of view. On this backdrop, efforts are made by the researchers for exploring the possible utilization of such waste materials in making the sustainable construction material. The present paper reports the experimental investigations to study the strength characterization of concrete made from the pozzolanic waste materials. For this purpose, the Pozzolanic materials such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag were used as a cement replacing materials in conjunction with ordinary Portland cement. Equal amount of these materials were used in eight trial mixes with varying amount of cement. The water cement ratio was also varied. The chemical admixture was also added to improve the workability of concrete. The compressive strengths for 7, 28, 40 and 90 days' were evaluated whereas the flexural and tensile strengths corresponding to 7, 28 and 40 days were evaluated. The study corroborates that the pozzolanic materials used in the present investigation along with the cement can render the sustainable concrete.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 1996

All the radionuclides in high-level nuclear waste will decay to harmless levels eventually but for some radionuclides decay is so slow that their radiation remains dangerous for times on the order of tens or hundreds of thousands of years. At the present time, the most favorite disposal plan for high-level radioactive waste is a mined geological disposal in which canister enclosing stable solid form of radioactive waste is placed in mined cavities locating hundred meters below the surface. The chief hazard in such disposal is dissolution of radionuclides from the waste in the groundwater that will eventually carry the dissolved radionuclides to surface environments. The hazard from possible escape of the radionuclides through groundwater can be delayed by engineered and geologic barriers. The engineered barriers can become useless by unexpected geologic catastrophe such as volcanism, earthquake, and tectonic movement and by fraudulent work such as careless construction, improperly welded canisters within the first few decades or centuries. As a result, dangerously radioactive waste which is still intensively radioactive is directly exposed to attack by moving groundwater. All the more, it is almost impossible to control repositories for times more than 10,000 years. Therefore, naturally controlled geologic, barriers whose properties will not be changed within 10,000 years are important to guarantee the safety of repositories of high-level radioactive waste. In Sweden and France, the suitability of granite for the mined geological disposal of high-level waste has been studied intensively. According to the research in Sweden and France, granites has the following physio-chemical characteristics which can delay the transportation of radionuclide by groundwater. First, the permeabilities of granites decreases as the depth increases and is $10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-12}m/s$ at depth below 300 m. Second, groundwater at depth below 300 m has pH=7-9 and reducing condition (Eh=-0.1~0.4). This geochemical condition is desirable to prevent both canister and solid waste from corrosion. Third most radionuclides are not transported by low solubilities and some radionuclide with high solubility such as Cs and Sr are retarded by absorption of geologic media through which ground water flows. Therefore, if high-level waste is disposed at depth below 300 m in the granite body which has a low permeability and is geologically stable more than 10,000 years, the safety of repositories from the hazard due to radionuclide escape can guaranteed for more than 10,000 years.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2022

The mechanical and thermal properties of the rock masses can affect the performance associated with both the isolating and retarding capacities of radioactive materials within the deep geological disposal system for High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW). In this study, the essential parameters for the site descriptive model (SDM) related to the rock mechanics and thermal properties of the HLW disposal facilities site were reviewed, and the technical background was explored through the cases of the preceding site descriptive models developed by SKB (Swedish Nuclear and Fuel Management Company), Sweden and Posiva, Finland. SKB and Posiva studied parameters essential for the investigation and evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties, and derived a rock mechanics site descriptive model for safety evaluation and construction of the HLW disposal facilities. The rock mechanics SDM includes the results obtained from investigation and evaluation of the strength and deformability of intact rocks, fractures, and fractured rock masses, as well as the geometry of large-scaled deformation zones, the small-scaled fracture network system, thermal properties of rocks, and the in situ stress distribution of the disposal site. In addition, the site descriptive model should provide the sensitivity analysis results for the input parameters, and present the results obtained from evaluation of uncertainty.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.104-126
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• 2024

Buffer and backfill play an essential role in isolating high-level radioactive waste and retard the migration of leaked radionuclides in deep geological disposal system. A bentonite mixture, which exhibits a swelling property, is considered for buffer and backfill materials, and excessive groundwater inflow from surrounding rock mass may affect stability and efficiency of their role as an engineered barrier. Therefore, stringent quality control as well as in-situ installation management and inflow water constrol for buffer and backfill are required to ensure the safety of deep disposal facilities. In this study, we analyzed the design requirements of buffer and backfill by examining various laboratory tests and a field study of the Steel Tunnel Test at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. We introduced how to control the quality of buffer and backfill construction in-field, and also presented how to handle excessive groundwater inflow into disposal caverns, validating the groundwater retention capacity of bentonite pellets and the effectiveness of geotexile use.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.91-102
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• 1998

Electrical resistivity method, one of the most widely used geophysical prospecting methods. has been usually applied to explorations for groundwater and underground resources. However, it has been extending its scope to civil & environmental engineering areas since it twas been developed so as to image underground structures effectively. A FEM algorithm for the dipole-dipole array was developed to correct topographic effects which have a serious influence on electrical methods. Applicability of the electrical resistivity imaging technique to civil & environmental engineering areas was verified through three case histories in this study First, thickness of soil layers was profiled to judge the possibility of developing borrow-pits tn an industrial complect site. Second, weak zones such as fractures and coal seams were detected to provide geological information for design and construction in a high mountain tunnel site. Third, horizontal/vertical distribution of the contaminated zone and depth of waste disposal were delineated in a completed industrial waste disposal site.

• 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.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.281-299
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• 2017

The inventory management of radionuclides is essential for the safe management of disposal facilities. In this study, we compared the activity of dry active waste predicted using the generated waste data and that measured for the accepted waste in the disposal facility. For very low level waste, the measured activity was higher than the predicted activity for $^{137}CS$, $^{90}Sr$, $^{99}Tc$ and $^{129}I$. In low level waste, the predicted activity was higher than the measured activity for all radionuclides. We also evaluated the variation in the predicted quantity and total activity of each level of dry active waste through a sensitivity analysis on a scaling factor. This result will contribute to the construction of a Safety Case and safe operation of disposal facilities.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2008

Many industrialized countries of the world have many problems about the reuse of waste landfill area because of the increase of terminated waste disposal landfill. Especially, the effective use of the terminated waste disposal landfill nearby the urban area has been demanded, because of the lack of the usable land. However, in case of the construction of the building on such a landfill, ground settlement and reduced bearing capacity would be occurred without ground stabilization and proper reinforcement. This study is to evaluate the applicability of geosynthetics for the increment of bearing capacity of solid waste landfill ground. A numerical simulation has been undertaken to model a layer of weathered soil overlaying a layer of geosynthetic reinforcement and waste disposal ground. The proposed analytical model can be used to obtain surface settlement characteristic in the two-dimensional deformation related reinforcement.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2011

An integrated model for groundwater flow and radionuclide transport analyses is being developed incorporating six underground silos, an excavated damaged zone (EDZ), and fractured host rock. The model considers each silo as an engineered barrier system (EBS) consisting of a waste zone comprising waste packages and disposal container, a buffer zone, and a concrete lining zone. The EDZ is the disturbed zone adjacent to silos and construction & operation tunnels. The heterogeneity of the fractured rock is represented by a heterogeneous flow field, evaluated from discrete fractures in the fractured host rock. Radionuclide migration through the EBS in silos and the fractured host rock is simulated on the established heterogeneous flow field. The current model enables the optimization of silo design and the quantification of the safety margin in terms of radionuclide release.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

The safe management of radioactive waste is a national task required for sustainable generation of nuclear power and for energy self-reliance in Korea. Since the initial introduction of nuclear power to Korea in 1978, rapid growth in nuclear power has been achieved. This large nuclear power generation program has produced a significant amount of radioactive waste, both low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF); and the amount of waste is steadily growing. For the management of LILW, the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center, which has a final waste disposal capacity of 800,000 drums, is under construction, and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Korean policy about how to manage the SNF has not yet been decided. In 2004, the Atomic Energy Commission decided that a national policy for SNF management should be established considering both technological development and public consensus. Currently, SNF is being stored at reactor sites under the responsibility of plant operator. The at-reactor SNF storage capacity will run out starting in 2024. In this paper, the fundamental principles and steps for implementation of a Korean policy for national radioactive waste management are introduced. Korean practices and prospects regarding radioactive waste management are also summarized, with a focus on strategy for policy-making on SNF management.