Developing a Virtual Rock Deformation Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W.; Ougier-simonin, A.; Lisabeth, H. P.; Banker, J. S.

2012-12-01

Experimental rock physics plays an important role in advancing earthquake research. Despite its importance in geophysics, reservoir engineering, waste deposits and energy resources, most geology departments in U.S. universities don't have rock deformation facilities. A virtual deformation laboratory can serve as an efficient tool to help geology students naturally and internationally learn about rock deformation. Working with computer science engineers, we built a virtual deformation laboratory that aims at fostering user interaction to facilitate classroom and outreach teaching and learning. The virtual lab is built to center around a triaxial deformation apparatus in which laboratory measurements of mechanical and transport properties such as stress, axial and radial strains, acoustic emission activities, wave velocities, and permeability are demonstrated. A student user can create her avatar to enter the virtual lab. In the virtual lab, the avatar can browse and choose among various rock samples, determine the testing conditions (pressure, temperature, strain rate, loading paths), then operate the virtual deformation machine to observe how deformation changes physical properties of rocks. Actual experimental results on the mechanical, frictional, sonic, acoustic and transport properties of different rocks at different conditions are compiled. The data acquisition system in the virtual lab is linked to the complied experimental data. Structural and microstructural images of deformed rocks are up-loaded and linked to different deformation tests. The integration of the microstructural image and the deformation data allows the student to visualize how forces reshape the structure of the rock and change the physical properties. The virtual lab is built using the Game Engine. The geological background, outstanding questions related to the geological environment, and physical and mechanical concepts associated with the problem will be illustrated on the web portal. In

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual report 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory has been constructed as part of the preparations for the deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. The surface and borehole investigations and the research work performed in parallel with construction have provided a thorough test of methods for investigation and evaluation of bedrock conditions for construction of a deep repository. The Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments are made to gain a better understanding of radionuclide retention in the rock and create confidence in the radionuclide transport models that are intended to be used in the licensing of a deep repository for spent fuel. The experimental results of the first tracer test with sorbing radioactive tracers have been obtained. These tests have been subject to blind predictions by the Aespoe Task Force on groundwater flow and transports of solutes. The manufacturing of the CHEMLAB probe was completed during 1996, and the first experiments were started early in 1997. During 1997 three experiments on diffusion in bentonite using {sup 57}Co, {sup 114}Cs,{sup 85}Sr, {sup 99}Tc, and {sup 131}I were conducted. The Prototype Repository Test is focused on testing and demonstrating repository system function. A full scale prototype including six deposition holes with canisters with electric heaters surrounded by highly compacted bentonite will be built and instrumented. The characterization of the rock mass in the area of the prototype repository is in progress. The objectives of the Demonstration of Repository Technology are to develop, test, and demonstrate methodology and equipment for encapsulation and deposition of spent nuclear fuel. The demonstration of handling and deposition will be made in a new drift. The Backfill and Plug Test includes tests of backfill materials and emplacement methods and a test of a full scale plug. The backfill and rock will be instrumented with about 230 transducers for measuring the thermo-hydro-mechanical processes. The

3D laser scanning techniques applying to tunnel documentation and geological mapping at Aespoe hard rock laboratory, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Q.; Wang, G.; Roeshoff, K.

2008-01-01

3D terrestrial laser scanning is nowadays one of the most attractive methods to applying for 3D mapping and documentation of rock faces and tunnels, and shows the most potential to improve the data quality and provide some good solutions in rock engineering projects. In this paper, the state-of-the-art methods are described for different possibility to tunnel documentation and geological mapping based on 3D laser scanning data. Some results are presented from the case study performed at the Hard Rock Laboratory, Aespoe run by SKB, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. Comparing to traditional methods, 3D laser scanning techniques can not only provide us with a rapid and 3D digital way for tunnel documentation, but also create a potential chance to achieve high quality data, which might be beneficial to different rock engineering project procedures, including field data acquisition, data processing, data retrieving and management, and also modeling and design. (authors)

Physical properties and petrologic description of rock samples from an IOCG mineralized area in the northern Fennoscandian Shield, Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandrin, Alessandro; Edfelt, Å.; Waight, Tod Earle

2009-01-01

The Tjårrojåkka Fe-Cu prospect in northern Sweden is considered an example of a Fe-oxide Cu-Au (IOCG) deposit and is hosted in metamorphosed Paleoproterozoic volcanic and intrusive rocks. Rock samples from 24 outcrops were collected for petrophysical analysis (magnetic susceptibility, remanent ma...

Preliminary rock mechanics laboratory: Investigation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oschman, K.P.; Hummeldorf, R.G.; Hume, H.R.; Karakouzian, M.; Vakili, J.E.

1987-01-01

This document presents the rationale for rock mechanics laboratory testing (including the supporting analysis and numerical modeling) planned for the site characterization of a nuclear waste repository in salt. This plan first identifies what information is required for regulatory and design purposes, and then presents the rationale for the testing that satisfies the required information needs. A preliminary estimate of the minimum sampling requirements for rock laboratory testing during site characterization is also presented. Periodic revision of this document is planned

Underground Research Laboratories for Crystalline Rock and Sedimentary Rock in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shigeta, N.; Takeda, S.; Matsui, H.; Yamasaki, S.

2003-02-27

The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has started two off-site (generic) underground research laboratory (URL) projects, one for crystalline rock as a fractured media and the other for sedimentary rock as a porous media. This paper introduces an overview and current status of these projects.

Swedish-German actinide migration experiment at ÄSPÖ hard rock laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Kienzler, B.; Vejmelka, P.; Römer, J.; Fanghänel, E.; Jansson, M.; Eriksen, T. E.; Wikberg, P.

2003-03-01

Within the scope of a bilateral cooperation between Svensk Kärnbränslehantering (SKB) and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (FZK-INE), an actinide migration experiment is currently being performed at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) in Sweden. This paper covers laboratory and in situ investigations on actinide migration in single-fractured granite core samples. For the in situ experiment, the CHEMLAB 2 probe developed by SKB was used. The experimental setup as well as the breakthrough of inert tracers and of the actinides Am, Np and Pu are presented. The breakthrough curves of inert tracers were analyzed to determine hydraulic properties of the fractured samples. Postmortem analyses of the solid samples were performed to characterize the flow path and the sorbed actinides. After cutting the cores, the abraded material was analyzed with respect to sorbed actinides. The slices were scanned optically to visualize the flow path. Effective volumes and inner surface areas were measured. In the experiments, only breakthrough of Np(V) was observed. In each experiment, the recovery of Np(V) was ≤40%. Breakthrough of Am(III) and Pu(IV) as well as of Np(IV) was not observed.

Laboratory measurements of rock thermal properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bording, Thue Sylvester; Balling, N.; Nielsen, S.B.

The thermal properties of rocks are key elements in understanding and modelling the temperature field of the subsurface. Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity can be measured in the laboratory if rock samples can be provided. We have introduced improvements to the divided bar and needle...... probe methods to be able to measure both thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity. The improvements we implement include, for both methods, a combination of fast numerical finite element forward modelling and a Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion scheme for estimating rock thermal parameters...

BEM-DDM modelling of rock damage and its implications on rock laboratory strength and in-situ stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Hiroya

2008-03-01

Within the framework of JAEA's Research and Development on deep geological environments for assessing the safety and reliability of the disposal technology for nuclear waste, this study was conducted to determine the effects of sample damage on the strength obtained from laboratory results (uniaxial compression and Brazilian test). Results of testing on samples of Toki granite taken at Shobasama and at the construction site for the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) at Mizunami, Gifu Pref., Japan, were analysed. Some spatial variation of the results along the boreholes suggested the presence of a correlation between the laboratory strength and the in-situ stresses measured by means of the hydro-fracturing method. To confirm this, numerical analyses of the drilling process in brittle rock by means of a BEM-DDM program (FRACOD 2D ) were carried out to study the induced fracture patterns. These fracture patterns were compared with similar results reported by other published studies and were found to be realistic. The correlation between strength and in-situ stresses could then be exploited to estimate the stresses and the location of core discing observed in boreholes where stress measurements were not available. A correction of the laboratory strength results was also proposed to take into account sample damage during drilling. Modelling of Brazilian tests shows that the calculated fracture patterns determine the strength of the models. This is different from the common assumption that failure occurs when the uniform tensile stress in the sample reaches the tensile strength of the rock material. Based on the modelling results, new Brazilian tests were carried out on samples from borehole MIZ-1 that confirmed the failure mechanism numerically observed. A numerical study of the fracture patterns induced by removal of the overburden on a large scale produces fracture patterns and stress distributions corresponding to observations in crystalline hard rock in

Kent’s Sweden, or what a rock band can tell us about a nation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johansson, Ola

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Music can communicate a great deal about the culture and society that it comes from. This is the case with the contemporary Swedish rock band Kent, who are not only the most popular band in recent Swedish music history, but also perceived as quintessentially Swedish. Of particular importance to understand this Swedishness is the band’s origin in the city of Eskilstuna, which communicates three interrelated ideas about Sweden: Eskilstuna as an archetypical Swedish small city; the band’s humble beginnings in Eskilstuna illustrates a “class journey” that resonates in Sweden; and Kent’s migration to Stockholm has resulted in an ambivalent relationship with their hometown. The path of Kent’s career has further reinforced the notion of Kent as a Swedish band, particularly as they failed outside the Nordic countries and how their concert choices and collective public persona create associations with Swedishness. Finally, the content of Kent’s music and lyrics are rich with spatial and environmental metaphors that can be conceptualized as four different landscapes representing Sweden: an inner landscape, a public landscape, an urban landscape, and a winter landscape.

Strategy for future laboratory rock mechanics programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, B.M.; Jones, A.K.

1985-01-01

A strategy for future experimental rock mechanics laboratory programs at Sandia National Laboratories is described. This strategy is motivated by the need for long range planning of rock mechanics programs addressing the stability of complex underground structures, changes in in situ stress states during resource recovery and underground explosion technology. It is based on: (1) recent advances in underground structure stability analysis which make three-dimensional calculations feasible, and (2) new developments in load path control of laboratory stress-strain tests which permit duplication of stress and strain histories in critical parts of a structure, as determined by numerical analysis. The major constraint in the strategy is the assumption that there are no in situ joint features or sample size effects which might prevent simulation of in situ response in the laboratory. 3 refs., 5 figs

A Virtual Rock Physics Laboratory Through Visualized and Interactive Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Vanorio, T.; Di Bonito, C.; Clark, A. C.

2014-12-01

As new scientific challenges demand more comprehensive and multidisciplinary investigations, laboratory experiments are not expected to become simpler and/or faster. Experimental investigation is an indispensable element of scientific inquiry and must play a central role in the way current and future generations of scientist make decisions. To turn the complexity of laboratory work (and that of rocks!) into dexterity, engagement, and expanded learning opportunities, we are building an interactive, virtual laboratory reproducing in form and function the Stanford Rock Physics Laboratory, at Stanford University. The objective is to combine lectures on laboratory techniques and an online repository of visualized experiments consisting of interactive, 3-D renderings of equipment used to measure properties central to the study of rock physics (e.g., how to saturate rocks, how to measure porosity, permeability, and elastic wave velocity). We use a game creation system together with 3-D computer graphics, and a narrative voice to guide the user through the different phases of the experimental protocol. The main advantage gained in employing computer graphics over video footage is that students can virtually open the instrument, single out its components, and assemble it. Most importantly, it helps describe the processes occurring within the rock. These latter cannot be tracked while simply recording the physical experiment, but computer animation can efficiently illustrate what happens inside rock samples (e.g., describing acoustic waves, and/or fluid flow through a porous rock under pressure within an opaque core-holder - Figure 1). The repository of visualized experiments will complement lectures on laboratory techniques and constitute an on-line course offered through the EdX platform at Stanford. This will provide a virtual laboratory for anyone, anywhere to facilitate teaching/learning of introductory laboratory classes in Geophysics and expand the number of courses

Hydrocarbon potential of Ordovician and Silurian rocks. Siljan Region (Sweden)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berner, U. [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany); Lehnert, O. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany); Meinhold, G. [Goettingen Univ. (Germany)

2013-08-01

Hydrocarbon exploration in the vicinity of Europe's largest impact structure (Siljan, Central Sweden) focused for years on abiogenic concepts and largely neglected state of the art knowledge on hydrocarbon generation via thermal decomposition of organic matter. In our study we use sedimentary rocks obtained from three drill sites (Mora001, Stumsnaes 1 and Solberga 1) within the ring structure around the central uplift to investigate the hydrocarbon potential of Ordovician and Silurian strata of the region and also for comparison with the shale oil and gas potential of age equivalent rocks of the Baltic Sea. Elemental analyses provided information on concentrations of carbonate and organic carbon, total sulfur as well as on the composition of major and minor elements of the sediments. The data has been used to evaluate the depositional environment and possible diagenetic alterations of the organic matter. RockEval pyrolysis and solvent hydrocarbon extraction gave insight into the hydrocarbon generation potential and the type and thermal maturity of the sediments. From the geochemistry data of the studied wells it is obvious that changes of depositional environments (lacustrine - marine) have occurred during Ordovician and Silurian times. Although, the quality of the organic matter has been influenced in marine and brackish environments through sulfate reduction, we observe for a number of marine and lacustrine sediments a good to excellent preservation of the biological precursors which qualify the sediments as hydrocarbon source rocks (Type II kerogens). Lacustrine source rocks show a higher remaining hydrocarbon potential (up to {proportional_to}550 mg HC per g C{sub org}) than those of marine or brackish environments. Our investigations indicate that the thermal maturity of organic matter of the drill sites has reached the initial stage of oil generation. However, at Mora001 some of the sediments were stained with oil indicating that hydrocarbons have

Underground laboratories for rock mechanics before radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duffaut, P.

1985-01-01

Many rock mechanics tests are performed in situ, most of them underground since 1936 at the Beni Bahdel dam. The chief tests for understanding the rock mass behaviour are deformability tests (plate test and pressure cavern test, including creep experiments) and strength tests (compression of a mine pillar, shear test on rock mass or joint). Influence of moisture, heat, cold and freeze are other fields of investigation which deserve underground laboratories. Behaviour of test galleries, either unsupported or with various kinds of support, often is studied along time, and along the work progression, tunnel face advance, enlargement or deepening of the cross section. The examples given here help to clarify the concept of underground laboratory in spite of its many different objectives. 38 refs.; 1 figure; 1 table

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Annual report 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-02-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2010 is given below

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-03-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2011 is given below.

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Annual report 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2010 is given below

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-03-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2011 is given below

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Annual report 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-02-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2010 is given below

Laboratory investigations into fracture propagation characteristics of rock material

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, B. N. V. Siva; Murthy, V. M. S. R.

2018-04-01

After Industrial Revolution, demand of materials for building up structures have increased enormously. Unfortunately, failures of such structures resulted in loss of life and property. Rock is anisotropic and discontinuous in nature with inherent flaws or so-called discontinuities in it. Rock is apparently used for construction in mining, civil, tunnelling, hydropower, geothermal and nuclear sectors [1]. Therefore, the strength of the structure built up considering rockmass as the construction material needs proper technical evaluation during designing stage itself to prevent and predict the scenarios of catastrophic failures due to these inherent fractures [2]. In this study, samples collected from nine different drilling sites have been investigated in laboratory for understanding the fracture propagation characteristics in rock. Rock material properties, ultrasonic velocities through pulse transmission technique and Mode I Fracture Toughness Testing of different variants of Dolomites and Graywackes are determined in laboratory and the resistance of the rock material to catastrophic crack extension or propagation has been determined. Based on the Fracture Toughness values and the rock properties, critical Energy Release Rates have been estimated. However further studies in this direction is to be carried out to understand the fracture propagation characteristics in three-dimensional space.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-06-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. The work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2006 is in this report described in six chapters: Geo-science - experiments, analysis and modelling to increase the knowledge of the surrounding rock; Natural barriers - experiments, analysis and modelling to increase the knowledge of the repository barriers under natural conditions; Engineered barriers - demonstration of technology for and function of important engineered parts of the repository barrier system; Aespoe facility - operation, maintenance, data management, monitoring, public relations etc; Environmental research; and finally, International co-operation.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-06-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. The work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2006 is in this report described in six chapters: Geo-science - experiments, analysis and modelling to increase the knowledge of the surrounding rock; Natural barriers - experiments, analysis and modelling to increase the knowledge of the repository barriers under natural conditions; Engineered barriers - demonstration of technology for and function of important engineered parts of the repository barrier system; Aespoe facility - operation, maintenance, data management, monitoring, public relations etc; Environmental research; and finally, International co-operation

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Prototype Repository. Acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring results from deposition hole DA3545G01 in the Prototype Repository between October 2007 and March 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duckworth, D.; Haycox, J.; Pettitt, W.S. (Applied Seismology Consultants, Shrewsbury (United Kingdom))

2008-12-15

This report describes results from acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic monitoring around a canister deposition hole (DA3545G01) in the Prototype Repository Experiment at SKB's Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), Sweden. The experiment has been designed to simulate a disposal tunnel in a real deep repository environment for storage of high-level radioactive waste. The test consists of a 90 m long, 5 m diameter subhorizontal tunnel excavated in dioritic granite. The monitoring aims to examine changes in the rock mass caused by an experimental repository environment, in particular due to thermal stresses induced from canister heating and pore pressures induced from tunnel sealing.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Prototype Repository. Acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring results from deposition hole DA3545G01 in the Prototype Repository between October 2007 and March 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckworth, D.; Haycox, J.; Pettitt, W.S.

2008-12-01

This report describes results from acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic monitoring around a canister deposition hole (DA3545G01) in the Prototype Repository Experiment at SKB's Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), Sweden. The experiment has been designed to simulate a disposal tunnel in a real deep repository environment for storage of high-level radioactive waste. The test consists of a 90 m long, 5 m diameter subhorizontal tunnel excavated in dioritic granite. The monitoring aims to examine changes in the rock mass caused by an experimental repository environment, in particular due to thermal stresses induced from canister heating and pore pressures induced from tunnel sealing

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-06-01

Buffer Material aims at validating models and hypotheses concerning physical properties in a bentonite buffer material and of related processes regarding microbiology, radionuclide transport, copper corrosion, and gas transport at conditions similar to those in a KBS3 repository. A project with the aim to qualify the use of low-pH cementitious products (leachates below pH 11) for applications like structural cast concrete, shotcrete, rock bolting, and grouting in a repository is carried out by SKB, Posiva, and NUMO in co-operation. In the project Cleaning and sealing of investigation boreholes the best available techniques for this are to be identified and demonstrated. A state of the art report summarising the developments of the techniques during the last 10-15 years has been put together. Eight organisations from seven countries participated in the co-operation at Aespoe HRL during 2002. Most of the organisations are interested in groundwater flow, radionuclide transport and rock characterisation. Several of the organisations are participating in the experimental work as well as in the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. SKB is through Repository Technology co-ordinating three EC contracts: Prototype Repository, Cluster Repository Project (CROP) and the network NET.EXCEL. The experiments performed in Aespoe HRL are not exclusively focused on radionuclide related processes but also on non-radioactive environmental issues. Aespoe Environmental Research Foundation was founded 1996 on initiative of local and regional interested parties, with the aim to make the underground laboratory available for environmental research. In an agreement with the foundation and the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) field experiments started in 2001 at Aespoe HRL to investigate the retention and degradation of petroleum products at in situ conditions

Rock stress measurements in the Grimsel Underground Rock Laboratory and their geological interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braeuer, V.; Heusermann, S.; Pahl, A.

1989-01-01

Rock stress is being studied as part of the Swiss-German cooperation between the National Cooperative for the Storage of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), the Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (GSF), and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in the Grimsel Rock Laboratory in Switzerland. Several methods and various equipment for measuring rock stress have been developed and tested in an approximately 200-m borehole drilled from a gallery at a depth of 450 m. The measurements were made continually during overcoring; the data were recorded and processed in a computer located downhole or outside the borehole. The results of the overcoring tests and of frac tests indicate a principle horizontal stress of 25-40 MPa, directed mainly NW-SE. Detailed geological mapping shows relationships between stress and rock structure. A zone of nearly unfractured rock exhibits an increase in stress and a change in stress direction. (orig.)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Hydro Monitoring Program. Report for 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wass, Eva; Nyberg, Goeran (GEOSIGMA, Uppsala (Sweden))

2009-08-15

The Aespoe island is situated close to the nuclear power plant of Simpevarp in southeastern Sweden. As part of the pre-investigations preceding excavation of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, registrations of the groundwater levels and electrical conductivity in packed-off borehole sections and levels in open boreholes started in 1987. The investigations are still ongoing and are planned to continue for a long period of time. As the tunnel excavation went on from the autumn 1990 and onwards, new boreholes were drilled in the tunnel and instrumented to enable groundwater pressure monitoring in packed-off sections. In addition, other hydro-related measurements such as water flow in the tunnel, electrical conductivity of tunnel water and inflow and outflow of water through tunnel pipes have been performed. This report is a summary of the monitoring during 2008. In order to allow for comparison with factors that may influence the groundwater level/pressure and flow, meteorological data are also presented in the report. From the end of 1991, the disturbance from the tunnel is the dominating factor influencing groundwater levels in the area. In one chapter, activities that may have an influence on the ground water situation are listed and briefly discussed.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Hydro Monitoring Program. Report for 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wass, Eva; Nyberg, Goeran (GEOSIGMA, Uppsala (Sweden))

2010-05-15

The Aespoe island is situated close to the nuclear power plant of Simpevarp in southeastern Sweden. As part of the pre-investigations preceding excavation of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, registrations of the groundwater levels and electrical conductivity in packed-off borehole sections and levels in open boreholes started in 1987. The investigations are still ongoing and are planned to continue for a long period of time. As the tunnel excavation went on from the autumn 1990 and onwards, new boreholes were drilled in the tunnel and instrumented to enable groundwater pressure monitoring in packed-off sections. In addition, other hydro-related measurements such as water flow in the tunnel, electrical conductivity of tunnel water and inflow and outflow of water through tunnel pipes have been performed. This report is a summary of the monitoring during 2009. In order to allow for comparison with factors that may influence the groundwater level/pressure and flow, meteorological data are also presented in the report. From the end of 1991, the disturbance from the tunnel is the dominating factor influencing groundwater levels in the area. In one chapter, activities that may have an influence on the ground water situation are listed and briefly discussed

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Hydro Monitoring Program. Report for 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wass, Eva; Nyberg, Goeran

2009-08-01

The Aespoe island is situated close to the nuclear power plant of Simpevarp in southeastern Sweden. As part of the pre-investigations preceding excavation of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, registrations of the groundwater levels and electrical conductivity in packed-off borehole sections and levels in open boreholes started in 1987. The investigations are still ongoing and are planned to continue for a long period of time. As the tunnel excavation went on from the autumn 1990 and onwards, new boreholes were drilled in the tunnel and instrumented to enable groundwater pressure monitoring in packed-off sections. In addition, other hydro-related measurements such as water flow in the tunnel, electrical conductivity of tunnel water and inflow and outflow of water through tunnel pipes have been performed. This report is a summary of the monitoring during 2008. In order to allow for comparison with factors that may influence the groundwater level/pressure and flow, meteorological data are also presented in the report. From the end of 1991, the disturbance from the tunnel is the dominating factor influencing groundwater levels in the area. In one chapter, activities that may have an influence on the ground water situation are listed and briefly discussed

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Hydro Monitoring Program. Report for 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wass, Eva; Nyberg, Goeran

2010-05-01

The Aespoe island is situated close to the nuclear power plant of Simpevarp in southeastern Sweden. As part of the pre-investigations preceding excavation of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, registrations of the groundwater levels and electrical conductivity in packed-off borehole sections and levels in open boreholes started in 1987. The investigations are still ongoing and are planned to continue for a long period of time. As the tunnel excavation went on from the autumn 1990 and onwards, new boreholes were drilled in the tunnel and instrumented to enable groundwater pressure monitoring in packed-off sections. In addition, other hydro-related measurements such as water flow in the tunnel, electrical conductivity of tunnel water and inflow and outflow of water through tunnel pipes have been performed. This report is a summary of the monitoring during 2009. In order to allow for comparison with factors that may influence the groundwater level/pressure and flow, meteorological data are also presented in the report. From the end of 1991, the disturbance from the tunnel is the dominating factor influencing groundwater levels in the area. In one chapter, activities that may have an influence on the ground water situation are listed and briefly discussed

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-12-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2009 is given below. Geoscience Geoscientific research is a basic activity at Aespoe HRL. The aim of the current studies is to develop geoscientific models of the Aespoe HRL and increase the understanding of the rock mass properties as well as knowledge of applicable methods of measurement. A main task within the geoscientific field is the development of the Aespoe Site Descriptive Model (SDM) integrating information from the different fields. The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology evaluation of geological mapping techniques leading to the decision to develop a SKB mapping system and finalization of the mapping of rock surfaces in the new tunnel, (2) Hydrogeology monitoring and storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics finalised the field tests on thermally-induced spalling in deposition holes and evaluated the effect of counterforce in the deposition holes. Natural barriers At Aespoe HRL, experiments are

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-12-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Aespoe HRL is located in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create opportunities for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. A summary of the work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2009 is given below. Geoscience Geoscientific research is a basic activity at Aespoe HRL. The aim of the current studies is to develop geoscientific models of the Aespoe HRL and increase the understanding of the rock mass properties as well as knowledge of applicable methods of measurement. A main task within the geoscientific field is the development of the Aespoe Site Descriptive Model (SDM) integrating information from the different fields. The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology evaluation of geological mapping techniques leading to the decision to develop a SKB mapping system and finalization of the mapping of rock surfaces in the new tunnel, (2) Hydrogeology monitoring and storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics finalised the field tests on thermally-induced spalling in deposition holes and evaluated the effect of counterforce in the deposition holes. Natural barriers At Aespoe HRL

Rock properties and their effect on thermally-induced displacements and stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, T.; Hood, M.; Board, M.

1980-02-01

A discussion is given of the importance of material properties in the finite-element calculations for thermally induced displacements and stresses resulting from a heating experiment in an in-situ granitic rock, at Stripa, Sweden. Comparisons are made between field measurements and finite element method calculations using (1) temperature independent, (2) temperature dependent thermal and thermomechanical properties and (3) in-situ and laboratory measurements for Young's modulus. The calculations of rock displacements are influenced predominantly by the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient, whereas the dominant factor affecting predictions for rock stresses is the in-situ modulus

THM-coupled modeling of selected processes in argillaceous rock relevant to rock mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czaikowski, Oliver

2012-01-01

Scientific investigations in European countries other than Germany concentrate not only on granite formations (Switzerland, Sweden) but also on argillaceous rock formations (France, Switzerland, Belgium) to assess their suitability as host and barrier rock for the final storage of radioactive waste. In Germany, rock salt has been under thorough study as a host rock over the past few decades. According to a study by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, however, not only salt deposits but also argillaceous rock deposits are available at relevant depths and of extensions in space which make final storage of high-level radioactive waste basically possible in Germany. Equally qualified findings about the suitability/unsuitability of non-saline rock formations require fundamental studies to be conducted nationally because of the comparatively low level of knowledge. The article presents basic analyses of coupled mechanical and hydraulic properties of argillaceous rock formations as host rock for a repository. The interaction of various processes is explained on the basis of knowledge derived from laboratory studies, and open problems are deduced. For modeling coupled processes, a simplified analytical computation method is proposed and compared with the results of numerical simulations, and the limits to its application are outlined. (orig.)

The colloid investigations conducted at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory during 2000-2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laaksoharju, Marcus [Geopoint AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Wold, Susanna [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry] (eds.)

2005-12-15

In 2000, SKB decided to initiate an international colloid project at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. The objectives of the colloid project are to: (i) study the role of bentonite as a colloid source, (ii) verify the background colloid concentration at Aespoe HRL and, (iii) investigate the potential for colloid formation/transport in natural groundwater concentrations. The experimental concepts for the colloid project are: laboratory experiments with bentonite, background field measurements of natural colloids, borehole specific bentonite colloid stability experiments and a fracture specific transport experiment. The activities concerning the laboratory experiments and background field measurements are described in this work; the other activities are ongoing or planned. The following conclusions were made: The bentonite colloid stability is strongly dependent on the groundwater ionic strength. Natural colloids are organic degradation products such as humic and fulvic acids, inorganic colloids (clay, calcite, iron hydroxide) and microbes. Microbes form few but large particles and their concentration increase with increasing organic carbon concentrations. The small organic colloids are present in very low concentrations in deep granitic groundwater. The concentrations can be rather high in shallow waters. The colloid concentration decreases with depth and salinity, since colloids are less stable in saline waters. The colloid content at Aespoe is less than 300 ppb. The colloid content at repository level is less than 50 ppb. The groundwater variability obtained in the boreholes reflects well the natural groundwater variability along the whole HRL tunnel.

The colloid investigations conducted at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory during 2000-2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laaksoharju, Marcus; Wold, Susanna

2005-12-01

In 2000, SKB decided to initiate an international colloid project at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. The objectives of the colloid project are to: (i) study the role of bentonite as a colloid source, (ii) verify the background colloid concentration at Aespoe HRL and, (iii) investigate the potential for colloid formation/transport in natural groundwater concentrations. The experimental concepts for the colloid project are: laboratory experiments with bentonite, background field measurements of natural colloids, borehole specific bentonite colloid stability experiments and a fracture specific transport experiment. The activities concerning the laboratory experiments and background field measurements are described in this work; the other activities are ongoing or planned. The following conclusions were made: The bentonite colloid stability is strongly dependent on the groundwater ionic strength. Natural colloids are organic degradation products such as humic and fulvic acids, inorganic colloids (clay, calcite, iron hydroxide) and microbes. Microbes form few but large particles and their concentration increase with increasing organic carbon concentrations. The small organic colloids are present in very low concentrations in deep granitic groundwater. The concentrations can be rather high in shallow waters. The colloid concentration decreases with depth and salinity, since colloids are less stable in saline waters. The colloid content at Aespoe is less than 300 ppb. The colloid content at repository level is less than 50 ppb. The groundwater variability obtained in the boreholes reflects well the natural groundwater variability along the whole HRL tunnel

The Gran Sasso underground laboratories (measurements of rock radioactivity and neutron fluxes)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellotti, E.; Buraschi, M.; Fiorini, E.; Liguori, C.

1985-01-01

The authors report on measurements of rock radioactivity and neutron flux performed in the Gran Sasso underground laboratories of the INFN in Italy. The Gran Sasso' Laboratories of the INFN are located underground, in galleries which have been excavated under the Gran Sasso mountain range. The minimum rock thickness covering the laboratories is about 1400 m of rock of average density 2.8 g cm/sup -3/, corresponding to a thickness of some 4000 m of water equivalent. The laboratories are located at about 1000 m above sea level. The main destination of these laboratories is to shelter very huge particle detectors which shall detect extremely rare nuclear events of extraordinary interest for particle physics as well as for astrophysics and cosmology. In these laboratories, the radiation background is expected to be extremely low, which is the main condition for performing the proposed experiments

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory Annual report 2003

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-09-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site for a deep repository. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and the associated research, development, and demonstration tasks, have so far attracted considerable interest. A summary of work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2003 is given below. Seven organisations from six countries participated in the co-operation at Aespoe HRL during 2003 in addition to SKB. Most of the organisations are interested in groundwater flow, radionuclide transport and rock characterisation. Several of the organisations are participating in the experimental work as well as in the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. SKB is through Repository Technology co-ordinating three EC contracts and takes part in several EC projects of which the representation in five projects is channelled through Repository Technology. SKB takes also part in work within the IAEA framework.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory Annual report 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-09-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site for a deep repository. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and the associated research, development, and demonstration tasks, have so far attracted considerable interest. A summary of work performed at Aespoe HRL during 2003 is given below. Seven organisations from six countries participated in the co-operation at Aespoe HRL during 2003 in addition to SKB. Most of the organisations are interested in groundwater flow, radionuclide transport and rock characterisation. Several of the organisations are participating in the experimental work as well as in the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. SKB is through Repository Technology co-ordinating three EC contracts and takes part in several EC projects of which the representation in five projects is channelled through Repository Technology. SKB takes also part in work within the IAEA framework

Handling and final disposal of nuclear waste. Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-09-01

The purpose of the Hard Rock Laboratory is to provide an opportunity for research and development in a realistic and undisturbed underground rock environment down to the depth planned for the future repository. The R and D work in the underground laboratory has the following main goals: To test the quality and appropriateness of different methods for characterizing the bedrock with respect to conditions of importance for a final repository. To refine and demonstrate methods for how to adapt a repository to the local properties of the rock in connection with planning and construction. And, finally, to collect material and data of importance for the safety of the future repository and for confidence in the quality of the safety assessments 13 figs, 3 tabs

Laboratory characterization of rock joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsiung, S.M.; Kana, D.D.; Ahola, M.P.; Chowdhury, A.H.; Ghosh, A.

1994-05-01

A laboratory characterization of the Apache Leap tuff joints under cyclic pseudostatic and dynamic loads has been undertaken to obtain a better understanding of dynamic joint shear behavior and to generate a complete data set that can be used for validation of existing rock-joint models. Study has indicated that available methods for determining joint roughness coefficient (JRC) significantly underestimate the roughness coefficient of the Apache Leap tuff joints, that will lead to an underestimation of the joint shear strength. The results of the direct shear tests have indicated that both under cyclic pseudostatic and dynamic loadings the joint resistance upon reverse shearing is smaller than that of forward shearing and the joint dilation resulting from forward shearing recovers during reverse shearing. Within the range of variation of shearing velocity used in these tests, the shearing velocity effect on rock-joint behavior seems to be minor, and no noticeable effect on the peak joint shear strength and the joint shear strength for the reverse shearing is observed

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Current research projects 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-12-31

In 1986 SKB decided to construct the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) in order to provide an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed underground rock environment down to the depth planned for the future deep repository. The focus of current and future work is on development and testing of site characterization methods, verification of models describing the function of the natural and engineered barriers and development, testing, and demonstration of repository technology. The program has been organised so that all important steps in the development of a repository are covered, in other words the Aespoe HRL constitutes a `dress rehearsal` for the Swedish deep geological repository for spent fuel and other long-lived waste. Geoscientific investigations on Aespoe and nearby islands began in 1986. Aespoe was selected as the site for the laboratory in 1988. Construction of the facility, which reaches a depth of 460 m below the surface, began in 1990 and was completed in 1995. A major milestone had been reached in 1996 with the completion of the pre-investigation and construction phases of the Aespoe HRL. The comprehensive research conducted has permitted valuable development and verification of site characterization methods applied from the ground surface, boreholes, and underground excavations. The results of this research are summarised in the book `Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory - 10 years of Research` published by SKB in 1996. The Operating Phase of the Aespoe HRL began in 1995 and is expected to continue for 15-20 years, that is until the first stage of the development of the Swedish deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel is expected to be completed. A number of research projects were initiated at the start of the Operating Phase. Most of these projects have made substantial progress since then and important results have been obtained. The purpose of this brochure is to provide a brief presentation of the

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Current research projects 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

In 1986 SKB decided to construct the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) in order to provide an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed underground rock environment down to the depth planned for the future deep repository. The focus of current and future work is on development and testing of site characterization methods, verification of models describing the function of the natural and engineered barriers and development, testing, and demonstration of repository technology. The program has been organised so that all important steps in the development of a repository are covered, in other words the Aespoe HRL constitutes a 'dress rehearsal' for the Swedish deep geological repository for spent fuel and other long-lived waste. Geoscientific investigations on Aespoe and nearby islands began in 1986. Aespoe was selected as the site for the laboratory in 1988. Construction of the facility, which reaches a depth of 460 m below the surface, began in 1990 and was completed in 1995. A major milestone had been reached in 1996 with the completion of the pre-investigation and construction phases of the Aespoe HRL. The comprehensive research conducted has permitted valuable development and verification of site characterization methods applied from the ground surface, boreholes, and underground excavations. The results of this research are summarised in the book 'Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory - 10 years of Research' published by SKB in 1996. The Operating Phase of the Aespoe HRL began in 1995 and is expected to continue for 15-20 years, that is until the first stage of the development of the Swedish deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel is expected to be completed. A number of research projects were initiated at the start of the Operating Phase. Most of these projects have made substantial progress since then and important results have been obtained. The purpose of this brochure is to provide a brief presentation of the

Biogeochemical Reactive Transport Model of the Redox Zone Experiment of the sp Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molinero-Huguet, Jorge; Samper-Calvete, F. Javier; Zhang, Guoxiang; Yang, Changbing

2004-01-01

Underground facilities are being operated by several countries around the world for performing research and demonstration of the safety of deep radioactive waste repositories. The ''sp'' Hard Rock Laboratory is one such facility launched and operated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company where various in situ experiments have been performed in fractured granites. One such experiment is the redox zone experiment, which aimed at evaluating the effects of the construction of an access tunnel on the hydrochemical conditions of a fracture zone. Dilution of the initially saline groundwater by fresh recharge water is the dominant process controlling the hydrochemical evolution of most chemical species, except for bicarbonate and sulfate, which unexpectedly increase with time. We present a numerical model of water flow, reactive transport, and microbial processes for the redox zone experiment. This model provides a plausible quantitatively based explanation for the unexpected evolution of bicarbonate and sulfate, reproduces the breakthrough curves of other reactive species, and is consistent with previous hydrogeological and solute transport models

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory: Final evaluation of the hydrogeochemical pre-investigations in relation to existing geologic and hydraulic conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smellie, J.; Laaksoharju, M.

1992-11-01

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Management Company (SKB) is currently excavating the access tunnel to an underground experimental laboratory, the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, planned to be located some 500 m below the island of Aespoe which is located in the Simpevarp area, southeast Sweden. The construction of an underground laboratory forms part of the overall SKB strategy to test, not only the construction techniques for deep excavation, but also the various methods and protocols required to obtain a three-dimensional model of the geology and groundwater flow and chemistry, within a fractured crystalline bedrock similar to that envisaged for the final disposal of spent fuel. Aespoe was chosen because it geologically represents a variety of typical crystalline bedrock environments. The hydrogeochemical activities described and interpreted in this report form part of the initial pre-investigation phase (from the surface to around 1000 metres depth) aimed at siting the laboratory, describing the natural hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical conditions in the bedrock and predicting the changes that will occur during excavation and construction of the laboratory. Hydrogeochemical interpretation has therefore been closely integrated with the hydrogeological investigations and other disciplines of major influence, in particular, bedrock geology and geochemistry and fracture mineralogy and chemistry. A large section of this report has been devoted to the detailed investigation of each individual zone hydraulically selected, tested and sampled for hydrogeochemical characterization. The data have been used to describe the chemistry and origin of the Aespoe groundwaters, models have been developed to illustrate groundwater mixing and standard geochemical modelling approaches have been employed to understand rock/water interaction processes. An attempt has been made to integrate the hydrogeochemical information with known geological and hydrogeological parameters to construct a

Acoustic remote monitoring of rock and concrete structures for nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, R.P.

2000-01-01

Excavation and thermally induced damage is of significance for many types of engineering structures but no more so than in the case of nuclear waste repository design. My research and that of my group, formally at Queen's University Canada and Keele University UK and now at the University of Liverpool UK, has focused on the development of acoustic techniques for the in situ detection and quantification of induced damage and fracturing. The application of earthquake seismology to this problem has provided the opportunity to study the micro mechanics of damage mechanisms in situ and provide validation data for predictive geomechanical models used for engineering design. Since 1987 I have been a principal investigator at Atomic Energy of Canada's Underground Research Laboratory (URL), responsible for the development of acoustic emission techniques (AE). In the last twelve years, the application of acoustic techniques to rock damage assessment has been pioneered by my group at the URL and successfully applied in several other major international projects including the ZEDEX, Retrieval and Prototype repository experiments at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) of SKB Sweden. In this paper I describe what information is available by remote acoustic monitoring of rock and concrete structures and demonstrate this with reference to two international scientific experiments carried out at the URL Canada and the HRL Sweden. (author)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2011. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2010, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results

Heat transfer in underground heating experiments in granite, Stipa, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, T.; Javandel, I.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1980-04-01

Electrical heater experiments have been conducted underground in granite at Stripa, Sweden, to investigate the effects of heating associated with nuclear waste storage. Temperature data from these experiments are compared with closed-form and finite-element solutions. Good agreement is found between measured temperatures and both types of models, but especially for a nonlinear finite-element heat conduction model incorporating convective boundary conditions, measured nonuniform initial rock temperature distribution, and temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. In situ thermal properties, determined by least-squares regression, are very close to laboratory values. A limited amount of sensitivity analysis is undertaken

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-02-15

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2011. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2010, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results.

Survey of in situ testing at underground laboratories with application to geologic disposal of spent fuel waste in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardin, E.

1992-04-01

This report is intended for use in designing testing programs, or as backup material for the review of 'R and D 92' which will be the next three-year plan for spent fuel repository siting and characterization activities in Sweden. There are eight major topics, each of which is addressed in a chapter of around 2000 to 10000 words. The major topics are defined to capture the reasons for testing, in a way that limits overlap between chapters. Other goals of this report are to provide current information on recent or ongoing tests in crystalline rock, and to describe insights which are important but not obvious from the literature. No data are presented, but the conclusions of testing programs are summarized. The principal sources were reports (in English) produced by the laboratory projects particularly the Stripa Project (SKB), the Underground Research Laboratory in Canada (AECL), and the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland (Nagra). Articles from refereed journals have been used in lieu of project literature where possible and appropriate. (au)

Cataclastic effects in rock salt laboratory and in situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gramberg, J.; Roest, J.P.A.

1984-01-01

The aim of the research is the determination of eventual cataclastic effects in environmental rock salt of a heated part of a vertical deep test bore hole, a model for HLW disposal. Known cataclastic systems from hard rock mining and rock salt mines will form the starting point for the explanation of convergence of underground cavity walls. In rock salt, however, different elements seem to prevail: crystal plasticity and micro-cataclasis. The environmental measurements at the deep bore hole have to be carried out from a distance. To this end the acoustic micro-seismic method will be a suitable one. The appropriate equipment for micro-seismic cross hole measurement is designed, constructed and tested in the laboratory as well as underground. Acoustic velocity data form a crucial point. A micro-seismic acoustic P-wave model, adapted to the process of structural changes, is developed. P-wave velocity measurements in rock salt cubes in the laboratory are described. An underground cross hole measurement in the wall of a gallery with semi-circular section is treated and analysed. A conclusion was that, in this case, no macro-cataclasis (systematic large fractures) will be involved in the process of gallery convergence, but that the mechanism proved to be a combination of crystal plasticity and micro-cataclasis. The same mechanism might be expected to be present in the environmental rock salt of the HLW-disposal deep bore hole. As a result this environmental rock salt might be expected to be impermeable. A plan for the application of the developed equipment during the heating test on the ECN-deep-bore-hole is shown. A theory on ''disking'' or ''rim cracks'' is presented in an annex

Site study plan for routine laboratory rock mechanics, Deaf Smith County Site, Texas: Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

This Site Study Plan for Routine Laboratory Rock Mechanics describes routine laboratory testing to be conducted on rock samples collected as part of the characterization of the Deaf Smith County site, Texas. This study plan describes the early laboratory testing. Additional testing may be required and the type and scope of testing will be dependent upon the results of the early testing. This study provides for measurements of index, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical properties with tests which are standardized and used widely in geotechnical investigations. Another Site Study Plan for Nonroutine Laboratory Rock Mechanics describes laboratory testing of samples from the site to determine mechanical, thermomechanical, and thermal properties by less widely used methods, many of which have been developed specifically for characterization of the site. Data from laboratory tests will be used for characterization of rock strata, design of shafts and underground facilities, and modeling of repository behavior in support of resolution of both preclosure and postclosure issues. A tentative testing schedule and milestone log are given. A quality assurance program will be utilized to assure that activities affecting quality are performed correctly and that appropriate documentation is maintained. 18 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

Neutrons from rock radioactivity in the new Canfranc underground laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amare, J; Bauluz, B; Beltran, B; Carmona, J M; Cebrian, S; GarcIa, E; Gomez, H; Irastorza, I G; Luzon, G; MartInez, M; Morales, J; Solorzano, A Ortiz de; Pobes, C; Jpuimedon; RodrIguez, A; Ruz, J; Sarsa, M L; Torres, L; Villar, J A

2006-01-01

Measurements of radioactivity and composition of rock from the main hall of the new Canfranc underground laboratory are reported. Estimates of neutron production by spontaneous fission and (α, n) reactions are given

Frictional sliding in layered rock: laboratory-scale experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, B.J.; Perry, K.E. Jr.; Epstein, J.S.

1996-09-01

The work is part of the rock mechanics effort for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Program. The laboratory-scale experiments are intended to provide high quality data on the mechanical behavior of jointed structures that can be used to validate complex numerical models for rock-mass behavior. Frictional sliding between simulated rock joints was studied using phase shifting moire interferometry. A model, constructed from stacks of machined and sandblasted granite plates, contained a central hole bore normal to the place so that frictional slip would be induced between the plates near the hole under compressive loading. Results show a clear evolution of slip with increasing load. Since the rock was not cycled through loading- unloading, the quantitative differences between the three data sets are probably due to a ''wearing-in'' effect. The highly variable spatial frequency of the data is probably due to the large grain size of the granite and the stochastic frictional processes. An unusual feature of the evolution of slip with increasing load is that as the load gets larger, some plates seem to return to a null position. Figs, 6 refs

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual report 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

The Aespoe HRL has been constructed as part of the preparations for the deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. Geoscientific investigations on Aespoe and nearby islands began 1986. Since then, bedrock conditions have been investigated by several deep boreholes. The Aespoe research village has been built and extensive underground construction work has been undertaken in parallel with comprehensive research. This has resulted in a thorough test of methods for investigation and evaluation of bedrock conditions for construction of a deep repository. The objective of the ZEDEX project is to compare the mechanical disturbance to the rock for excavation by tunnel boring and blasting. The results indicate that the role of the EDZ as a preferential pathway to radionuclide transport is limited to the damaged zone. The tracer retention understanding experiments are made to gain a better understanding of radionuclide retention in the rock and create confidence in the radionuclide transport models. During 1996 a series of tracer experiments in radially converging and dipole flow configuration have been performed. A special borehole probe has been designed for different kinds of retention experiments where data can be obtained representative for the in situ properties of groundwater at repository depth. The prototype repository test is focused on testing and demonstrating repository system function, and includes backfill and plug tests and demonstration of methods for deposition and retrieval of canisters in a new tunnel at the 420 m level. The long term tests of buffer material aim to validate models of buffer performance and at quantifying clay buffer alteration processes at adverse conditions. 80 refs, 53 figs, 16 tabs

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual report 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-04-01

The Aespoe HRL has been constructed as part of the preparations for the deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. Geoscientific investigations on Aespoe and nearby islands began 1986. Since then, bedrock conditions have been investigated by several deep boreholes. The Aespoe research village has been built and extensive underground construction work has been undertaken in parallel with comprehensive research. This has resulted in a thorough test of methods for investigation and evaluation of bedrock conditions for construction of a deep repository. The objective of the ZEDEX project is to compare the mechanical disturbance to the rock for excavation by tunnel boring and blasting. The results indicate that the role of the EDZ as a preferential pathway to radionuclide transport is limited to the damaged zone. The tracer retention understanding experiments are made to gain a better understanding of radionuclide retention in the rock and create confidence in the radionuclide transport models. During 1996 a series of tracer experiments in radially converging and dipole flow configuration have been performed. A special borehole probe has been designed for different kinds of retention experiments where data can be obtained representative for the in situ properties of groundwater at repository depth. The prototype repository test is focused on testing and demonstrating repository system function, and includes backfill and plug tests and demonstration of methods for deposition and retrieval of canisters in a new tunnel at the 420 m level. The long term tests of buffer material aim to validate models of buffer performance and at quantifying clay buffer alteration processes at adverse conditions. 80 refs, 53 figs, 16 tabs.

Ecohydrological Responses to Diversion of Groundwater: Case Study of a Deep-Rock Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, Kent; Collinder, Per; Berglund, Sten; Maartensson, Erik

2013-01-01

Planning and license applications concerning groundwater diversion in areas containing water-dependent or water-favored habitats must take into account both hydrological effects and associated ecological consequences. There is at present no established methodology to assess such ecohydrological responses. Thus, this paper describes a new stepwise methodology to assess ecohydrological responses to groundwater diversion from, e.g., water-drained pits, shafts, tunnels, and caverns in rock below the groundwater table. The methodology is illustrated using the planned deep-rock repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in central Sweden as a case study, offering access to a unique hydrological and ecological dataset. The case study demonstrates that results of ecohydrological assessments can provide useful inputs to planning of monitoring programs and mitigation measures in infrastructure projects. As a result of the assessment, artificial water supply to wetlands is planned in order to preserve biological diversity, nature values, and vulnerable species

Laboratory testing of gneissic rocks in Olkiluoto borehole OL-KR24

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eloranta, P.

2006-10-01

The stress-strain behaviour of anisotropic gneissic rocks from Olkiluoto, Finland, was studied for a total of 25 rock mechanics tests. Samples were selected from borehole OLKR24 at a depth level of 417-442 m. Tests included 15 uniaxial compression tests, 10 indirect tensile strength tests and 6 triaxial compression tests. Strain gauges were installed in five samples to evaluate the anisotropic properties, and acoustic emission sensors were installed in ten samples to estimate the stress damage levels. The specimen preparation and tests were carried out at the Laboratory of Rock Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Specimens were tested under laboratory-air-dry conditions and were photographed before and after the tests. The values obtained for the uniaxial compressive strength were in the range 56.5 - 165.9 MPa and for the indirect tensile strength 7.7 - 12.1 MPa. The anisotropic ratio of Young's modulus, E/E', was of the order of 1.1. (orig.)

Thermomechanical studies in granite at Stripa, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, N.G.W.; Myer, L.R.

1981-01-01

Media other than rock salt are being considered for the deep, geologic disposal of nuclear wastes. The disposal of high-level nuclear waste in a deep, underground repository will subject the rock to a thermal pulse that will induce displacements, strains, and stresses in the rock. Thermomechanical experiments, with electrical heaters simulating the thermal output of waste canisters, were carried out in granite at a depth of 340 m below surface adjacent to a defunct iron ore mine at Stripa, Sweden. Changes in temperature, displacement, and stress in the rock around these heaters were measured, and the measurements were compared with predictions calculated from the theory of linear thermoelasticity. Measured temperature changes agreed well with predictions, but measured displacements and stresses were consistently less than those predicted with constant values for the coefficient of thermal expansion and elastic properties of the rock. A laboratory test program to measure these coefficients over ranges of stress and temperature representing those in the field experiment has been initiated. Test specimens were taken from cores recovered from the instrumentation holes in the Stripa experiments. Preliminary results from laboratory tests on specimens free of joints indicate that the values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio increase from about 60 to 80 MPa and from 0.15 to 0.22, respectively, as the confining stress is increased from 2 to 55 MPa; these values decrease with increasing temperature, more so at 2 MPa than at 55 MPa. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion at a confining stress of 30 MPa increases from about 10 x 10 - 6 / 0 C at 40 0 C to about 14 x 10 - 6 / 0 C. The magnitudes of these changes are not sufficient to resolve the disparity between measured and predicted results. Perhaps the properties of test specimens containing joints will show greater variations in the values of the thermomechanical coefficients with temperature and pressure

THM-coupled modeling of selected processes in argillaceous rock relevant to rock mechanics; THM-Gekoppelte Modellierung ausgewaehlter gesteinsmechanisch relevanter Prozesse im Tongestein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czaikowski, Oliver [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Braunschweig (Germany). Repository Safety Research Div.

2012-08-15

Scientific investigations in European countries other than Germany concentrate not only on granite formations (Switzerland, Sweden) but also on argillaceous rock formations (France, Switzerland, Belgium) to assess their suitability as host and barrier rock for the final storage of radioactive waste. In Germany, rock salt has been under thorough study as a host rock over the past few decades. According to a study by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, however, not only salt deposits but also argillaceous rock deposits are available at relevant depths and of extensions in space which make final storage of high-level radioactive waste basically possible in Germany. Equally qualified findings about the suitability/unsuitability of non-saline rock formations require fundamental studies to be conducted nationally because of the comparatively low level of knowledge. The article presents basic analyses of coupled mechanical and hydraulic properties of argillaceous rock formations as host rock for a repository. The interaction of various processes is explained on the basis of knowledge derived from laboratory studies, and open problems are deduced. For modeling coupled processes, a simplified analytical computation method is proposed and compared with the results of numerical simulations, and the limits to its application are outlined. (orig.)

Comparison of laboratory, in situ, and rock mass measurements of the hydraulic conductivity of metamorphic rock at the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marine, I.W.

1980-01-01

In situ testing of exploratory wells in metamorphic rock indicates that two types of fracturing occur in the rock mass. Rock containing small openings that permit only extremely slow movement of water is termed virtually impermeable rock. Rock containing openings of sufficient size to permit transmission of water at a significantly faster rate is termed hydraulically transmissive rock. Laboratory methods are unsuitable for measuring hydraulic conductivity in hydraulically transmissive rock; however, for the virtually impermeable rock, values comparable to the in situ tests are obtained. The hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass over a large region is calculated by using the hydraulic gradient, porosity, and regional velocity. This velocity is determined by dividing the inferred travel distance by the age of water which is determined by the helium content of the water. This rock mass hydraulic conductivity value is between the values measured for the two types of fractures, but is closer to the measured value for the virtually impermeable rock. This relationship is attributed to the control of the regional flow rate by the virtually impermeable rock where the discrete fractures do not form a continuous open connection through the entire rock mass. Thus, laboratory methods of measuring permeability in metamorphic rock are of value if they are properly applied

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-02-15

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2009. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2007, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Thereby the Status Reports may concentrate on work in progress and refers to this Planning Report for scope of work over the year. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-05-15

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2010. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2007, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Thereby the Status Reports may concentrate on work in progress and refers to this Planning Report for scope of work over the year. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-02-01

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2009. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2007, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Thereby the Status Reports may concentrate on work in progress and refers to this Planning Report for scope of work over the year. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Planning Report for 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-05-01

This report presents the planned activities for the year 2010. The report is revised annually and details the programme carried out in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory as described in SKB's Research, Development and Demonstration Programme 2007, and serves as a basis for the management of the laboratory. The role of the Planning Report is to present the plans and scope of work for each project. Thereby the Status Reports may concentrate on work in progress and refers to this Planning Report for scope of work over the year. Background information on the projects is given in the Annual Report as well as findings and results

SR 97: post-closure safety of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

A major activity of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in the field of radioactive waste management is the organisation of independent, international peer reviews of national studies and projects. The NEA peer reviews help national programmes to assess their achievements. The review reports also provide reference information to be shared with others on what is desirable and what is feasible. This report presents the common views of the International Review Team (IRT) established by the NEA Secretariat on behalf of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) to perform a peer review of a post-closure safety study of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden, Safety Report 97, produced by the Swedish Spent Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The review is based on the main reports of the project and supporting documents, on information exchanged with SKB staff both through the intermediary of SKI and in direct interaction at a week-long workshop in Sweden, on a visit of the SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and Canister Laboratory, as well as on internal discussions within the IRT. (authors)

Effects of earthquake induced rock shear on containment system integrity. Laboratory testing plan development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Read, Rodney S.

2011-07-01

This report describes a laboratory-scale testing program plan to address the issue of earthquake induced rock shear effects on containment system integrity. The document contains a review of relevant literature from SKB covering laboratory testing of bentonite clay buffer material, scaled analogue tests, and the development of related material models to simulate rock shear effects. The proposed testing program includes standard single component tests, new two-component constant volume tests, and new scaled analogue tests. Conceptual drawings of equipment required to undertake these tests are presented along with a schedule of tests. The information in this document is considered sufficient to engage qualified testing facilities, and to guide implementation of laboratory testing of rock shear effects. This document was completed as part of a collaborative agreement between SKB and Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) in Canada

Effects of earthquake induced rock shear on containment system integrity. Laboratory testing plan development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Read, Rodney S. (RSRead Consulting Inc. (Canada))

2011-07-15

This report describes a laboratory-scale testing program plan to address the issue of earthquake induced rock shear effects on containment system integrity. The document contains a review of relevant literature from SKB covering laboratory testing of bentonite clay buffer material, scaled analogue tests, and the development of related material models to simulate rock shear effects. The proposed testing program includes standard single component tests, new two-component constant volume tests, and new scaled analogue tests. Conceptual drawings of equipment required to undertake these tests are presented along with a schedule of tests. The information in this document is considered sufficient to engage qualified testing facilities, and to guide implementation of laboratory testing of rock shear effects. This document was completed as part of a collaborative agreement between SKB and Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) in Canada

Rock mechanics for hard rock nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1981-09-01

The mined geologic burial of high level nuclear waste is now the favored option for disposal. The US National Waste Terminal Storage Program designed to achieve this disposal includes an extensive rock mechanics component related to the design of the wastes repositories. The plan currently considers five candidate rock types. This paper deals with the three hard rocks among them: basalt, granite, and tuff. Their behavior is governed by geological discontinuities. Salt and shale, which exhibit behavior closer to that of a continuum, are not considered here. This paper discusses both the generic rock mechanics R and D, which are required for repository design, as well as examples of projects related to hard rock waste storage. The examples include programs in basalt (Hanford/Washington), in granitic rocks (Climax/Nevada Test Site, Idaho Springs/Colorado, Pinawa/Canada, Oracle/Arizona, and Stripa/Sweden), and in tuff

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Annual report 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-06-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory constitutes an important component of SKB's work to design, construct, and implement a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of selected repository sites. The retention effect of the rock has been studied by tracer tests in the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) and the TRUE Block Scale (TRUE BS). These tests are supplemented by the new Long Term Diffusion Experiment (LTDE). During year 2000 the field experiments of TRUE BS (50 m scale) were completed and preparations made for the LTDE (migration through a fracture wall and into the rock), including boring of approximately 10 m deep hole with 300 mm diameter. Laboratory investigations have difficulties in simulating natural conditions and need supplementary field studies to support validation exercises. A special borehole probe, CHEMLAB, has therefore been designed for different kinds of validation experiments where data can be obtained representative for the in-situ properties of groundwater at repository depth. During 2000 migration experiments were made with actinides (Am, Np and Pu) in CHEMLAB 2, the simplified supplement to CHEMLAB 1. Colloids of nuclides as well as of bentonite might affect the migration of released radionuclides and a separate project was planned during 2000 to assess the existence, stability and mobility of colloids. The development of numerical modelling tools continues with the general objective to improve the numerical models in terms of flow and transport and to update the site-scale and laboratory scale models for the Aespoe HRL. The Matrix Fluid Chemistry project aims at determining the origin and age of matrix fluids and the experiment has been designed to sample matrix fluids from predetermined, isolated borehole sections by specialised equipment. The Aespoe HRL also has the task to demonstrate and perform full scale tests of the function of different components of

Laboratory rock mechanics testing manual. Public draft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shuri, F S; Cooper, J D; Hamill, M L

1981-10-01

Standardized laboratory rock mechanics testing procedures have been prepared for use in the National Terminal Waste Storage Program. The procedures emphasize equipment performance specifications, documentation and reporting, and Quality Assurance acceptance criteria. Sufficient theoretical background is included to allow the user to perform the necessary data reduction. These procedures incorporate existing standards when possible, otherwise they represent the current state-of-the-art. Maximum flexibility in equipment design has been incorporated to allow use of this manual by existing groups and to encourage future improvements.

Microseismicity of an Unstable Rock Mass: From Field Monitoring to Laboratory Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Colombero, C.; Comina, C.; Vinciguerra, S.; Benson, P. M.

2018-02-01

The field-scale microseismic (MS) activity of an unstable rock mass is known to be an important tool to assess damage and cracking processes eventually leading to macroscopic failures. However, MS-event rates alone may not be enough for a complete understanding of the trigger mechanisms of mechanical instabilities. Acoustic Emission (AE) techniques at the laboratory scale can be used to provide complementary information. In this study, we report a MS/AE comparison to assess the stability of a granitic rock mass in the northwestern Italian Alps (Madonna del Sasso). An attempt to bridge the gap between the two different scales of observation, and the different site and laboratory conditions, is undertaken to gain insights on the rock mass behavior as a function of external governing factors. Time- and frequency-domain parameters of the MS/AE waveforms are compared and discussed with this aim. At the field scale, special attention is devoted to the correlation of the MS-event rate with meteorological parameters (air temperature and rainfalls). At the laboratory scale, AE rates, waveforms, and spectral content, recorded under controlled temperature and fluid conditions, are analyzed in order to better constrain the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed field patterns. The factors potentially governing the mechanical instability at the site were retrieved from the integration of the results. Abrupt thermal variations were identified as the main cause of the site microsesimicity, without highlighting irreversible acceleration in the MS-event rate potentially anticipating the rock mass collapse.

GRS' research on clay rock in the Mont Terri underground laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieczorek, Klaus; Czaikowski, Oliver [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit gGmbH, Braunschweig (Germany)

2016-07-15

For constructing a nuclear waste repository and for ensuring the safety requirements are met over very long time periods, thorough knowledge about the safety-relevant processes occurring in the coupled system of waste containers, engineered barriers, and the host rock is indispensable. For respectively targeted research work, the Mont Terri rock laboratory is a unique facility where repository research is performed in a clay rock environment. It is run by 16 international partners, and a great variety of questions are investigated. Some of the work which GRS as one of the Mont Terri partners is involved in is presented in this article. The focus is on thermal, hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of host rock and/or engineered barriers.

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Annual report 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory constitutes an important component of SKB's work to design, construct, and implement a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of selected repository sites. The retention effect of the rock has been studied by tracer tests in the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) and the TRUE Block Scale (TRUE BS). These tests are supplemented by the new Long Term Diffusion Experiment (LTDE). During year 2000 the field experiments of TRUE BS (50 m scale) were completed and preparations made for the LTDE (migration through a fracture wall and into the rock), including boring of approximately 10 m deep hole with 300 mm diameter. Laboratory investigations have difficulties in simulating natural conditions and need supplementary field studies to support validation exercises. A special borehole probe, CHEMLAB, has therefore been designed for different kinds of validation experiments where data can be obtained representative for the in-situ properties of groundwater at repository depth. During 2000 migration experiments were made with actinides (Am, Np and Pu) in CHEMLAB 2, the simplified supplement to CHEMLAB 1. Colloids of nuclides as well as of bentonite might affect the migration of released radionuclides and a separate project was planned during 2000 to assess the existence, stability and mobility of colloids. The development of numerical modelling tools continues with the general objective to improve the numerical models in terms of flow and transport and to update the site-scale and laboratory scale models for the Aespoe HRL. The Matrix Fluid Chemistry project aims at determining the origin and age of matrix fluids and the experiment has been designed to sample matrix fluids from predetermined, isolated borehole sections by specialised equipment. The Aespoe HRL also has the task to demonstrate and perform full scale tests of the function of different components of the

Experiments at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-12-01

A dress rehearsal is being held in preparation for the construction of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel at SKB's underground Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) on Aespoe, outside Oskarshamn. Here we can test different technical solutions on a full scale and in a realistic environment. The Aespoe HRL is also used for field research. We are conducting a number of experiments here in collaboration with Swedish and international experts. In the Zedex experiment we have compared how the rock is affected around a drill-and-blast tunnel versus a bored tunnel. In a new experiment we will investigate how much the rock can take. A narrow pillar between two boreholes will be loaded to the point that the rock's ultimate strength is exceeded (Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment). In the Demo Test we are demonstrating emplacement of the copper canisters and the surrounding bentonite in the deposition holes. In the Prototype Repository we study what long-term changes occur in the barriers under the conditions prevailing in a deep repository. Horizontal deposition: Is it possible to deposit the canisters horizontally without compromising safety? Backfill and Plug Test: The tunnels in the future deep repository for spent nuclear fuel will be filled with clay and crushed rock and then plugged. Canister Retrieval Test: If the deep repository should not perform satisfactorily for some reason, we want to be able to retrieve the spent fuel. The Lot test is intended to show how the bentonite behaves in an environment similar to that in the future deep repository. The purpose of the TBT test is to determine how the bentonite clay in the buffer is affected by high temperatures. Two-phase flow means that liberated gas in the groundwater flows separately in the fractures in the rock. This reduces the capacity of the rock to conduct water. Lasgit: By pressurizing a canister with helium, we can measure how the gas moves through the surrounding buffer. Colloid Project: Can very small particles

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Prototype Repository. Acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring results from deposition hole DA3545G01 in the Prototype Repository between April 2008 and September 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duckworth, D.; Haycox, J.; Pettitt, W.S. (Applied Seismology Consultants, Shrewsbury (United Kingdom))

2009-03-15

This report describes results from acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic monitoring around a canister deposition hole (DA3545G01) in the Prototype Repository Experiment at SKB's Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), Sweden. The monitoring aims to examine changes in the rock mass caused by an experimental repository environment, in particular due to thermal stresses induced from canister heating and pore pressures induced from tunnel sealing. Monitoring of this volume has previously been performed during excavation [Pettitt et al., 1999], and during stages of canister heating and tunnel pressurisation [Haycox et al., 2005a and 2005b; Haycox et al., 2006a and 2006b; Zolezzi et al., 2007 and Duckworth et al., 2008]. Further information on this monitoring can be found in Appendix I. This report covers the period between 1st April 2008 and 30th September 2008 and is the seventh instalment of the 6-monthly processing and interpretation of the results from the experiment.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Prototype Repository. Acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring results from deposition hole DA3545G01 in the Prototype Repository between April 2008 and September 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckworth, D.; Haycox, J.; Pettitt, W.S.

2009-03-01

This report describes results from acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic monitoring around a canister deposition hole (DA3545G01) in the Prototype Repository Experiment at SKB's Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), Sweden. The monitoring aims to examine changes in the rock mass caused by an experimental repository environment, in particular due to thermal stresses induced from canister heating and pore pressures induced from tunnel sealing. Monitoring of this volume has previously been performed during excavation [Pettitt et al., 1999], and during stages of canister heating and tunnel pressurisation [Haycox et al., 2005a and 2005b; Haycox et al., 2006a and 2006b; Zolezzi et al., 2007 and Duckworth et al., 2008]. Further information on this monitoring can be found in Appendix I. This report covers the period between 1st April 2008 and 30th September 2008 and is the seventh instalment of the 6-monthly processing and interpretation of the results from the experiment

Review of important rock mechanics studies required for underground high level nuclear waste repository program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, S.; Cho, W. J

2007-01-15

Disposal concept adapting room and pillar method, which is a confirmed technique in mining and tunnel construction for long time, has advantages at cost, safety, technical feasibility, flexibility, and international cooperation point of views. Then the important rock mechanics principals and in situ and laboratory tests for understanding the behavior of rock, buffer, and backfill as well as their interactions will be reviewed. The accurate understanding of them is important for developing a safe disposal concept and successful operation of underground repository for permanent disposal of radioactive wastes. First of all, In this study, current status of rock mechanics studies for HLW disposal in foreign countries such as Sweden, USA, Canada, Finland, Japan, and France were reviewed. After then the in situ and laboratory tests for site characterization were summarized. Furthermore, rock mechanics studies required during the whole procedure for the disposal project from repository design to the final closure will be reviewed systematically. This study will help for developing a disposal system including site selection, repository design, operation, maintenance, and closure of a repository in deep underground rock. By introducing the required rock mechanics tests at different stages, it would be helpful from the planning stage to the operation stage of a radioactive waste disposal project.

Review of important rock mechanics studies required for underground high level nuclear waste repository program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, S.; Cho, W. J.

2007-01-01

Disposal concept adapting room and pillar method, which is a confirmed technique in mining and tunnel construction for long time, has advantages at cost, safety, technical feasibility, flexibility, and international cooperation point of views. Then the important rock mechanics principals and in situ and laboratory tests for understanding the behavior of rock, buffer, and backfill as well as their interactions will be reviewed. The accurate understanding of them is important for developing a safe disposal concept and successful operation of underground repository for permanent disposal of radioactive wastes. First of all, In this study, current status of rock mechanics studies for HLW disposal in foreign countries such as Sweden, USA, Canada, Finland, Japan, and France were reviewed. After then the in situ and laboratory tests for site characterization were summarized. Furthermore, rock mechanics studies required during the whole procedure for the disposal project from repository design to the final closure will be reviewed systematically. This study will help for developing a disposal system including site selection, repository design, operation, maintenance, and closure of a repository in deep underground rock. By introducing the required rock mechanics tests at different stages, it would be helpful from the planning stage to the operation stage of a radioactive waste disposal project

Fifteen years of microbiological investigation in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leupin, O.X. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Bernier-Latmani, R.; Bagnoud, A. [Swiss Federal Office of Technology EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland); Moors, H.; Leys, N.; Wouters, K. [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Stroes-Gascoyne, S. [University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon (Canada)

2017-04-15

Microbiological studies related to the geological disposal of radioactive waste have been conducted at the Mont Terri rock laboratory in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for a deep geologic repository, since 2002. The metabolic potential of microorganisms and their response to excavation-induced effects have been investigated in undisturbed and disturbed claystone cores and in pore- (borehole) water. Results from nearly 15 years of research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory have shown that microorganisms can potentially affect the environment of a repository by influencing redox conditions, metal corrosion and gas production and consumption under favourable conditions. However, the activity of microorganisms in undisturbed Opalinus Clay is limited by the very low porosity, the low water activity, and the largely recalcitrant nature of organic matter in the claystone formation. The presence of microorganisms in numerous experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory has suggested that excavation activities and perturbation of the host rock combined with additional contamination during the installation of experiments in boreholes create favourable conditions for microbial activity by providing increased space, water and substrates. Thus effects resulting from microbial activity might be expected in the proximity of a geological repository i.e., in the excavation damaged zone, the engineered barriers, and first containments (the containers). (authors)

Fifteen years of microbiological investigation in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leupin, O.X.; Bernier-Latmani, R.; Bagnoud, A.; Moors, H.; Leys, N.; Wouters, K.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.

2017-01-01

Microbiological studies related to the geological disposal of radioactive waste have been conducted at the Mont Terri rock laboratory in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for a deep geologic repository, since 2002. The metabolic potential of microorganisms and their response to excavation-induced effects have been investigated in undisturbed and disturbed claystone cores and in pore- (borehole) water. Results from nearly 15 years of research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory have shown that microorganisms can potentially affect the environment of a repository by influencing redox conditions, metal corrosion and gas production and consumption under favourable conditions. However, the activity of microorganisms in undisturbed Opalinus Clay is limited by the very low porosity, the low water activity, and the largely recalcitrant nature of organic matter in the claystone formation. The presence of microorganisms in numerous experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory has suggested that excavation activities and perturbation of the host rock combined with additional contamination during the installation of experiments in boreholes create favourable conditions for microbial activity by providing increased space, water and substrates. Thus effects resulting from microbial activity might be expected in the proximity of a geological repository i.e., in the excavation damaged zone, the engineered barriers, and first containments (the containers). (authors)

ASEA reduces nuclear waste in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1977-01-01

ASEA, the worldwide manufacturer of electrical and mechanical equipment with headquarters in Vasteras, Sweden, is working on the development of a method using hot isostatic pressing for the safe containment and storage of nuclear waste. This development work is being carried out at the company's High-Pressure Laboratory at Robertsfors, in the north of Sweden

Theoretical and laboratory investigations of flow through fractures in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witherspoon, P.A.; Watkins, D.J.; Tsang, Y.W.

1981-01-01

A theoretical model developed for flow through a deformable fracture subject to stresses was successfully tested against laboratory experiments. The model contains no arbitrary parameters and can be used to predict flow rates through a single fracture if the fractional fracture contact area can be estimated and if stress-deformation data are available. These data can be obtained from laboratory or in situ tests. The model has considerable potential for practical application. The permeability of ultralarge samples of fractured crystalline rock as a function of stresses was measured. Results from tests on a pervasively fractured 1-m-diameter specimen of granitic rock showed that drastically simplifying assumptions must be used to apply theoretical models to this type of rock mass. Simple models successfully reproduce the trend of reduced permeability as stress is applied in a direction normal to the fracture plane. The tests also demonstrated how fracture conductivity increases as a result of dilatancy associated with shear displacements. The effect of specimen size on the hydraulic properties of fractured rock was also investigated. Permeability tests were performed on specimens of charcoal black granite containing a single fracture subjected to normal stress. Results are presented for tests performed on a 0.914-m-diameter specimen and on the same specimen after it had been reduced to 0.764 m in diameter. The data show that fracture conductivity is sensitive to stress history and sample disturbance

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Overview of the investigations 1986-1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanfors, R.; Erlstroem, M.; Markstroem, I.

1991-06-01

In order to prepare for the siting and licensing of a spent fuel repository SKB has decided to construct a new underground research laboratory. The pre-investigations for the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory started in late 1986. This report gives a comprehensive compilation of the different investigations performed during the pre-investigation phase (1986-1990). The information is mainly compiled in CAD-generated maps and illustrations in which the reader can gather information concerning the scope of work as well as references to more detailed reports for further study. (au)

Radioactive waste storage in mined caverns in crystalline rock: results of field investigations at Stripa, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witherspoon, P.A.

1980-10-01

It is generally agreed that the most practicable method of isolating nuclear wastes from the biosphere is by deep burial in suitable geologic formations. Such burial achieves a high degree of physical isolation but raises questions concerning the rate at which some of these wastes may return to the biosphere through transport by groundwater. Any suitable repository site will be disturbed first by excavation and second by the thermal pulse caused by the radioactive decay of the wastes. To assess the effectiveness of geologic isolation it is necessary to develop the capability of predicting the response of a rock mass to such a thermal pulse. Ultimately, this requires field measurements below the surface in media representative of those likely to be encountered at an actual repository. Access to a granitic rock mass adjacent to a defunct iron ore mine at Stripa, Sweden, at a depth of about 350 m below surface has provided a unique opportunity to conduct a comprehensive suite of hydrological and thermo-mechanical experiments under such conditions. The results of these field tests have shown the importance of geologic structure and the functional dependence of the thermo-mechanical properties on temperature in developing a valid predictive model. The results have also demonstrated the vital importance of carrying out large-scale investigations in a field test facility

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-06-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn constitutes an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its associated research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. Most of the research is focused on processes of importance for the long-term safety of a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. Demonstration addresses the performance of the engineered barriers and practical means of constructing and operating a repository for spent fuel. To meet the overall time schedule for SKB's RD and D work, the following stage goals were initially defined for the work at the Aespoe HRL: 1. Verify pre-investigation methods. Demonstrate that investigations on the ground surface and in boreholes provide sufficient data on essential safety-related properties of the rock at repository level. 2. Finalise detailed investigation methodology. Refine and verify the methods and the technology needed for characterisation of the rock in the detailed site investigations. 3. Test models for description of the barrier functions at natural conditions. Further develop, and at repository depth, test methods and models for description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration and chemical conditions during operation of a repository and after closure. 4. Demonstrate technology for and function of important

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-06-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn constitutes an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995 and considerable international interest has been shown in its associated research, as well as in the development and demonstration tasks. Most of the research is focused on processes of importance for the long-term safety of a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. Demonstration addresses the performance of the engineered barriers and practical means of constructing and operating a repository for spent fuel. To meet the overall time schedule for SKB's RD and D work, the following stage goals were initially defined for the work at the Aespoe HRL: 1. Verify pre-investigation methods. Demonstrate that investigations on the ground surface and in boreholes provide sufficient data on essential safety-related properties of the rock at repository level. 2. Finalise detailed investigation methodology. Refine and verify the methods and the technology needed for characterisation of the rock in the detailed site investigations. 3. Test models for description of the barrier functions at natural conditions. Further develop, and at repository depth, test methods and models for description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration and chemical conditions during operation of a repository and after closure. 4. Demonstrate technology for and function of important parts of the

Prehistoric Rock Structures of the Idaho National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brenda R Pace

2007-04-01

Over the past 13,500 years, human populations have lived in and productively utilized the natural resources offered by the cold desert environment of the northeastern Snake River Plain in eastern Idaho. Within an overall framework of hunting and gathering, groups relied on an intimate familiarity with the natural world and developed a variety of technologies to extract the resources that they needed to survive. Useful items were abundant and found everywhere on the landscape. Even the basaltic terrain and the rocks, themselves, were put to productive use. This paper presents a preliminary classification scheme for rock structures built on the Idaho National Laboratory landscape by prehistoric aboriginal populations, including discussions of the overall architecture of the structures, associated artifact assemblages, and topographic placement. Adopting an ecological perspective, the paper concludes with a discussion of the possible functions of these unique resources for the desert populations that once called the INL home.

The Mont Terri rock laboratory: International research in the Opalinus Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossart, P.

2015-01-01

This article reports on a visit made to the rock laboratory in Mont Terri, Switzerland, where research is being done concerning rock materials that can possibly be used for the implementation of repositories for nuclear wastes. Emphasis is placed on the project’s organisation, rock geology and on-going experiments. International organisations also involved in research on nuclear waste repositories are listed. The research facilities in tunnels built in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri site are described. The geology of Opalinus Clay and the structures found in the research tunnels are discussed, as is the hydro-geological setting. The research programme and various institutions involved are listed and experiments carried out are noted. The facilities are now also being used for research on topics related to carbon sequestration

Proceedings of a technical session on rock mechanics ''Advance in laboratory sample testing''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Come, B.

1984-01-01

This report brings together a series of papers about rock mechanics. The meeting was divided into three sessions, which dealt with the three main types of rock formation currently considered in the CEC Programme: granite, clay and salt. Safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste involves the proper design of deep underground repositories. This necessitates an in-depth knowledge of the mechanical properties of the rock mass. The behaviour of the rock mass must be known both for the construction and the operation (heating effects) of the repository. Usually, the dominant factor for designing an underground structure is the fracturing of the rock mass. In the present case, the rock is chosen with a very low fracturing. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the formation are mainly those of the rock matrix. These properties are obtained, at least in a first exploratory step, by laboratory testing of rock samples obtained by core-drilling from surface. This aspect of rock characterization was thought to deserve a special technical meeting, in order to bring together most of the results obtained in this field by contracting partners of the CEC for the years 1980-82

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-04-01

The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology - besides mapping of rock surfaces and drill cores a feasibility study concerning geological mapping techniques is performed, (2) Hydrogeology - completion of the modelling work for the detailed hydro-structural model for the -450 m level and monitoring/storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry - sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics - field work to determine the stress levels at which core disking occur followed by numerical modelling. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. At Aespoe HRL, experiments are performed under the conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth. The experiments are related to the rock, its properties and in situ environmental conditions. The aim is to provide information about the long-term function of natural and repository barriers. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. An important goal is to demonstrate technology for and the function of important parts of the repository system. This implies translation of current scientific knowledge and state-of- the-art technology into engineering practice applicable in a real repository. It is important that development, testing and demonstration of methods and procedures are conducted under realistic conditions and at an appropriate scale. A number of large-scale field

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-04-15

The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology - besides mapping of rock surfaces and drill cores a feasibility study concerning geological mapping techniques is performed, (2) Hydrogeology - completion of the modelling work for the detailed hydro-structural model for the -450 m level and monitoring/storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry - sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics - field work to determine the stress levels at which core disking occur followed by numerical modelling. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. At Aespoe HRL, experiments are performed under the conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth. The experiments are related to the rock, its properties and in situ environmental conditions. The aim is to provide information about the long-term function of natural and repository barriers. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. An important goal is to demonstrate technology for and the function of important parts of the repository system. This implies translation of current scientific knowledge and state-of- the-art technology into engineering practice applicable in a real repository. It is important that development, testing and demonstration of methods and procedures are conducted under realistic conditions and at an appropriate scale. A number of large-scale field

Twenty years of research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory: what we have learnt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bossart, P. [Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, Wabern (Switzerland)

2017-04-15

The 20 papers in this Special Issue address questions related to the safe deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. Here we summarize the main results of these papers related to issues such as: formation of the excavation damaged zone, self-sealing processes, thermo-hydro-mechanical processes, anaerobic corrosion, hydrogen production and effects of microbial activity, and transport and retention processes of radionuclides. In addition, we clarify the question of transferability of results to other sites and programs and the role of rock laboratories for cooperation and training. Finally, we address the important role of the Mont Terri rock laboratory for the public acceptance of radioactive waste disposal. (author)

Treatment and final disposal of nuclear waste. Aespoe hard rock laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-09-01

The scientific investigations within SBK's research programme are a part of the work of designing a deep repository and identifying and investigating a suitable site. A balanced appraisal of the facts, requirements and assessments presented in connection with the preparation of R and D-programme 86 led to the proposal to construct an underground research laboratory. This proposal was presented in the aforementioned research programme and was very positively recived by the reviewing bodies. In the autumn of 1986, SKB initiated the field work for the siting of an underground laboratory, the Aespoe hard rock laboratory, in the Simpevarp area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. At the end of 1988, SKB arrived at a decision in principle to site the facility on southern Aespoe about 2 km north of the Oskarshamn nuclear power station. After regulatory review, SKB ordered the excavation of the access tunnel to the Aespoe hard rock laboratory to commence in the autumn of 1990. In conjunction with the tunneling work, which has now (September 1992) reached a depth of more than 200 m, a large number of investigations have been carried out. This background report to SKB's RD and D-programme 92 is based on the previous and 89 /2/. The report provides a general background and presents goals, projects results obtained to date and future work. Compared to the previous background reports, more space is devoted here to experiment planning and the future demonstration programme. (au)

Synopsis of strontium isotope variations in groundwater at Aspo, southern Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Peterman, Z.E.; Wallin, B.

1999-01-01

Strontium isotope ratios are used to identify end-member ground-water compositions at Aspo in southeastern Sweden where the Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) has been constructed to evaluate the suitability of crystalline rock for the geologic disposal of nuclear waste. The Hard Rock Laboratory is a decline (tunnel) constructed in 1.8 Ga-old granitic rock that forms islands in an archipelago along the Swedish coast. Ground-water samples were obtained for isotopic analyses from boreholes drilled from the surface and from side boreholes drilled within the HRL. Infiltration at Aspo occurs primarily through fractures zones in the granitic bedrock beneath thin soils throughout the area. Because of extremely low Sr concentrations, rain and snow are not important contributors to the Sr isotope budget of the ground-water system. At shallow levels, water percolating downward along fractures and fracture zones acquires a ??87Sr between +9.5 and +10.0??? and maintains this value downward while Sr concentrations increase by two orders of magnitude. Ground-water samples from both boreholes and from in the HRL show the effects of mixing with saline waters containing as much as 59 mg/L Sr and ??87Sr values as large as +13.92%, Baltic Sea water is a potential component of the groundwater system with ??87Sr values only slightly larger than modern marine values (+0.3???) but with much lower concentrations (1.5 mg/L) than ocean water (8 mg/L). However, because of large Sr concentration differences between the saline groundwater (59 mg/L) and Baltic Sea water (1.5 rag/L), ??87Sr values are not particularly sensitive indicators of sea-water intrusion even though their ??87Sr values differ substantially.

SITE-94. Natural elemental mass movement in the vicinity of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, W.M.; Smith, G.M.; Towler, P.A.; Savage, D.

1997-05-01

The primary objective of this study is to quantify natural elemental fluxes at a location exhibiting typical characteristics of a site for a spent fuel repository in Sweden. The relevant pathways are considered to be: Groundwater transport; Glacial erosion; Non-glacial weathering; River transport. Calculations are made of elemental mass fluxes from a volume of rock equivalent to that which would hold a KBS-3 style repository. In addition, the radioactive flux associated with the natural series radionuclide mass fluxes from the repository are also calculated. These can be compared directly to performance assessment predictions of the releases from a repository. 88 refs, 13 figs, 24 tabs

SITE-94. Natural elemental mass movement in the vicinity of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, W.M.; Smith, G.M.; Towler, P.A.; Savage, D. [QuantiSci, Melton Mowbray (United Kingdom)

1997-05-01

The primary objective of this study is to quantify natural elemental fluxes at a location exhibiting typical characteristics of a site for a spent fuel repository in Sweden. The relevant pathways are considered to be: Groundwater transport; Glacial erosion; Non-glacial weathering; River transport. Calculations are made of elemental mass fluxes from a volume of rock equivalent to that which would hold a KBS-3 style repository. In addition, the radioactive flux associated with the natural series radionuclide mass fluxes from the repository are also calculated. These can be compared directly to performance assessment predictions of the releases from a repository. 88 refs, 13 figs, 24 tabs.

Rock stability considerations for siting and constructing a KBS-3 repository. Based on experiences from Aespoe HRL, AECL's URL, tunnelling and mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, C.D. [Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada); Christiansson, Rolf [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Soederhaell, J. [VBB VIAK AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2001-12-01

Over the past 25 years the international nuclear community has carried out extensive research into the deep geological disposal of nuclear waste in hard rocks. In two cases this research has resulted in the construction of dedicated underground research facilities: SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden and AECL's Underground Research Laboratory, Canada. Both laboratories are located in hard rocks considered representative of the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields, respectively. This report is intended to synthesize the important rock mechanics findings from these research programs. In particular the application of these finding to assessing the stability of underground openings. As such the report draws heavily on the published results from the SKB's ZEDEX Experiment in Sweden and AECL's Mine- by Experiment in Canada. The objectives of this report are to: 1. Describe, using the current state of knowledge, the role rock engineering can play in siting and constructing a KBS-3 repository. 2. Define the key rock mechanics parameters that should be determined in order to facilitate repository siting and construction. 3. Discuss possible construction issues, linked to rock stability, that may arise during the excavation of the underground openings of a KBS-3 repository. 4. Form a reference document for the rock stability analysis that has to be carried out as a part of the design works parallel to the site investigations. While there is no unique or single rock mechanics property or condition that would render the performance of a nuclear waste repository unacceptable, certain conditions can be treated as negative factors. Outlined below are major rock mechanics issues that should be addressed during the siting, construction and closure of a nuclear waste repository in Sweden in hard crystalline rock. During the site investigations phase, rock mechanics information will be predominately gathered from examination and testing of the rock core and

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-06-01

The Aespoe HRL was opened in 1994 as a research centre and underground laboratory. The experiments performed in Aespoe HRL are related to the rock, its properties, and in situ environmental conditions. Tests of models for groundwater flow, radionuclide migration and chemical/biological processes are some of the main purposes of the Aespoe HRL. The programme includes projects with the aim to evaluate the usefulness and reliability of different models and to develop and test methods for determination of parameters required as input to conceptual and numerical models. The retardation in rock is studied at different experiment scales in a programme called Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE). The Long Term Diffusion Experiment constitutes a complement to performed diffusion and sorption laboratory experiments, and is a natural extension of the experiments conducted as part of the TRUE experiments. Radionuclide retention experiments are carried out with the aim to confirm result from laboratory experiments in situ, where conditions representative for the properties of groundwater at repository depth prevail. In CHEMLAB 1 two kinds of experiments to study the influence of radiolysis on the mobility of technetium in bentonite were started in the end of 2002. Experiments to study migration of actinides in natural fractures in drill cores are being carried out in CHELMAB 2. The findings of potential transport of solutes by colloids and access to more sensitive instruments for colloid measurements motivated a Colloid Project at Aespoe HRL. There are presently four specific microbial process areas identified that are of importance for proper repository functions and that are studied in the Microbe Project. The process areas are; biomobilisation of radionuclides, bioimmobilisation of radionuclides, microbial effects on the chemical stability, and microbial corrosion of copper. The main objectives of the Matrix Fluid Chemistry experiment are to understand the

Site investigations: Strategy for rock mechanics site descriptive model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Johan; Christiansson, Rolf; Hudson, John

2002-05-01

As a part of the planning work for the Site Investigations, SKB has developed a Rock Mechanics Site Descriptive Modelling Strategy. Similar strategies are being developed for other disciplines. The objective of the strategy is that it should guide the practical implementation of evaluating site specific data during the Site Investigations. It is also understood that further development may be needed. This methodology enables the crystalline rock mass to be characterised in terms of the quality at different sites, for considering rock engineering constructability, and for providing the input to numerical models and performance assessment calculations. The model describes the initial stresses and the distribution of deformation and strength properties of the intact rock, of fractures and fracture zones, and of the rock mass. The rock mass mechanical properties are estimated by empirical relations and by numerical simulations. The methodology is based on estimation of mechanical properties using both empirical and heroretical/numerical approaches; and estimation of in situ rock stress using judgement and numerical modelling, including the influence of fracture zones. These approaches are initially used separately, and then combined to produce the required characterisation estimates. The methodology was evaluated with a Test Case at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. The quality control aspects are an important feature of the methodology: these include Protocols to ensure the structure and coherence of the procedures used, regular meetings to enhance communication, feedback from internal and external reviewing, plus the recording of an audit trail of the development steps and decisions made. The strategy will be reviewed and, if required, updated as appropriate

Site investigations: Strategy for rock mechanics site descriptive model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Johan [JA Streamflow AB, Aelvsjoe (Sweden); Christiansson, Rolf [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Hudson, John [Rock Engineering Consultants, Welwyn Garden City (United Kingdom)

2002-05-01

As a part of the planning work for the Site Investigations, SKB has developed a Rock Mechanics Site Descriptive Modelling Strategy. Similar strategies are being developed for other disciplines. The objective of the strategy is that it should guide the practical implementation of evaluating site specific data during the Site Investigations. It is also understood that further development may be needed. This methodology enables the crystalline rock mass to be characterised in terms of the quality at different sites, for considering rock engineering constructability, and for providing the input to numerical models and performance assessment calculations. The model describes the initial stresses and the distribution of deformation and strength properties of the intact rock, of fractures and fracture zones, and of the rock mass. The rock mass mechanical properties are estimated by empirical relations and by numerical simulations. The methodology is based on estimation of mechanical properties using both empirical and heroretical/numerical approaches; and estimation of in situ rock stress using judgement and numerical modelling, including the influence of fracture zones. These approaches are initially used separately, and then combined to produce the required characterisation estimates. The methodology was evaluated with a Test Case at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. The quality control aspects are an important feature of the methodology: these include Protocols to ensure the structure and coherence of the procedures used, regular meetings to enhance communication, feedback from internal and external reviewing, plus the recording of an audit trail of the development steps and decisions made. The strategy will be reviewed and, if required, updated as appropriate.

Swedish Hard Rock Laboratory first evaluation of preinvestigations 1986-87 and target area characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafson, G.; Stanfors, R.; Wikberg, P.

1988-06-01

SKB plans to site an underground research laboratory in the Simpevarp area. A regional survey started in 1986 and an extensive programme for geology, geohydrology and hydrochemistry was carried through. This report gives an evaluation of all available data gathered from the start of the project up to the drilling of core boreholes in some target areas in the autumn of 1987. A descriptive geological-tectonic model on a regional scale is presented that is intended to constitute a basis for the hydrogeological modelling work. Preliminary rock mass descriptions are also presented on a more detailed scale for some minor parts of the area. It is recommended that the island Aespoe is the principal target area for the continued work on the Swedish Hard Rock Laboratory. (orig.)

Rock stability considerations for siting and constructing a KBS-3 repository. Based on experiences from Aespoe HRL, AECL's URL, tunnelling and mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, C.D.; Christiansson, Rolf; Soederhaell, J.

2001-12-01

Over the past 25 years the international nuclear community has carried out extensive research into the deep geological disposal of nuclear waste in hard rocks. In two cases this research has resulted in the construction of dedicated underground research facilities: SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden and AECL's Underground Research Laboratory, Canada. Both laboratories are located in hard rocks considered representative of the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields, respectively. This report is intended to synthesize the important rock mechanics findings from these research programs. In particular the application of these finding to assessing the stability of underground openings. As such the report draws heavily on the published results from the SKB's ZEDEX Experiment in Sweden and AECL's Mine- by Experiment in Canada. The objectives of this report are to: 1. Describe, using the current state of knowledge, the role rock engineering can play in siting and constructing a KBS-3 repository. 2. Define the key rock mechanics parameters that should be determined in order to facilitate repository siting and construction. 3. Discuss possible construction issues, linked to rock stability, that may arise during the excavation of the underground openings of a KBS-3 repository. 4. Form a reference document for the rock stability analysis that has to be carried out as a part of the design works parallel to the site investigations. While there is no unique or single rock mechanics property or condition that would render the performance of a nuclear waste repository unacceptable, certain conditions can be treated as negative factors. Outlined below are major rock mechanics issues that should be addressed during the siting, construction and closure of a nuclear waste repository in Sweden in hard crystalline rock. During the site investigations phase, rock mechanics information will be predominately gathered from examination and testing of the rock core and mapping of the

Correlation of pre-earthquake electromagnetic signals with laboratory and field rock experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Bleier

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Analysis of the 2007 M5.4 Alum Rock earthquake near San José California showed that magnetic pulsations were present in large numbers and with significant amplitudes during the 2 week period leading up the event. These pulsations were 1–30 s in duration, had unusual polarities (many with only positive or only negative polarities versus both polarities, and were different than other pulsations observed over 2 years of data in that the pulse sequence was sustained over a 2 week period prior to the quake, and then disappeared shortly after the quake. A search for the underlying physics process that might explain these pulses was was undertaken, and one theory (Freund, 2002 demonstrated that charge carriers were released when various types of rocks were stressed in a laboratory environment. It was also significant that the observed charge carrier generation was transient, and resulted in pulsating current patterns. In an attempt to determine if this phenomenon occurred outside of the laboratory environment, the authors scaled up the physics experiment from a relatively small rock sample in a dry laboratory setting, to a large 7 metric tonne boulder comprised of Yosemite granite. This boulder was located in a natural, humid (above ground setting at Bass Lake, Ca. The boulder was instrumented with two Zonge Engineering, Model ANT4 induction type magnetometers, two Trifield Air Ion Counters, a surface charge detector, a geophone, a Bruker Model EM27 Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR spectrometer with Sterling cycle cooler, and various temperature sensors. The boulder was stressed over about 8 h using expanding concrete (Bustar^tm, until it fractured into three major pieces. The recorded data showed surface charge build up, magnetic pulsations, impulsive air conductivity changes, and acoustical cues starting about 5 h before the boulder actually broke. These magnetic and air conductivity pulse signatures resembled both the laboratory

Application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-05-15

The conference on application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining was held June 1-3, 1980, at the University of Luleaa, Sweden. The conference began with reviews of the application of rock mechanics to mining and back filling in Australia, Canada and the USA. More particular papers involved mines in Sweden, Italy, Australia (pre reinforcement of walls with steel cables cemented in) and at the Con Mine in Canada. Two papers involved backfill material and specifications. Eight papers involved the use of the mathematical models for calculating the stresses developed in the rock mass by computer calculations and therefore, the probable stability. Such calculations are particularly necessary in deep mines. Papers of general interest were entered individually into EDB. (LTN)

Laboratory testing of a long expansion rock bolt support for energy-absorbing applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skrzypkowski Krzysztof

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of rock support and reinforcement in underground mining is to maintain excavations safe and open for their intended lifespan. The basic type of rock mass reinforcement method both in ore and hard coal mining is rock bolt support. Very often, existing bolt support systems are not always capable of providing a reliable controlled performance. Therefore, in recent years energy-absorbing bolts which are exposed to dynamic loading, for example from rock burst caused by high rock stresses, earthquakes, or blasting have appeared. In this article particular attention was paid to short and long expansion bolts. Quasi-static tests of expansion bolts were carried out at the laboratory test facility in simulated mining conditions, especially for the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. mines. In the underground mines of the Legnica-Głogów Copper District (LGOM the main way to protect the room excavation is rock bolt support with a length from 1.2 m to 2.6 m. Rock bolt support longer than 2.6 m is considered as additional support of excavations and is increasingly being used to reinforce the roofs. The comparisons of energy-absorbing short and long expansion bolts with a length of 1.8m, 3.6m and 5.2m were presented. In addition, for elastic and plastic range of each bolts were determined.

Laboratory testing of a long expansion rock bolt support for energy-absorbing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Skrzypkowski, Krzysztof

2018-01-01

The main purpose of rock support and reinforcement in underground mining is to maintain excavations safe and open for their intended lifespan. The basic type of rock mass reinforcement method both in ore and hard coal mining is rock bolt support. Very often, existing bolt support systems are not always capable of providing a reliable controlled performance. Therefore, in recent years energy-absorbing bolts which are exposed to dynamic loading, for example from rock burst caused by high rock stresses, earthquakes, or blasting have appeared. In this article particular attention was paid to short and long expansion bolts. Quasi-static tests of expansion bolts were carried out at the laboratory test facility in simulated mining conditions, especially for the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. mines. In the underground mines of the Legnica-Głogów Copper District (LGOM) the main way to protect the room excavation is rock bolt support with a length from 1.2 m to 2.6 m. Rock bolt support longer than 2.6 m is considered as additional support of excavations and is increasingly being used to reinforce the roofs. The comparisons of energy-absorbing short and long expansion bolts with a length of 1.8m, 3.6m and 5.2m were presented. In addition, for elastic and plastic range of each bolts were determined.

MBC model analysis for predicting the rock behavior in excavating the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Takayuki; Iwano, Keita; Nakajima, Makoto; Morikawa, Seiji; Tabei, Kazuto

2005-03-01

As a Phase 1 of MIU project (Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory project), through the laboratory and borehole in-situ tests, JNC Tono Geoscience Center plans to constitute the comprehensive geological model and predicts the rock behaviors in excavating the shaft and gallery. These model and results leads to be reflected by the next step research projects. So far, the Phase 1 of MIU project is coming to final stage, and the Phase 2 will start at next year in which the in-situ researches are planned through the excavation. In this study, the comprehensive geometrical model was drawn out through the Phase 1 data, and MBC model analysis was carried out to predict the rock mass behavior around the shaft and gallery. The following results are obtained. 1. With MIZ-1 borehole core, artificial joints, which are assumed to be produced by rock blasting, were formed through the Brazilian test. And through the rock shear test for these joints, these mechanical properties were obtained. 2. By examining the MIZ-1 borehole research data, Mizunami site was classified by mechanical and joint properties and the Geomechanical model were made up. 3. Through the MBC model, the shaft and gallery cases were analyzed which depend on the rock mass classification, Excavation Damaged Zone, and the direction of the galleries. These results showed that in most cases, the joint opening were little because of the rock stiffness, but by the existence of high inclined joints, the side wall of the galleries were damaged by the excavation. (author)

Application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-05-15

The conference on application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining was held June 1-3, 1980, at the University of Luleaa, Sweden. The papers in this volume deal almost entirely with the Naesliden project in Sweden. Stress measurements were made on the rock mass before and during mining and complex computer codes using the finite element method developed to calculate the strains and their changes as mining developed. Major problems involved the effects of joints and the mechanical properties of the hydraulic backfill and in corporating these items in the calculations. Most papers were entered individually into EDB. (LTN)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report May - August 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-11-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period May to August 2009

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report October - December 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-03-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2008/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the fourth quarter of 2008

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. September - December 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-05-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period September to December 2009

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report January - April 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-09-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period January to April 2009

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. April - June 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-07-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2005- 2010 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2004 /SKB 2004/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2007/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the second quarter 2007

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. April - June 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2005- 2010 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2004 /SKB 2004/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2007/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the second quarter 2007

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. July - September 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2008/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the third quarter of 2008

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. January - April 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-10-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period January to April 2010

Rock mass characterization for storage of nuclear waste in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witherspoon, P.A.; Nelson, P.; Doe, T.; Thorpe, R.; Paulsson, B.; Gale, J.; Forster, C.

1979-02-01

The rock mass characterization in granite adjacent to an iron mine at Stripa, Sweden is being carried out by four different methods. The mechanical characterization includes monitoring the responses to thermal loading of jointed rock in situ, and mechanical tests on cores from 25 mm to 1 m in diameter. Geological characterization includes detailed surface mapping, subsurface mapping, and core mapping. Geophysical characterization uses a variety of borehole techniques, with emphasis on sonic methods. The hydrologic characterization is done through injection tests, pump tests, water pressure measurements, and controlled inflow tests to tunnels. Since the data are not yet complete, only tentative conclusions can be drawn regarding the best combinations of techniques for rock-mass characterization. Mapping studies are useful in defining continuity and fracture-system geometry. They do not give aperture, a factor significant in terms of both water flow and the displacements due to heating. Of the geophysical techniques, sonic methods appear most effective in fracture definition; other methods, gamma and neutron particularly, give data on radionuclide and water content and need further analysis with geologic and hydrologic data to determine their significance. Hydrologic work yields primarily aperture data, which with fracture geometry can be used to calculate directional permeabilities. Pressure measurements may provide one means of assessing fracture continuity. Finally, laboratory tests on large cores suggest considerable refinement in testing techniques may be needed before stress-aperture data can be extrapolated from laboratory to field

Interim rock mass properties and conditions for analyses of a repository in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tammemagi, H.Y.; Chieslar, J.D.

1985-03-01

A summary of rock properties for generic crystalline rock is compiled from literature sources to provide the input data for analyses of a conceptual repository in crystalline rock. Frequency histograms, mean values and ranges of physical, mechanical, thermal, and thermomechanical properties, and the dependence of these properties on temperature are described. A description of the hydrogeologic properties of a crystalline rock mass and their dependence on depth is provided. In addition, the temperature gradients, mean annual surface temperature, and in situ stress conditions are summarized for the three regions of the United States currently under consideration to host a crystalline repository; i.e., the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern. Brief descriptions of the regional geology are also presented. Large-scale underground experiments in crystalline rock at Stripa, Sweden, and in Climax Stock in Nevada, are reviewed to assess whether the rock properties presented in this report are representative of in situ conditions. The suitability of each rock property and the sufficiency of its data base are described. 110 refs., 27 figs., 4 tabs

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. BIPS logging in borehole KAS09

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafsson, Jaana; Gustafsson, Christer (Malaa Geoscience AB (Sweden))

2010-01-15

This report includes the data gained in BIPS logging performed at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The logging operation presented here includes BIPS logging in the core drilled borehole KAS09. The objective for the BIPS logging was to observe the condition of KAS09 in order to restore the borehole in the hydrogeological monitoring programme.All measurements were conducted by Malaa Geoscience AB on October 9th 2009. The objective of the BIPS logging is to achieve information of the borehole including occurrence of rock types as well as determination of fracture distribution and orientation. This report describes the equipment used as well as the measurement procedures and data gained. For the BIPS survey, the result is presented as images. The basic conditions of the BIPS logging for geological mapping and orientation of structures are satisfying for borehole KAS09, although induced affects from the drilling on the borehole walls limit the visibility

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. BIPS logging in borehole KAS09

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafsson, Jaana; Gustafsson, Christer

2010-01-01

This report includes the data gained in BIPS logging performed at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The logging operation presented here includes BIPS logging in the core drilled borehole KAS09. The objective for the BIPS logging was to observe the condition of KAS09 in order to restore the borehole in the hydrogeological monitoring programme.All measurements were conducted by Malaa Geoscience AB on October 9th 2009. The objective of the BIPS logging is to achieve information of the borehole including occurrence of rock types as well as determination of fracture distribution and orientation. This report describes the equipment used as well as the measurement procedures and data gained. For the BIPS survey, the result is presented as images. The basic conditions of the BIPS logging for geological mapping and orientation of structures are satisfying for borehole KAS09, although induced affects from the drilling on the borehole walls limit the visibility

Time dependent fracture growth in intact crystalline rock: new laboratory procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Backers, T.; Stephansson, O.

2008-01-01

Short term laboratory tests to determine the strength of rock material are commonly used to assess stability of rock excavations. However, loading the rock below its short term strength may lead to delayed failure due to slow stable fracture growth. This time-dependent phenomenon is called subcritical fracture growth. A fracture mechanics based approach is applied in this study to determine the parameters describing subcritical fracture growth under Mode Ⅰ (tensile) and Mode Ⅱ (in-plane shear) loading in terms of the stress intensity factors of saturated granodiorite from the) Aespoe HRL. A statistical method is applied to data from three-point bending (tension) and Punch-Through Shear with Confining Pressure, PTS/CP, (shear) experiments. One population of each set-up was subjected to rapid loading tests yielding a strength probability distribution. A second population was loaded up to a certain fraction of the statistical percentage for failure and the time-to-failure was determined. From these two populations the subcritical fracture growth parameters were determined successfully. Earlier studies demonstrated subcritical fracture growth under Mode I loading conditions, but this study shows that under a Mode Ⅱ load time-dependent fracture growth exists as well. (authors)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report January - April 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-09-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period January to April 2009.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report October - December 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-03-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2008/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the fourth quarter of 2008.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. September - December 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-05-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period September to December 2009

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. January - April 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-10-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period January to April 2010

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report May - August 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-11-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2009/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period May to August 2009.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report May - August 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-02-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RD and D-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2010/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period May to August 2010.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. April - June 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-07-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2005- 2010 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2004 /SKB 2004/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2007/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the second quarter 2007

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report May - August 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RD and D-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2010/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period May to August 2010

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. July - September 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2008-07-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. The plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2008-2013 are presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2007 /SKB 2007/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report /SKB 2008/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the third quarter of 2008.

Commercial potential of natural gas storage in lined rock caverns (LRC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-11-01

The geologic conditions in many regions of the United States will not permit the development of economical high-deliverability gas storage in salt caverns. These regions include the entire Eastern Seaboard; several northern states, notably Minnesota and Wisconsin; many of the Rocky Mountain States; and most of the Pacific Northwest. In late 1997, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) Federal Energy Technology Center engaged Sofregaz US to investigate the commercialization potential of natural gas storage in Lined Rock Caverns (LRC). Sofregaz US teamed with Gaz de France and Sydkraft, who had formed a consortium, called LRC, to perform the study for the USDOE. Underground storage of natural gas is generally achieved in depleted oil and gas fields, aquifers, and solution-mined salt caverns. These storage technologies require specific geologic conditions. Unlined rock caverns have been used for decades to store hydrocarbons - mostly liquids such as crude oil, butane, and propane. The maximum operating pressure in unlined rock caverns is limited, since the host rock is never entirely impervious. The LRC technology allows a significant increase in the maximum operating pressure over the unlined storage cavern concept, since the gas in storage is completely contained with an impervious liner. The LRC technology has been under development in Sweden by Sydkraft since 1987. The development process has included extensive technical studies, laboratory testing, field tests, and most recently includes a storage facility being constructed in southern Sweden (Skallen). The LRC development effort has shown that the concept is technically and economically viable. The Skallen storage facility will have a rock cover of 115 meters (375 feet), a storage volume of 40,000 cubic meters (250,000 petroleum barrels), and a maximum operating pressure of 20 MPa (2,900 psi). There is a potential for commercialization of the LRC technology in the United States. Two regions were studied

Laboratory Detection and Analysis of Organic Compounds in Rocks Using HPLC and XRD Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Dragoi, D.; Kanik, I.; Bar-Cohen, Y.; Sherrit, S.; Tsapin, A.; Kulleck, J.

2004-01-01

In this work we describe an analytical method for determining the presence of organic compounds in rocks, limestone, and other composite materials. Our preliminary laboratory experiments on different rocks/limestone show that the organic component in mineralogical matrices is a minor phase on order of hundreds of ppm and can be better detected using high precision liquid chromatography (HPLC). The matrix, which is the major phase, plays an important role in embedding and protecting the organic molecules from the harsh Martian environment. Some rocks bear significant amounts of amino acids therefore, it is possible to identify these phases using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) by crystallizing the organic. The method of detection/analysis of organics, in particular amino acids, that have been associated with life will be shown in the next section.

Geomechanical analysis of excavation-induced rock mass behavior of faulted Opalinus clay at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory (Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoeny, R.

2014-01-01

Clay rock formations are potential host rocks for deep geological disposal of nuclear waste. However, they exhibit relatively low strength and brittle failure behaviour. Construction of underground openings in clay rocks may lead to the formation of an excavation damage zone (EDZ) in the near-field area of the tunnel. This has to be taken into account during risk assessment for waste-disposal facilities. To investigate the geomechanical processes associated with the rock mass response of faulted Opalinus Clay during tunnelling, a full-scale ‘mine-by’ experiment was carried out at the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory (URL) in Switzerland. In the ‘mine-by’ experiment, fracture network characteristics within the experimental section were characterized prior to and after excavation by integrating structural data from geological mapping of the excavation surfaces and from four pre- and post-excavation boreholes.The displacements and deformations in the surrounding rock mass were measured using geo-technical instrumentation including borehole inclinometers, extensometers and deflectometers, together with high-resolution geodetic displacement measurements and laser scanning measurements on the excavation surfaces. Complementary data was gathered from structural and geophysical characterization of the surrounding rock mass. Geological and geophysical techniques were used to analyse the structural and kinematic relationships between the natural and excavation-induced fracture network surrounding the ‘mine-by’ experiment. Integrating the results from seismic refraction tomography, borehole logging, and tunnel surface mapping revealed that spatial variations in fault frequency along the tunnel axis alter the rock mass deformability and strength. Failure mechanisms, orientation and frequency of excavation-induced fractures are significantly influenced by tectonic faults. On the side walls, extensional fracturing tangential to the tunnel circumference was the

Geomechanical analysis of excavation-induced rock mass behavior of faulted Opalinus clay at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thoeny, R.

2014-07-01

Clay rock formations are potential host rocks for deep geological disposal of nuclear waste. However, they exhibit relatively low strength and brittle failure behaviour. Construction of underground openings in clay rocks may lead to the formation of an excavation damage zone (EDZ) in the near-field area of the tunnel. This has to be taken into account during risk assessment for waste-disposal facilities. To investigate the geomechanical processes associated with the rock mass response of faulted Opalinus Clay during tunnelling, a full-scale ‘mine-by’ experiment was carried out at the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory (URL) in Switzerland. In the ‘mine-by’ experiment, fracture network characteristics within the experimental section were characterized prior to and after excavation by integrating structural data from geological mapping of the excavation surfaces and from four pre- and post-excavation boreholes.The displacements and deformations in the surrounding rock mass were measured using geo-technical instrumentation including borehole inclinometers, extensometers and deflectometers, together with high-resolution geodetic displacement measurements and laser scanning measurements on the excavation surfaces. Complementary data was gathered from structural and geophysical characterization of the surrounding rock mass. Geological and geophysical techniques were used to analyse the structural and kinematic relationships between the natural and excavation-induced fracture network surrounding the ‘mine-by’ experiment. Integrating the results from seismic refraction tomography, borehole logging, and tunnel surface mapping revealed that spatial variations in fault frequency along the tunnel axis alter the rock mass deformability and strength. Failure mechanisms, orientation and frequency of excavation-induced fractures are significantly influenced by tectonic faults. On the side walls, extensional fracturing tangential to the tunnel circumference was the

Porosity measurements of crystalline rocks by laboratory and geophysical methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexander, J.; Hall, D.H.; Storey, B.C.

1981-12-01

Porosity values of igneous and metamorphic crystalline rocks have been determined from core samples taken at specific depths from Altnabreac, by a combination of laboratory and geophysical techniques. Using resaturation and mercury injection methods in three laboratories within I.G.S., porosity values have been derived and the effect of variations in the measuring techniques and results obtained have been compared. Comparison of inter-laboratory porosity values illustrates that systematic errors are present, resulting in higher porosity values for samples subjected to re-testing. This is considered to be caused by the variable nature of the initial samples combined with the inability to completely dry or resaturate samples during a second testing. Geophysical techniques for determining in situ porosity using the neutron log have been carried out in borehole ALA. The neutron log has been calibrated with laboratory derived porosity values and an empirical formula derived enabling porosity values to be ascribed throughout the logged borehole ALA. Comparison of the porosity results from Altnabreac with crystalline samples elsewhere in America, Europe and the U.K. suggest that porosities at Altnabreac are lower than average. However, very few publications concerned with water movement in crystalline areas actually state the method used. (author)

Fracture toughness properties of rocks in Olkiluoto: Laboratory measurements 2008-2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siren, T.

2012-05-15

In Olkiluoto an underground rock characterization facility (ONKALO) for the final disposal site of spent nuclear fuel has been under thorough research many years, but further knowledge is needed on fracture toughness parameters. Fracture toughness parameters are important for example in fracture mechanics prediction for Posiva's Olkiluoto Spalling Experiment (POSE). This working report describes a laboratory campaign that was done between 2008 and 2009. The campaign aimed at determining the fracture mechanics parameters as well as density and ultrasonic velocities for Olkiluoto rocks. The specimens delivered were selected by Posiva; the core showed no damage and the quality of the delivered cores was good with varying sample diameter. Most of the test samples (9 out of 12) are gneissic rock. The Mode I fracture toughness was determined using two different methods to account for two different fracturing directions. The methods are the Chevron Bend (CB) test as proposed in the ISRM Suggested Method and a method based on the Brazilian Disk (BD) experiment. The Mode II fracture toughness was determined using the Punch-Through Shear with Confining Pressure experiment on the remaining pieces from the CB testing. The scatter in the results is very large, even within one piece of core sample. Usually the scatter of results is less than 5 %. The high scatter in the data at hand is believed to be due to the very inhomogeneous nature of the rock material. The magnitude of the determined Mode I fracture toughness compares well with available reported data for medium to coarse grained granitoide rocks. However the scatter of the mode II fracture toughness values is higher than experienced on other rock types, but the variability is reasonable for the inhomogeneous rock type. Distinguishing the fracture toughness values for different anisotropy directions would require more thorough testing with quality samples at different anisotropy directions. However since fracture

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-07-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology - completion of the feasibility study concerning geological mapping techniques and mapping of rock surfaces in the new tunnel, (2) Hydrogeology - monitoring and storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry - sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics - field tests to evaluate the counterforce needed to prevent thermally-induced spalling in deposition holes. At Aespoe HRL, experiments are performed under the conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth. The aim is to provide information about the long-term function of natural and repository barriers. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. A number of large-scale field experiments and supporting activities concerning Engineered barriers are carried out at Aespoe HRL. The experiments focus on different aspects of engineering technology and performance testing: The Prototype Repository is a demonstration of the integrated function of the repository and provides a full-scale reference for tests of predictive models concerning individual components as well as the complete repository system; The Long Term Test of Buffer Material (Lot-experiment) aims at validating models and hypotheses concerning physical properties in a bentonite buffer material and of related processes regarding microbiology, radionuclide transport, copper corrosion and gas transport; The objective of the project Alternative Buffer

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-07-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is an important part of SKB's work with the design and construction of a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The main activities in the geoscientific fields have been: (1) Geology - completion of the feasibility study concerning geological mapping techniques and mapping of rock surfaces in the new tunnel, (2) Hydrogeology - monitoring and storage of data in the computerised Hydro Monitoring System, (3) Geochemistry - sampling of groundwater in the yearly campaign and for specific experiments and (4) Rock Mechanics - field tests to evaluate the counterforce needed to prevent thermally-induced spalling in deposition holes. At Aespoe HRL, experiments are performed under the conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth. The aim is to provide information about the long-term function of natural and repository barriers. Experiments are performed to develop and test methods and models for the description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions at repository depth. The programme includes projects which aim to determine parameter values that are required as input to the conceptual and numerical models. A number of large-scale field experiments and supporting activities concerning Engineered barriers are carried out at Aespoe HRL. The experiments focus on different aspects of engineering technology and performance testing: The Prototype Repository is a demonstration of the integrated function of the repository and provides a full-scale reference for tests of predictive models concerning individual components as well as the complete repository system; The Long Term Test of Buffer Material (Lot-experiment) aims at validating models and hypotheses concerning physical properties in a bentonite buffer material and of related processes regarding microbiology, radionuclide transport, copper corrosion and gas transport; The objective of the project Alternative

In-situ experiments on bentonite-based buffer and sealing materials at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Gaus, I. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Mayor, J. C. [Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos SA (ENRESA), Madrid (Spain); and others

2017-04-15

Repository concepts in clay or crystalline rock involve bentonite-based buffer or seal systems to provide containment of the waste and limit advective flow. A thorough understanding of buffer and seal evolution is required to make sure the safety functions are fulfilled in the short and long term. Experiments at the real or near-real scale taking into account the interaction with the host rock help to make sure the safety-relevant processes are identified and understood and to show that laboratory-scale findings can be extrapolated to repository scale. Three large-scale experiments on buffer and seal properties performed in recent years at the Mont Terri rock laboratory are presented in this paper: The 1:2 scale HE-E heater experiment which is currently in operation, and the full-scale engineered barrier experiment and the Borehole Seal experiment which have been completed successfully in 2014 and 2012, respectively. All experiments faced considerable difficulties during installation, operation, evaluation or dismantling that required significant effort to overcome. The in situ experiments show that buffer and seal elements can be constructed meeting the expectations raised through small-scale testing. It was, however, also shown that interaction with the host rock caused additional effects in the buffer or seal that could not always be quantified or even anticipated from the experience of small-scale tests (such as re-saturation by pore-water from the rock, interaction with the excavation damaged zone in terms of preferential flow or mechanical effects). This led to the conclusion that testing of the integral system buffer/rock or seal/rock is needed. (authors)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. September - December 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-04-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. In September 2010, the plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2011-2016 were presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2010 /SKB 2010a/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report and the information valid for 2010 is given in /SKB 2010b/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period September to December 2010

Commercial potential of natural gas storage in lined rock caverns (LRC); FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NONE

1999-01-01

The geologic conditions in many regions of the United States will not permit the development of economical high-deliverability gas storage in salt caverns. These regions include the entire Eastern Seaboard; several northern states, notably Minnesota and Wisconsin; many of the Rocky Mountain States; and most of the Pacific Northwest. In late 1997, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) Federal Energy Technology Center engaged Sofregaz US to investigate the commercialization potential of natural gas storage in Lined Rock Caverns (LRC). Sofregaz US teamed with Gaz de France and Sydkraft, who had formed a consortium, called LRC, to perform the study for the USDOE. Underground storage of natural gas is generally achieved in depleted oil and gas fields, aquifers, and solution-mined salt caverns. These storage technologies require specific geologic conditions. Unlined rock caverns have been used for decades to store hydrocarbons - mostly liquids such as crude oil, butane, and propane. The maximum operating pressure in unlined rock caverns is limited, since the host rock is never entirely impervious. The LRC technology allows a significant increase in the maximum operating pressure over the unlined storage cavern concept, since the gas in storage is completely contained with an impervious liner. The LRC technology has been under development in Sweden by Sydkraft since 1987. The development process has included extensive technical studies, laboratory testing, field tests, and most recently includes a storage facility being constructed in southern Sweden (Skallen). The LRC development effort has shown that the concept is technically and economically viable. The Skallen storage facility will have a rock cover of 115 meters (375 feet), a storage volume of 40,000 cubic meters (250,000 petroleum barrels), and a maximum operating pressure of 20 MPa (2,900 psi). There is a potential for commercialization of the LRC technology in the United States. Two regions were studied

The Usability of Rock-Like Materials for Numerical Studies on Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Zengin, Enes; Abiddin Erguler, Zeynal

2017-04-01

The approaches of synthetic rock material and mass are widely used by many researchers for understanding the failure behavior of different rocks. In order to model the failure behavior of rock material, researchers take advantageous of different techniques and software. But, the majority of all these instruments are based on distinct element method (DEM). For modeling the failure behavior of rocks, and so to create a fundamental synthetic rock material model, it is required to perform related laboratory experiments for providing strength parameters. In modelling studies, model calibration processes are performed by using parameters of intact rocks such as porosity, grain size, modulus of elasticity and Poisson ratio. In some cases, it can be difficult or even impossible to acquire representative rock samples for laboratory experiments from heavily jointed rock masses and vuggy rocks. Considering this limitation, in this study, it was aimed to investigate the applicability of rock-like material (e.g. concrete) to understand and model the failure behavior of rock materials having complex inherent structures. For this purpose, concrete samples having a mixture of %65 cement dust and %35 water were utilized. Accordingly, intact concrete samples representing rocks were prepared in laboratory conditions and their physical properties such as porosity, pore size and density etc. were determined. In addition, to acquire the mechanical parameters of concrete samples, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests were also performed by simultaneously measuring strain during testing. The measured physical and mechanical properties of these extracted concrete samples were used to create synthetic material and then uniaxial compressive tests were modeled and performed by using two dimensional discontinuum program known as Particle Flow Code (PFC2D). After modeling studies in PFC2D, approximately similar failure mechanism and testing results were achieved from both experimental and

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-11-01

Sweden, covers an area of approx. 450 000 square kilometers. It has a population of 8 millions. With few exceptions in the northern part the access can be regarded as good. A dense network of motorroads and railroad exists. The results obtained by the exploration works combined with other available geo-information permit a separation of two principal uranium provinces in Sweden. The first one is confined to sediments of Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician which appears in Southern Sweden and along the border of the Caledonian mountain range in Central Sweden. The uranium occurrence are stratiform, of blackshale type which occurs in the Peltura zone of Upper Cambrian or they are associated to a phosphatite-bearing unit of Lower Ordovician overlying the Cambrian shale formation. The distribution of uranium in Upper Cambrian rocks is in general dependant on their lithology which itself is related to the paleography. This conditions explain relatively higher uranium content of the shale from Billigen.The potential resources of the province are estimated at about 1 million tonnes uranium. The second uranium province, called Arjeplog-Arvidsjaur, situated immediately south of the Arctic circle, comprises one deposit - Pleutajokk - and a group of more than twenty occurrences of similar characteristics and age (1 700 - 1 800 my.). The results of the past exploration have shown that uranium is present in different types of rocks. Because of the presence of uranium in many of the pegmatites the possibility of the formation of large low grade deposits should be tested. Favourable areas are those regions where the geological conditions are similar to the geology of the Grenville province in Canada or the Damara belt of SW-Africa. Special studies are recommended on this subject

Management of low- and intermediate level waste in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, Jan

1999-01-01

This presentation describes how the management of radioactive waste is organised in Sweden, where Swedish law places the responsibility for such management with the waste generators. The four nuclear utilities have formed a joint company, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., SKB, to handle the nuclear waste. The Swedish waste management system includes a final repository for short-lived low level waste (LLW) and intermediate level waste (ILW) and an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and long-lived waste. Some very low-level, short-lived waste is disposed of in shallow-land repositories at the nuclear power stations. The final repository is situated in underground rock caverns close to the Forsmark nuclear power plant. The rock caverns have been excavated to a depth of more than 50 m beneath the Baltic Sea floor. LLW is compacted into bales or packaged in metal drums or cases that can be transported in standard freight containers. Radioactive materials used in other sectors such as hospitals are collected and packaged at Studsvik and later deposited in the deep repository. ILW is mixed with cement or bitumen and cast in cement or steel boxes or metal drums. The final repository has different chambers for different kinds of waste. The environmental impact of the repository is negligible. Because Sweden's nuclear power plants and the SKB facilities all are located on the coast, all the waste transport can be conducted by sea. The costs of managing and disposing of Sweden's nuclear waste are small compared to the price of electricity

Aespoe hard rock laboratory. Field investigation methodology and instruments used in the preinvestigation phase, 1986-1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almen, K.E.; Zellman, O.

1991-12-01

The Aespoe hard rock laboratory project started in 1986. The pre-investigation phase, 1986-1990, involved extensive field measurements from the surface as well as from boreholes, aimed at characterizing the rock formation with regard to geology, geohydrology, hydrochemistry and rock mechanics. The field investigation methodology used in the project was based on experience from and developments during the previous SKB study site investigation programme. However, in some respects the techniques were changed or modified. Major changes have been possible due to a new drilling technique, telescope-type drilling. This report describes the logistics of the investigation programme, characterized to a large extent by multi-purpose planning and performance of the activities in order to optimize the use of available resources; time, personnel and equipment. Preliminary hydraulic testing and groundwater sampling were conducted during the drilling of each borehole. When the drilling was completed an extensive set of singlehole investigations were carried out: geophysical logging, borehole radar, hydraulic tests of different kinds, water sampling and rock stress measurements. Multipackers were installed in the boreholes as soon as possible after the borehole investigations. The system enables monitoring of groundwater pressure, water sampling and groundwater flow measurements to be performed by means of dilution tests and tracer injection. Boreholes with such equipment were used as observation holes during interference pumping tests and long term hydraulic and tracer tests. The monitoring programme will continue during the subsequent phases of construction and operation of the Aespoe hard rock laboratory. (83 refs., 94 figs.) (au)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The TASS-tunnel. Geological mapping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardenby, Carljohan (Vattenfall Power Consultant AB (Sweden)); Sigurdsson, Oskar (HAskGeokonsult AB (Sweden))

2010-12-15

The project entitled 'Sealing of tunnel at great depth' (Fintaetning av tunnel paa stort djup) needed a new tunnel in an area as undisturbed as possible and with cross-cutting water-bearing structures. The new tunnel, which was given the name TASS, was excavated on the -450 m level of SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Aespoe HRL). The length of the tunnel is approximately 80 m and the theoretical tunnel area 19 m2. As is the case with all the other tunnels of the Aespoe HRL, the new tunnel has been geologically mapped. In addition, laser scanning combined with digital photography has been carried out. The tunnel was also used to test various types of explosives, borehole layouts and drilling techniques. The geological mapping of tunnel floor, walls and roof took place on four major occasions when a halt was made in tunnel excavation to allow for various tests. Before the mapping started on these occasions, laser scanning took place. The tunnel faces were mapped after each round (drilling, blasting and unloading). The present report describes the geological features of the tunnel and briefly how the laser scanning was performed. Water-bearing structures have been compared to similar structures in the neighbouring tunnels. The rock type names used here follow the old established Aespoe HRL nomenclature. Narrow (<0.1 m wide) dykes are normally mapped as fracture fillings. The dominating rock type is Aespoe diorite, which constitutes some 90 % of the rock mass. It is mostly mapped as fresh rock. . Minor constituents of the rock mass are fine-grained granite, hybrid rock, pegmatite, quartz veins/lenses and undifferentiated mafic rock. The mapping of fractures and deformation zones considers a number of parameters such as number of fractures, open/healed, width, length, description of fracture surfaces (roughness, planarity, etc), fracture filling, alteration and water. The deformation zones are discriminated into two main categories (&apos

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The TASS-tunnel. Geological mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardenby, Carljohan; Sigurdsson, Oskar

2010-12-01

The project entitled 'Sealing of tunnel at great depth' (Fintaetning av tunnel paa stort djup) needed a new tunnel in an area as undisturbed as possible and with cross-cutting water-bearing structures. The new tunnel, which was given the name TASS, was excavated on the -450 m level of SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Aespoe HRL). The length of the tunnel is approximately 80 m and the theoretical tunnel area 19 m 2 . As is the case with all the other tunnels of the Aespoe HRL, the new tunnel has been geologically mapped. In addition, laser scanning combined with digital photography has been carried out. The tunnel was also used to test various types of explosives, borehole layouts and drilling techniques. The geological mapping of tunnel floor, walls and roof took place on four major occasions when a halt was made in tunnel excavation to allow for various tests. Before the mapping started on these occasions, laser scanning took place. The tunnel faces were mapped after each round (drilling, blasting and unloading). The present report describes the geological features of the tunnel and briefly how the laser scanning was performed. Water-bearing structures have been compared to similar structures in the neighbouring tunnels. The rock type names used here follow the old established Aespoe HRL nomenclature. Narrow (<0.1 m wide) dykes are normally mapped as fracture fillings. The dominating rock type is Aespoe diorite, which constitutes some 90 % of the rock mass. It is mostly mapped as fresh rock. . Minor constituents of the rock mass are fine-grained granite, hybrid rock, pegmatite, quartz veins/lenses and undifferentiated mafic rock. The mapping of fractures and deformation zones considers a number of parameters such as number of fractures, open/healed, width, length, description of fracture surfaces (roughness, planarity, etc), fracture filling, alteration and water. The deformation zones are discriminated into two main categories ('increased fracturing' and

Characterisation and modelling of mixing processes in groundwaters of a potential geological repository for nuclear wastes in crystalline rocks of Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gómez, Javier B., E-mail: jgomez@unizar.es; Gimeno, María J., E-mail: mjgimeno@unizar.es; Auqué, Luis F., E-mail: lauque@unizar.es; Acero, Patricia, E-mail: patriace@unizar.es

2014-01-01

This paper presents the mixing modelling results for the hydrogeochemical characterisation of groundwaters in the Laxemar area (Sweden). This area is one of the two sites that have been investigated, under the financial patronage of the Swedish Nuclear Waste and Management Co. (SKB), as possible candidates for hosting the proposed repository for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. The classical geochemical modelling, interpreted in the light of the palaeohydrogeological history of the system, has shown that the driving process in the geochemical evolution of this groundwater system is the mixing between four end-member waters: a deep and old saline water, a glacial meltwater, an old marine water, and a meteoric water. In this paper we put the focus on mixing and its effects on the final chemical composition of the groundwaters using a comprehensive methodology that combines principal component analysis with mass balance calculations. This methodology allows us to test several combinations of end member waters and several combinations of compositional variables in order to find optimal solutions in terms of mixing proportions. We have applied this methodology to a dataset of 287 groundwater samples from the Laxemar area collected and analysed by SKB. The best model found uses four conservative elements (Cl, Br, oxygen-18 and deuterium), and computes mixing proportions with respect to three end member waters (saline, glacial and meteoric). Once the first order effect of mixing has been taken into account, water–rock interaction can be used to explain the remaining variability. In this way, the chemistry of each water sample can be obtained by using the mixing proportions for the conservative elements, only affected by mixing, or combining the mixing proportions and the chemical reactions for the non-conservative elements in the system, establishing the basis for predictive calculations. - Highlights: • Laxemar (Sweden) groundwater is the combined result

Characterisation and modelling of mixing processes in groundwaters of a potential geological repository for nuclear wastes in crystalline rocks of Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gómez, Javier B.; Gimeno, María J.; Auqué, Luis F.; Acero, Patricia

2014-01-01

This paper presents the mixing modelling results for the hydrogeochemical characterisation of groundwaters in the Laxemar area (Sweden). This area is one of the two sites that have been investigated, under the financial patronage of the Swedish Nuclear Waste and Management Co. (SKB), as possible candidates for hosting the proposed repository for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. The classical geochemical modelling, interpreted in the light of the palaeohydrogeological history of the system, has shown that the driving process in the geochemical evolution of this groundwater system is the mixing between four end-member waters: a deep and old saline water, a glacial meltwater, an old marine water, and a meteoric water. In this paper we put the focus on mixing and its effects on the final chemical composition of the groundwaters using a comprehensive methodology that combines principal component analysis with mass balance calculations. This methodology allows us to test several combinations of end member waters and several combinations of compositional variables in order to find optimal solutions in terms of mixing proportions. We have applied this methodology to a dataset of 287 groundwater samples from the Laxemar area collected and analysed by SKB. The best model found uses four conservative elements (Cl, Br, oxygen-18 and deuterium), and computes mixing proportions with respect to three end member waters (saline, glacial and meteoric). Once the first order effect of mixing has been taken into account, water–rock interaction can be used to explain the remaining variability. In this way, the chemistry of each water sample can be obtained by using the mixing proportions for the conservative elements, only affected by mixing, or combining the mixing proportions and the chemical reactions for the non-conservative elements in the system, establishing the basis for predictive calculations. - Highlights: • Laxemar (Sweden) groundwater is the combined result

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Status Report. September - December 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-04-15

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site. In September 2010, the plans for SKB's research and development of technique during the period 2011-2016 were presented in SKB's RDandD-Programme 2010 /SKB 2010a/. The information given in the RDandD-Programme related to Aespoe HRL is annually detailed in the Aespoe HRL Planning Report and the information valid for 2010 is given in /SKB 2010b/. This Aespoe HRL Status Report is a collection of the main achievements obtained during the period September to December 2010

Joint inversion of lake-floor electrical resistivity tomography and boat-towed radio-magnetotelluric data illustrated on synthetic data and an application from the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory site, Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shunguo; Kalscheuer, Thomas; Bastani, Mehrdad; Malehmir, Alireza; Pedersen, Laust B.; Dahlin, Torleif; Meqbel, Naser

2018-04-01

The electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method provides moderately good constraints for both conductive and resistive structures, while the radio-magnetotelluric (RMT) method is well suited to constrain conductive structures. Additionally, RMT and ERT data may have different target coverage and are differently affected by various types of noise. Hence, joint inversion of RMT and ERT data sets may provide a better constrained model as compared to individual inversions. In this study, joint inversion of boat-towed RMT and lake-floor ERT data has for the first time been formulated and implemented. The implementation was tested on both synthetic and field data sets incorporating RMT transverse electrical mode and ERT data. Results from synthetic data demonstrate that the joint inversion yields models with better resolution compared with individual inversions. A case study from an area adjacent to the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) in southeastern Sweden was used to demonstrate the implementation of the method. A 790-m-long profile comprising lake-floor ERT and boat-towed RMT data combined with partial land data was used for this purpose. Joint inversions with and without weighting (applied to different data sets, vertical and horizontal model smoothness) as well as constrained joint inversions incorporating bathymetry data and water resistivity measurements were performed. The resulting models delineate subsurface structures such as a major northeasterly directed fracture system, which is observed in the HRL facility underground and confirmed by boreholes. A previously uncertain weakness zone, likely a fracture system in the northern part of the profile, is inferred in this study. The fractures are highly saturated with saline water, which make them good targets of resistivity-based geophysical methods. Nevertheless, conductive sediments overlain by the lake water add further difficulty to resolve these deep fracture zones. Therefore, the joint inversion of RMT

A Rock Mechanics and Coupled Hydro mechanical Analysis of Geological Repository of High Level Nuclear Waste in Fractured Rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Kibok

2011-01-01

This paper introduces a few case studies on fractured hard rock based on geological data from Sweden, Korea is one of a few countries where crystalline rock is the most promising rock formation as a candidate site of geological repository of high level nuclear waste. Despite the progress made in the area of rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanics, extensive site specific study on multiple candidate sites is essential in order to choose the optimal site. For many countries concerned about the safe isolation of nuclear wastes from the biosphere, disposal in a deep geological formation is considered an attractive option. In geological repository, thermal loading continuously disturbs the repository system in addition to disturbances a recent development in rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanical study using DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) - DEM(Discrete Element Method) approach mainly applied in hard, crystalline rock containing numerous fracture which are main sources of deformation and groundwater flow

Modelling the diffusion-available pore space of an unaltered granitic rock matrix using a micro-DFN approach

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Urban; Löfgren, Martin; Trinchero, Paolo; Selroos, Jan-Olof

2018-04-01

In sparsely fractured rock, the ubiquitous heterogeneity of the matrix, which has been observed in different laboratory and in situ experiments, has been shown to have a significant influence on retardation mechanisms that are of importance for the safety of deep geological repositories for nuclear waste. Here, we propose a conceptualisation of a typical heterogeneous granitic rock matrix based on micro-Discrete Fracture Networks (micro-DFN). Different sets of fractures are used to represent grain-boundary pores as well as micro fractures that transect different mineral grains. The micro-DFN model offers a great flexibility in the way inter- and intra-granular space is represented as the different parameters that characterise each fracture set can be fine tuned to represent samples of different characteristics. Here, the parameters of the model have been calibrated against experimental observations from granitic rock samples taken at Forsmark (Sweden) and different variant cases have been used to illustrate how the model can be tied to rock samples with different attributes. Numerical through-diffusion simulations have been carried out to infer the bulk properties of the model as well as to compare the computed mass flux with the experimental data from an analogous laboratory experiment. The general good agreement between the model results and the experimental observations shows that the model presented here is a reliable tool for the understanding of retardation mechanisms occurring at the mm-scale in the matrix.

Large scale laboratory diffusion experiments in clay rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gutierrez, M.; Missana, T.; Mingarro, M.; Martin, P.L.; Cormenzana, J.L.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Clay formations are potential host rocks for high-level radioactive waste repositories. In clay materials the radionuclide diffusion is the main transport mechanism. Thus, the understanding of the diffusion processes and the determination of diffusion parameters in conditions as similar as possible to the real ones, are critical for the performance assessment of deep geological repository. Diffusion coefficients are mainly measured in the laboratory using small samples, after a preparation to fit into the diffusion cell. In addition, a few field tests are usually performed for confirming laboratory results, and analyse scale effects. In field or 'in situ' tests the experimental set-up usually includes the injection of a tracer diluted in reconstituted formation water into a packed off section of a borehole. Both experimental systems may produce artefacts in the determination of diffusion coefficients. In laboratory the preparation of the sample can generate structural change mainly if the consolidated clay have a layered fabric, and in field test the introduction of water could modify the properties of the saturated clay in the first few centimeters, just where radionuclide diffusion is expected to take place. In this work, a large scale laboratory diffusion experiment is proposed, using a large cylindrical sample of consolidated clay that can overcome the above mentioned problems. The tracers used were mixed with clay obtained by drilling a central hole, re-compacted into the hole at approximately the same density as the consolidated block and finally sealed. Neither additional treatment of the sample nor external monitoring are needed. After the experimental time needed for diffusion to take place (estimated by scoping calculations) the block was sampled to obtain a 3D distribution of the tracer concentration and the results were modelled. An additional advantage of the proposed configuration is that it could be used in 'in situ

Influence of rock spalling on concrete lining in shaft sinking at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Inagaki, Daisuke; Nago, Makito; Koike, Masashi; Matsubara, Makoto; Sugawara, Kentaro

2013-01-01

A shaft is the shortest way to access the deep underground. In shaft sinking through large-scale faults or under low competence factor, spalling of shaft walls is likely to occur. Although earlier studies indicated that rock spalling is an undesirable phenomenon that threatens safety in excavation work and causes delay in construction schedule, there have been few studies which discussed damage to concrete lining induced by spalling. Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been constructing three shafts (one for ventilation and the others for access) to a depth of 500 m in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. During the construction of the Ventilation Shaft (4.5 m diameter) below a depth of 250 m, rock spalling occurred at several depths and an open crack developed in the concrete lining installed just above the location of the rock spalling. In this study, the geometry of the shaft wall was measured using a three-dimensional laser scanner. Numerical analysis was also conducted to estimate changes in stress distribution and deformation induced by rock spalling in both the concrete lining and the surrounding rock. As a result, it was clarified that rock spalling induced a vertical tensile stress in the concrete lining. Especially, the tensile stress in a concrete lining was likely to exceed the tensile strength of the concrete lining when it developed more than 100 cm into the wall rock. (author)

Mineral chemistry of magnetite from magnetite-apatite mineralization and their host rocks: examples from Kiruna, Sweden, and El Laco, Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Broughm, Shannon G.; Hanchar, John M.; Tornos, Fernando; Westhues, Anne; Attersley, Samuel

2017-12-01

Interpretation of the mineralizing environment of magnetite-apatite deposits remains controversial with theories that include a hydrothermal or magmatic origin or a combination of those two processes. To address this controversy, we have analyzed the trace element content of magnetite from precisely known geographic locations and geologic environments from the Precambrian magnetite-apatite ore and host rocks in Kiruna, Sweden, and the Pliocene-Holocene El Laco volcano in the Atacama desert of Chile. Magnetite samples from Kiruna have low trace element concentrations with little chemical variation between the ore, host, and related intrusive rocks. Magnetite from andesite at El Laco, and dacite from the nearby Láscar volcano, has high trace element concentrations typical of magmatic magnetite. El Laco ore magnetite have low trace element concentrations and displays growth zoning in incompatible elements (Si, Ca, and Ce), compatible elements (Mg, Al, and Mn), large-ion lithophile element (Sr), and high field strength element (Y, Nb, and Th). The El Laco ore magnetite are similar in composition to magnetite that has been previously interpreted to have crystallized from hydrothermal fluids; however, there is a significant difference in the internal zoning patterns. At El Laco, each zoned element is either enriched or depleted in the same layers, suggesting the magnetite crystallized from a volatile-rich, iron-oxide melt. In general, the compositions of magnetite from these two deposits plot in very wide fields that are not restricted to the proposed fields in published discriminant diagrams. This suggests that the use of these diagrams and genetic models based on them should be used with caution.

Measurements of cutter forces and cutter temperature of boring machine in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z.X.; Kou, S.Q.; Lindqvist, P.-A. [Luleaa Univ. of Technology (Sweden)

2001-04-01

This report presents both the testing methods used and the testing results obtained for cutter forces and cutter temperature during field boring in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. In order to estimate the strains induced by cutter forces in the cutter shaft and choose proper transducers, first a numerical simulation was performed. The simulation results indicated that the cutter forces should be measurable by ordinary strain gauges. Furthermore, an independent three-direction loading system for laboratory calibration was set up to solve force-coupling problems appearing in field measurements. By means of the established measuring system, which was proved successfully in the laboratory, the normal forces, tangential forces, and side forces of two button cutters in the boring machine were measured in the field. In addition, the temperature in the shaft of the front cutter was measured. After the measurements of the cutter forces and cutter temperature, rock core samples were taken from the bottom and the wall of the testing borehole. Then the samples were cut, polished, and examined by means of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). After that, the lengths of major cracks induced by the cutters in the rock samples were measured, and an approximate relationship between the length of the medium cracks and the relevant cutter forces was obtained. This relationship was compared with the theoretical relationship established before. Finally, according to the measured results, the cracked zones around the borehole were described. The results show that: (1) there are two kinds of cracked zones: one in the borehole wall and the other in the bottom of the borehole. The depth of the cracked zone in the borehole bottom is much larger than that in the borehole wall because the maximum normal force of the front cutter is always much larger than that of the gauge cutter. (2) Each cracked zone includes a densely cracked zone and all the longest medium cracks caused by mechanical

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory project. Rock mechanical investigations annual report for fiscal year 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Toshinori; Sanada, Hiroyuki; Tanno, Takeo

2015-02-01

In order to establish the scientific and technical basis for geological disposal of technology, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is pursuing the geoscientific research project namely the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) in the crystalline rock environment at Tono Geoscience Center (TGC). In the MIU Project, geoscientific research is being carried out in three overlapping phases; Surface-based Investigation Phase (Phase I: FY1996 - 2004), Construction Phase (Phase II: FY2004- in progress) and Operation Phase (Phase III: FY2010- in progress). In the rock mechanical investigations at the Phase II, the research aims at “Characterization of geological environment in the Excavation Disturbed Zone (EDZ)” from the viewpoint of safety assessment. For the research, the specific information of the EDZ such as (1) size and structures, (2) petrophysical/geomechanical properties, and (3) stress state are required. The research also aims at “Characterization of geomechanical stability around tunnel” from the viewpoint of design and construction of underground facilities. For the research, the specific information such as (4) local stress regime, (5) spatial variability of petrophysical/geomechanical properties of rocks, and (6) distribution of discontinuities intersecting underground tunnels are required. The measurement system for rock mass behavior has been manufactured and set for groundwater recovery experiment in the Phase III. This report presents the results of following rock mechanical investigations conducted in FY 2013. In-situ stress measurements using Compact Conical-ended Borehole Overcoring Technique were performed at the - 500m stage. Measurement system for rock mass displacement using optical fiber was installed at the - 500m stage as part of the groundwater recovery experiment. Study on the modeling based on equivalent continuum model was continued. Phenomenological study and theoretical study on long-term behavior of crystalline rock were

Boring of full scale deposition holes at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Operational experiences including boring performance and a work time analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Christer [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Johansson, Aasa [SWECO, Stockholm (Sweden)

2002-12-01

Thirteen experimental deposition holes similar to those in the present KBS-3 design have been bored at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Oskarshamn, Sweden. The objective with the boring program was to test and demonstrate the current technique for boring of large vertical holes in granitic rock. Conclusions and results from this project is used in the planning process for the deposition holes that will be bored in the real repository for spent nuclear fuel. The boreholes are also important for three major projects. The Prototype Repository, the Canister Retrieval Test and the Demonstration project will all need full-scale deposition holes for their commissioning. The holes are bored in full scale and have a radius of 1.75 m and a depth of 8.5 m. To bore the holes an existing TBM design was modified to produce a novel type Shaft Boring Machine (SBM) suitable for boring 1.75 m diameter holes from a relatively small tunnel. The cutter head was equipped with two types of roller cutters: two row carbide button cutters and disc cutters. Removal of the cuttings was made with a vacuum suction system. The boring was monitored and boring parameters recorded by a computerised system for the evaluation of the boring performance. During boring of four of the holes temperature, stress and strain measurements were performed. Acoustic emission measurements were also performed during boring of these four holes. The results of these activities will not be discussed in this report since they are reported separately. Criteria regarding nominal borehole diameter, deviation of start and end centre point, surface roughness and performance of the machine were set up according to the KBS-3 design and were fulfilled with a fair margin. The average total time for boring one deposition hole during this project was 105 hours.

Boring of full scale deposition holes at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Operational experiences including boring performance and a work time analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Christer; Johansson, Aasa

2002-12-01

Thirteen experimental deposition holes similar to those in the present KBS-3 design have been bored at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Oskarshamn, Sweden. The objective with the boring program was to test and demonstrate the current technique for boring of large vertical holes in granitic rock. Conclusions and results from this project is used in the planning process for the deposition holes that will be bored in the real repository for spent nuclear fuel. The boreholes are also important for three major projects. The Prototype Repository, the Canister Retrieval Test and the Demonstration project will all need full-scale deposition holes for their commissioning. The holes are bored in full scale and have a radius of 1.75 m and a depth of 8.5 m. To bore the holes an existing TBM design was modified to produce a novel type Shaft Boring Machine (SBM) suitable for boring 1.75 m diameter holes from a relatively small tunnel. The cutter head was equipped with two types of roller cutters: two row carbide button cutters and disc cutters. Removal of the cuttings was made with a vacuum suction system. The boring was monitored and boring parameters recorded by a computerised system for the evaluation of the boring performance. During boring of four of the holes temperature, stress and strain measurements were performed. Acoustic emission measurements were also performed during boring of these four holes. The results of these activities will not be discussed in this report since they are reported separately. Criteria regarding nominal borehole diameter, deviation of start and end centre point, surface roughness and performance of the machine were set up according to the KBS-3 design and were fulfilled with a fair margin. The average total time for boring one deposition hole during this project was 105 hours

Analysis of Copper-Bearing Rocks and Minerals for Their Metal Content Using Visible Spectroscopy: A First Year Chemistry Laboratory Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Bopegedera, A. M. R. P.

2016-01-01

General chemistry and introductory chemistry students were presented with a laboratory exploration for the determination of the mass percent of copper in rock and mineral samples. They worked independently in the laboratory, which involved multiple lab (pipetting, preparing standard solutions by quantitative dilution, recording visible spectra…

Experiments at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory[Information for the general public

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-12-01

A dress rehearsal is being held in preparation for the construction of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel at SKB's underground Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) on Aespoe, outside Oskarshamn. Here we can test different technical solutions on a full scale and in a realistic environment. The Aespoe HRL is also used for field research. We are conducting a number of experiments here in collaboration with Swedish and international experts. In the Zedex experiment we have compared how the rock is affected around a drill-and-blast tunnel versus a bored tunnel. In a new experiment we will investigate how much the rock can take. A narrow pillar between two boreholes will be loaded to the point that the rock's ultimate strength is exceeded (Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment). In the Demo Test we are demonstrating emplacement of the copper canisters and the surrounding bentonite in the deposition holes. In the Prototype Repository we study what long-term changes occur in the barriers under the conditions prevailing in a deep repository. Horizontal deposition: Is it possible to deposit the canisters horizontally without compromising safety? Backfill and Plug Test: The tunnels in the future deep repository for spent nuclear fuel will be filled with clay and crushed rock and then plugged. Canister Retrieval Test: If the deep repository should not perform satisfactorily for some reason, we want to be able to retrieve the spent fuel. The Lot test is intended to show how the bentonite behaves in an environment similar to that in the future deep repository. The purpose of the TBT test is to determine how the bentonite clay in the buffer is affected by high temperatures. Two-phase flow means that liberated gas in the groundwater flows separately in the fractures in the rock. This reduces the capacity of the rock to conduct water. Lasgit: By pressurizing a canister with helium, we can measure how the gas moves through the surrounding buffer. Colloid Project: Can very small

Direct fault dating trials at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maddock, R.H.; Hailwood, E.A.

1993-10-01

Over seventy rock samples were collected from fault and fracture zones in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory tunnel for a study of direct fault dating techniques. Following microstructural and mineralogical analysis, isotopic, palaeomagnetic and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods were employed in an attempt to determine the age of the most recent movements on the sampled faults. The larger fracture zones contain faultrock assemblages and microstructures which are consistent with a prolonged and polyphase movement history, although the cumulative displacements involved formation of fault gouge cemented by authigenic 'illite'. Dating studies were targeted particularly at the gouge but also at older fault rock and vein phases. ESR dating of quartz graines, separated from gouge from fracture zones NE-4 and NE-3, strongly indicates that the ESR signals have not been reset by fault movements for a minimum time period of several hundred thousand to one million years. Palaeomagnetic dating of gouge from fracture zone NE-4 shows that a stable component of magnetisation overlaps both Precambrian and Permo-Triassic parts of the apparent polar wander curve. The younger age of magnetisation is preferred on geological grounds and by comparison with the isotopic dating results. The magnetisation may correspond to a diagenetic event following fault movement. Palaeomagnetic ages determined on countryrock and epidote vein samples are largely consistent with independent age constraints. K-Ar dating of clay fractions (<2 to <0.05μm) separated from gouge from four faults, including fracture zones NE-4 and NE-3, gave model ages in the range 706-301Ma. Accounting for the effects of contamination by potassium-bearing porphyroclasts, it is likely that authigenic 'illite' was formed at least 250 million years ago, after the most recent significant fault movements. 100 refs., 60 figs., 26 tabs

Evaluation of Rock Bolt Support for Polish Hard Rock Mines

Science.gov (United States)

Skrzypkowski, Krzysztof

2018-03-01

The article presents different types of rock bolt support used in Polish ore mining. Individual point resin and expansion rock bolt support were characterized. The roof classes for zinc and lead and copper ore mines were presented. Furthermore, in the article laboratory tests of point resin rock bolt support in a geometric scale of 1:1 with minimal fixing length of 0.6 m were made. Static testing of point resin rock bolt support were carried out on a laboratory test facility of Department of Underground Mining which simulate mine conditions for Polish ore and hard coal mining. Laboratory tests of point resin bolts were carried out, especially for the ZGH Bolesław, zinc and lead "Olkusz - Pomorzany" mine. The primary aim of the research was to check whether at the anchoring point length of 0.6 m by means of one and a half resin cartridge, the type bolt "Olkusz - 20A" is able to overcome the load.The second purpose of the study was to obtain load - displacement characteristic with determination of the elastic and plastic range of the bolt. For the best simulation of mine conditions the station steel cylinders with an external diameter of 0.1 m and a length of 0.6 m with a core of rock from the roof of the underground excavations were used.

Drill-back studies examine fractured, heated rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wollenberg, H.A.; Flexser, S.; Myer, L.R.

1990-01-01

To investigate the effects of heating on the mineralogical, geochemical, and mechanical properties of rock by high-level radioactive waste, cores are being examined from holes penetrating locations where electric heaters simulated the presence of a waste canister, and from holes penetration natural hydrothermal systems. Results to date indicate the localized mobility and deposition of uranium in an open fracture in heated granitic rock, the mobility of U in a breccia zone in an active hydrothermal system in tuff, and the presence of U in relatively high concentration in fracture-lining material in tuff. Mechanical -- property studies indicate that differences in compressional- and shear-wave parameters between heated and less heated rock can be attributed to differences in the density of microcracks. Emphasis has shifted from initial studies of granitic rock at Stripa, Sweden to current investigations of welded tuff at the Nevada Test Site. 7 refs., 8 figs

Estimating the Wet-Rock P-Wave Velocity from the Dry-Rock P-Wave Velocity for Pyroclastic Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kahraman, Sair; Fener, Mustafa; Kilic, Cumhur Ozcan

2017-07-01

Seismic methods are widely used for the geotechnical investigations in volcanic areas or for the determination of the engineering properties of pyroclastic rocks in laboratory. Therefore, developing a relation between the wet- and dry-rock P-wave velocities will be helpful for engineers when evaluating the formation characteristics of pyroclastic rocks. To investigate the predictability of the wet-rock P-wave velocity from the dry-rock P-wave velocity for pyroclastic rocks P-wave velocity measurements were conducted on 27 different pyroclastic rocks. In addition, dry-rock S-wave velocity measurements were conducted. The test results were modeled using Gassmann's and Wood's theories and it was seen that estimates for saturated P-wave velocity from the theories fit well measured data. For samples having values of less and greater than 20%, practical equations were derived for reliably estimating wet-rock P-wave velocity as function of dry-rock P-wave velocity.

The LUT-Gauge for overcoring rock stress measurements - Technical description and laboratory evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijon, B.

1988-03-01

The development of the LUT-Gauge - a triaxial borehole instrument for overcoring rock stress measurements - is reported. The borehole gauge and the associated equipment is described in some detail. The experimental procedures applicable to field measurements with the device are presented. A series of laboratory tests, aimed at investigating the performance of the instrumentation, are reported, This included basic tests of mechanical and electrical reliability, as well as investigations of the thermal sensitivity of the measuring method. These factors are significant with respect to the applicability of the method under field conditions. The results from the laboratory tests showed that instrument performance was in all respects satisfactory. Furthermore, that the effects of temperature changes, expressed as the corresponding measuring error to be expected under typical field conditions, was less than ± 1 MPa. (author)

Study on Excitation-triggered Damage Mechanism in Perilous Rock

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongkai; Wang, Shengjuan

2017-12-01

Chain collapse is easy to happen for perilous rock aggregate locating on steep high slope, and one of the key scientific problems is the damage mechanism of perilous rock under excitation action at perilous rock rupture. This paper studies excitation-triggered damage mechanism in perilous rock by wave mechanics, which gives three conclusions. Firstly, when only the normal incidence attenuation spread of excitation wave is considered, while the energy loss is ignored for excitation wave to spread in perilous rock aggregate, the paper establishes one method to calculate peak velocity when excitation wave passes through boundary between any two perilous rock blocks in perilous rock aggregate. Secondly, following by Sweden and Canmet criteria, the paper provides one wave velocity criterion for excitation-triggered damage in the aggregate. Thirdly, assuming double parameters of volume strain of cracks or fissures in rock meet the Weibull distribution, one method to estimate micro-fissure in excitation-triggered damage zone in perilous rock aggregate is established. The studies solve the mechanical description problem for excitation-triggered damage in perilous rock, which is valuable in studies on profoundly rupture mechanism.

P-wave velocity changes in freezing hard low-porosity rocks: a laboratory-based time-average model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Draebing

2012-10-01

Full Text Available P-wave refraction seismics is a key method in permafrost research but its applicability to low-porosity rocks, which constitute alpine rock walls, has been denied in prior studies. These studies explain p-wave velocity changes in freezing rocks exclusively due to changing velocities of pore infill, i.e. water, air and ice. In existing models, no significant velocity increase is expected for low-porosity bedrock. We postulate, that mixing laws apply for high-porosity rocks, but freezing in confined space in low-porosity bedrock also alters physical rock matrix properties. In the laboratory, we measured p-wave velocities of 22 decimetre-large low-porosity (< 10% metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentary rock samples from permafrost sites with a natural texture (> 100 micro-fissures from 25 °C to −15 °C in 0.3 °C increments close to the freezing point. When freezing, p-wave velocity increases by 11–166% perpendicular to cleavage/bedding and equivalent to a matrix velocity increase from 11–200% coincident to an anisotropy decrease in most samples. The expansion of rigid bedrock upon freezing is restricted and ice pressure will increase matrix velocity and decrease anisotropy while changing velocities of the pore infill are insignificant. Here, we present a modified Timur's two-phase-equation implementing changes in matrix velocity dependent on lithology and demonstrate the general applicability of refraction seismics to differentiate frozen and unfrozen low-porosity bedrock.

Assessment of site-scale hydrogeological modelling possibilities in crystalline hard rock for safety appraisal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geier, J. [Cleanwater Hardrock Consulting, Corvallis, OR (United States); Luukkonen, A.

2012-09-15

This review describes the state-of-the-art in hydrogeological modelling for safety-case studies related to spent-fuel repositories in crystalline hard rock, focusing on issues of relevance for the KBS-3 disposal concept in Nordic environments. The review includes a survey of model capabilities and assumptions regarding groundwater flow processes, geological and excavation-related features, and boundary conditions for temperate, periglacial, and glacial climates. Modelling approaches are compared for research sites including the Stripa mine (Sweden), the Grimsel Test Site (Switzerland), the Whiteshell Underground Research Laboratory (Canada), the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory and Simpevarp-Laxemar site (Sweden), the Forsmark site (Sweden), the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site (USA), and Olkiluoto (Finland). Current hydrogeological models allow realistic representations, but are limited by availability of data to constrain their properties. Examples of calibrations of stochastic representations of heterogeneity are still scarce. Integrated models that couple flow and non-reactive transport are now well established, particularly those based on continuum representations. Models that include reactive transport are still mainly in the realm of research tools. Thus far, no single software tool allows fully coupled treatment of all relevant thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical transport processes in the bedrock, together with climate-related physical processes at the ground surface, and with explicit treatment of bedrock heterogeneity. Hence practical applications require combinations of models based on different simplifications. Key improvements can be expected in treatment of the unsaturated zone, simulation of heterogeneous infiltration at the surface, and hydromechanical coupling. Significant advances have already been made in the amounts and types of data that can be used in site-scale models, including large datasets to define topography and other surface

A study on rock mass behaviour induced by shaft sinking in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Tokiwa, Tetsuya; Inagaki, Daisuke; Hatsuyama, Yoshihiro; Koike, Masashi; Ijiri, Yuji

2012-01-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been excavating three deep shafts through soft sedimentary rock in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. In this paper, the authors discussed rock mass behaviour induced by a 6.5 m diameter shaft sinking. They conducted geological mapping in an excavation face and boreholes digged around the shaft wall, field measurements such as convergence measurements and monitoring of rock displacements using multi-interval borehole extensometers around a shaft at around 160 m and 220 m in depths, and three-dimensional numerical analysis which models the shaft excavation procedure such as timing of installation of support elements and setting and removal of a concrete form. As a result, it was clarified that remarkably large compressive strains occurred within about 1 m into the shaft wall in a radial direction since the rock mass behaviour was controlled by the concrete lining and that the behaviour would predominantly be induced by the fractures closing which opened significantly and propagated during excavation steps before the installation of a concrete lining and the directions where the strains occurred heavily depended on the fracture orientation around the shaft. (author)

Tc-migration in advection/diffusion controlled natural systems. Influence of ferrous iron pool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Totskiy, Yury

2015-10-23

The Tc(VII) interaction with crystalline rock materials from the generic underground research laboratory in Sweden (AespoeHard Rock Laboratory) and from a prospective site of nuclear waste disposal in Russia (Nizhnekansky massif) was investigated. The main focus of this work is laid on the effect of Fe(II) content in the mineral phase or rock, which is considered as the dominating redox partner for Tc(VII) reduction under far-field conditions in crystalline rock.

The role of cation exchange in controlling groundwater chemistry at Aspo, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viani, B.E.; Bruton, C.J.

1995-01-01

Construction-induced groundwater flow has resulted in the mixing of relatively dilute shallow groundwater with more concentrated groundwater at depth in the underground Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) at Aespoe, Sweden. The observed compositional variation of the mixed groundwater cannot be explained using a conservative mixing model. The geochemical modeling package EQ3/6, to which a cation-exchange model was added, was used to simulate mixing between the two fluids. The results of modeling simulations suggest that cation exchange between groundwater and fracture-lining clays can explain the major element fluid chemistry observed in the HRL. The quantity of exchanger required to match simulated with observed fluid chemistry is reasonable and is consistent with the observed fracture mineralogy. This preliminary study establishes cation exchange as a viable mechanism for controlling the chemical evolution of groundwaters in a fracture-dominated dynamic flow system. This modeling study also strengthens their confidence in the ability to model the potential effects of fracture-lining minerals on the transport of radionuclides in a high level nuclear waste repository

Radionuclide migration in non-saline rock formations - status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kienzler, B.; Geckeis, H.; Fanghaenel, T.

2002-01-01

The article is a condensed version of a paper presented at a workshop on 'Final Storage in Non-saline Rock Formations - Previous and Future German R and D Activities' at the Karlsruhe Research Center on April 8-9, 2002. The objectives, methods, and results of the research work performed at the Institute for Nuclear Waste Management (INE) of the Karlsruhe Research Center on the migration of radionuclides, in particular of the actinides, and the perspectives derived from these activities are described. The R and D work presented comprises laboratory studies of granite and clay as well as in situ experiments at the underground laboratories of Aespoe, Sweden, and Grimsel, Switzerland. An exemplary overview is presented of the findings about actinide migration in fractures, colloid migration in the shear zone of a granite formation, and the sorption of actinides and lanthanides onto clay and various argillaceous materials. Fundamental studies by INE of the problems outlined here include the elucidation of the structures and binding patterns of species sorbed onto surfaces, the stability and characteristics of colloids, the relevant basic thermodynamic features, and methodological developments. (orig.) [de

Joint ANDRA/Nirex/SKB zone of excavation disturbance experiment (ZEDEX) at the Aspo hard rock laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, A.J.; Olsson, O.

1995-01-01

The excavation of access shafts and tunnels and of the disposal areas of a waste repository will cause a disturbance in the surrounding rock mass with possible alterations to rock mass stability and hydraulic properties. For a number of disposal concepts this disturbance may be important for the operational and/or post-closure safety of the repository. Furthermore the disturbance may extend over time as a consequence of processes such as stress relaxation. The sponsors of ZEDEX, namely ANDRA, Nirex and SKB, are interested in developing the ability to produce reliable models of the disturbed zone that will develop around large cross-section excavations in fractured hard rock masses that are initially water saturated. Various models have been developed to calculate the important characteristics of the disturbed zone in such rock masses as a function of parameters related to the rock mass quality and the geometric description of the excavation. ZEDEX was initiated in the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory in April 1994 with drilling and instrumentation of boreholes running alongside the planned extension of the spiral access ramp and a planned parallel experimental tunnel. ZEDEX has been designed to generate information for alternative methods of excavation. The extension to the spiral ramp is to be made by tunnel boring whereas the parallel experimental tunnel will be excavated in part by ''normal'' basting and in part by smooth blasting. The objective is to build confidence in the modelling of the disturbed zone to support the selection of excavation methods for repository construction. (authors). 3 figs

Heating effects in Rio Blanco rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, R.W.; Bowen, D.W.; Rossler, P.E.

1975-01-01

Samples of ''sandstone'' from near the site of the upper Rio Blanco nuclear explosion were heated in the laboratory at temperatures between 600 and 900 0 C. The composition and amount of noncondensable (dry) gas released were measured and compared to the amount and composition of gas found underground following the explosion. The gas released from the rock heated in the laboratory contained approximately 80 percent CO 2 and 10 percent H 2 ; the balance was CO and CH 4 . With increasing temperature, the amounts of CO 2 , CO, and H 2 released increased. The composition of gas released by heating Rio Blanco rock in the laboratory is similar to the composition of gas found after the nuclear explosion except that it contains less natural gas (CH 4 , C 2 H 6 . . .). The amount of noncondensable gas released by heating the rock increases from approximately 0.1 mole/kg of rock at 600 0 C to 0.9 mole/kg at 900 0 C. Over 90 percent of the volatile components of the rock are released in less than 10 h at 900 0 C. A comparison of the amount of gas released by heating rock in the laboratory to the amount of gas released by the heat of the Rio Blanco nuclear explosion suggests that the explosion released the volatile material from about 0.42 mg of rock per joule of explosive energy (1700 to 1800 tonnes per kt). (auth)

Tc-migration in advection/diffusion controlled natural systems: Influence of ferrous iron pool

OpenAIRE

Totskiy, Yury

2015-01-01

The Tc(VII) interaction with crystalline rock materials from the generic underground research laboratory in Sweden (Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory) and from a prospective site of nuclear waste disposal in Russia (Nizhnekansky massif) was investigated. The main focus of this work is laid on the effect of Fe(II) content in the mineral phase or rock, which is considered as the dominating redox partner for Tc(VII) reduction under far-field conditions in crystalline rock.

Performance of the Opalinus Clay under thermal loading: experimental results from Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gens, A. [Universitat Politència de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Gaus, I. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); and others

2017-04-15

The paper presents an overview of the behaviour of Opalinus Clay under thermal loading as observed in three in situ heating tests performed in the Mont Terri rock laboratory: HE-B, HE-D and HE-E. The three tests are summarily described; they encompass a broad range of test layouts and experimental conditions. Afterwards, the following topics are examined: determination of thermal conductivity, thermally-induced pore pressure generation and thermally-induced mechanical effects. The mechanisms underlying pore pressure generation and dissipation are discussed in detail and the relationship between rock damage and thermal loading is examined using an additional in situ test: SE-H. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the various thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) interactions identified in the heating tests. (authors)

Geochemical Prospecting of a Uraniferous Bog Deposit at Masugnsbyn, Northern Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armands, Goesta

1961-01-15

In connection with prospecting for uranium ores in northern Sweden a peat bog, situated 4.5 km NW of Masugnsbyn, Norrbotten, Sweden and showing a remarkable content of uranium, was discovered. Closer investigation of several samples of the peat indicated that the comparatively high content of uranium and radon was connected with the occurrence of radioactive springs in the region. It was found that four different kinds of water were responsible for the supply of radioactive material to the peat, viz: ground water, surface water, spring water and ground water emanating from fractured rock. The spring water - probably a mixture of ground water and water from the fractured rock - contains uranium to the extent of micrograms per litre. The pH is about 7. The uranium content of the water system deriving from the fractured rock is about 200-300 micrograms per litre. The maximum radon content is about 3000 emans. The pH is >7 and the specific conductivity about 150 x 10{sup -6}/Ohm/cm The radioactive peat is characterised by extremely low gamma radioactivity which may be due to the recent emplacement of uranium by spring waters. It is suggested that the peat in question has served as a 'collector' for uranium, rare earth metals etc., since the pH condition - pH about 7 - was favourable to the settling of these elements. The uranium enrichment seems to be due to a transport of Na, Mg and Ca bicarbonates emanating from dolomite deposits or pegmatitic granite dikes in the vicinity of the peat, the bicarbonate waters serving as carriers of the uranium.

Geochemical Prospecting of a Uraniferous Bog Deposit at Masugnsbyn, Northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armands, Goesta

1961-01-01

In connection with prospecting for uranium ores in northern Sweden a peat bog, situated 4.5 km NW of Masugnsbyn, Norrbotten, Sweden and showing a remarkable content of uranium, was discovered. Closer investigation of several samples of the peat indicated that the comparatively high content of uranium and radon was connected with the occurrence of radioactive springs in the region. It was found that four different kinds of water were responsible for the supply of radioactive material to the peat, viz: ground water, surface water, spring water and ground water emanating from fractured rock. The spring water - probably a mixture of ground water and water from the fractured rock - contains uranium to the extent of micrograms per litre. The pH is about 7. The uranium content of the water system deriving from the fractured rock is about 200-300 micrograms per litre. The maximum radon content is about 3000 emans. The pH is >7 and the specific conductivity about 150 x 10 -6 /Ohm/cm The radioactive peat is characterised by extremely low gamma radioactivity which may be due to the recent emplacement of uranium by spring waters. It is suggested that the peat in question has served as a 'collector' for uranium, rare earth metals etc., since the pH condition - pH about 7 - was favourable to the settling of these elements. The uranium enrichment seems to be due to a transport of Na, Mg and Ca bicarbonates emanating from dolomite deposits or pegmatitic granite dikes in the vicinity of the peat, the bicarbonate waters serving as carriers of the uranium

Evaluation of stress and saturation effects on seismic velocity and electrical resistivity - laboratory testing of rock samples

Science.gov (United States)

Vilhelm, Jan; Jirků, Jaroslav; Slavík, Lubomír; Bárta, Jaroslav

2016-04-01

Repository, located in a deep geological formation, is today considered the most suitable solution for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. The geological formations, in combination with an engineered barrier system, should ensure isolation of the waste from the environment for thousands of years. For long-term monitoring of such underground excavations special monitoring systems are developed. In our research we developed and tested monitoring system based on repeated ultrasonic time of flight measurement and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). As a test site Bedřichov gallery in the northern Bohemia was selected. This underground gallery in granitic rock was excavated using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The seismic high-frequency measurements are performed by pulse-transmission technique directly on the rock wall using one seismic source and three receivers in the distances of 1, 2 and 3 m. The ERT measurement is performed also on the rock wall using 48 electrodes. The spacing between electrodes is 20 centimeters. An analysis of relation of seismic velocity and electrical resistivity on water saturation and stress state of the granitic rock is necessary for the interpretation of both seismic monitoring and ERT. Laboratory seismic and resistivity measurements were performed. One series of experiments was based on uniaxial loading of dry and saturated granitic samples. The relation between stress state and ultrasonic wave velocities was tested separately for dry and saturated rock samples. Other experiments were focused on the relation between electrical resistivity of the rock sample and its saturation level. Rock samples with different porosities were tested. Acknowledgments: This work was partially supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, project No. TA 0302408

Case histories of roller cone core bit application in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlem, J.S.

1988-01-01

The increased interest in deep crystalline rock drilling projects has resulted in a requirement for premium coring bits which are effective in such a harsh and abrasive environment. Hard formation roller cone insert bits have traditionally and constantly performed well in crystalline rock. As a result, the application of state of the art roller cone rock bit technology to the design and development of core bits has made crystalline coring projects more viable than ever before. This paper follows the development of roller cone core bits by examining their use on project such as HDR (Hot Dry Rock, Los Alamos); NAGRA (Nuclear Waste Disposal Wells in Switzerland); Camborne School of Mines Geothermal Project in Cornwall, UK; Deep Gas Project in Sweden; and the KTB Deep Drilling Project in West Germany

Strategy for the use of laboratory methods in the site investigations programme for the transport properties of the rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widestrand, Henrik; Byegaard, Johan; Ohlsson, Yvonne; Tullborg, Eva-Lena

2003-06-01

This report comprises a strategy for the handling of laboratory investigations of diffusivity and sorption characteristics within the discipline-specific programme 'Transport Properties of the Rock' in the SKB site investigations. The aim of the transport programme is to investigate the solute transport properties at a site in order to acquire data that are required for an assessment of the long-term performance and radiological safety of the deep repository. The result of the transport programme is the Transport Properties Site Descriptive Model, i.e. a description of the site-specific properties for the transport of solutes in the groundwater at a site. A strategy for the methodology, control of sampling and characterisation programme and interpretation of the results, is proposed. The basis for the laboratory investigations is a conceptual geological model based on the geological model produced in the geology programme. Major and minor types of rock and fractures are defined and characterised according to the quality of the general database and site-specific needs. The selection of samples and analyses is determined in close co-operation with the geology, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and rock mechanics programmes. The result of the laboratory investigations is a retardation model, which is used as an input in the Transport Properties Site Descriptive Model. The interpretation and production of a retardation model is described and exemplified. Lastly, method-specific strategies and recommendations are given, including strategies for the selection of tracers in the experiments and for the treatment of the sampled geologic materials

Strategy for the use of laboratory methods in the site investigations programme for the transport properties of the rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widestrand, Henrik; Byegaard, Johan [Geosigma AB, Kungaelv (Sweden); Ohlsson, Yvonne [SWECO VIAK AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Tullborg, Eva-Lena [Terralogica AB, Graabo (Sweden)

2003-06-01

This report comprises a strategy for the handling of laboratory investigations of diffusivity and sorption characteristics within the discipline-specific programme 'Transport Properties of the Rock' in the SKB site investigations. The aim of the transport programme is to investigate the solute transport properties at a site in order to acquire data that are required for an assessment of the long-term performance and radiological safety of the deep repository. The result of the transport programme is the Transport Properties Site Descriptive Model, i.e. a description of the site-specific properties for the transport of solutes in the groundwater at a site. A strategy for the methodology, control of sampling and characterisation programme and interpretation of the results, is proposed. The basis for the laboratory investigations is a conceptual geological model based on the geological model produced in the geology programme. Major and minor types of rock and fractures are defined and characterised according to the quality of the general database and site-specific needs. The selection of samples and analyses is determined in close co-operation with the geology, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and rock mechanics programmes. The result of the laboratory investigations is a retardation model, which is used as an input in the Transport Properties Site Descriptive Model. The interpretation and production of a retardation model is described and exemplified. Lastly, method-specific strategies and recommendations are given, including strategies for the selection of tracers in the experiments and for the treatment of the sampled geologic materials.

Application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining. Volume 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-05-15

The conference on application of rock mechanics to cut-and-fill mining was held June 1-3, 1980, at the University of Luleaa, Luleaa, Sweden. Basic rock mechanics investigations of interest involving improving the support characteristics of backfilling by adding cement, compacting, and water removal have been entered individually into EDB. The papers also cover measurements of the support capability of such fills and the application of deformation measurements and calculations using finite element computer codes to the mining of particular ore bodies, including changes in the calculations as the mining progressed. (LTN)

Transportation of radioactive materials in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericsson, A.M.

1979-06-01

This report is designed to calculate the total risk due to shipping radioactive materials in Sweden. The base case developed is the shipment model that is used now or the best estimate for expected shipments. The model for the calculations and the computer program used has been developed at the Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., USA and is the same that was used for the NUREG-0170 study. The results from the calculations show an annual expected population dose of 30 person-rem due to normal transport conditions. The annual expected dose from accidents were calculated to be between 2.3-20.8 person rem. The higher figure represents the case where plutonium is shipped back to Sweden from reprocessing plants abroad in the form of PuO2 and the lower figure represent the case when plutonium is shipped back in the form of mixed oxide fuel. The total additional population dose in Sweden due to both normal and accident conditions in the transportation of radioactive materials will be 30 - 50 person rem/year. Compared to the natural background radiation that is 8x10 5 person rem per year in Sweden, this figure is very low. If converted to latent cancer fatalities this population dose will add approximately 3.5x10 3 cancers each year. The consequences due to accidents have been calculated and are discussed separately from their probabilities. The most severe accident that was found was an accident involving PuO 2 . This accident would give 82 400 rem as a maximum individual dose and 8.1x10 5 person rem as a population dose. (Auth.)

Identification of novel psychoactive drug use in Sweden based on laboratory analysis--initial experiences from the STRIDA project.

Science.gov (United States)

Helander, Anders; Beck, Olof; Hägerkvist, Robert; Hultén, Peter

2013-08-01

The study aimed to collect information concerning the increasing use of new psychoactive substances, commonly sold through online shops as 'Internet drugs' or 'legal highs', or in terms of masked products such as 'bath salts' and 'plant food'. The Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Laboratory and the Swedish Poisons Information Centre have initiated a project called 'STRIDA' aiming to monitor the occurrence and trends of new psychoactive substances in Sweden, and collect information about their clinical symptoms, toxicity and associated health risks. A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) multi-component method has been developed, currently allowing for the determination of > 80 novel psychoactive compounds or metabolites thereof. This study focused mainly on the particular drug substances identified and the population demographics of the initial STRIDA cases. In urine and/or blood samples obtained from 103 consecutive cases of admitted or suspected recreational drug intoxications in mostly young subjects (78% were ≤ 25 years, and 81% were males) presenting at emergency departments all over the country, psychoactive substances were detected in 82%. The substances comprised synthetic cannabinoids ('Spice'; JWH analogues), substituted cathinones ('bath salts'; e.g. butylone, MDPV and methylone) and tryptamines (4-HO-MET), plant-based substances (mitragynine and psilocin), as well as conventional drugs-of-abuse. In 44% of the cases, more than one new psychoactive substance, or a mixture of new and/or conventional drugs were detected. The initial results of the STRIDA project have documented use of a broad variety of new psychoactive substances among mainly young people all over Sweden.

Mineral and chemical composition of rock core and surface gas composition in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory project. Phase 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraga, Naoto; Ishii, Eiichi

2008-02-01

The following three kinds of analyses were conducted for the 1st phase of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project. Mineral composition analysis of core sample. Whole rock chemical composition analysis of core sample. Surface gas composition analysis. This document summarizes the results of these analyses. (author)

Water flow characteristics of rock fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensson, Lennart

1990-03-01

This report has been worked out within the project 'Groundwater flow and dispersion processes in fractured rock' supported by the National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SKN) in Sweden, dnr 96/85. This project is attached to the safety problems involved in the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The purpose of the report is to give a survey of the knowledge of fracture characteristics and to discuss this knowledge in relation to the modelling of flow and dispersion of radioactive substances in the fractures

Kabbalah in Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Karlsson

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This article examines the history of Kabbalah in Sweden. The reader is presented with an overall view to Kabbalah in Sweden: first, the Johannes Bureus and the Nordic Kabbalah, Kabbalah after Bureus, Kabbalistic literature, and last, Kabbalah in Sweden today. When the Kabbalah reached Sweden it was mainly the non-Jewish Kabbalah that gained influence, even if its Jewish roots were acknowledged. Johannes Bureus unites, in a similar fashion as do the Christian Kabbalists in continental Europe, Christian motifs with the symbolic world of the Kabbalah. Bureus, however, adds runes, ancient Norse gods and Gothic ideas in his own unique manner. The Kabbalah invites speculation and the search for correspondences which has caused the Kabbalah in Sweden to be united with a number of other traditions. Bureus combined the Kabbalah with runes and Gothicism; in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries we can find the Kabbalah in Freemasonry and Esoteric societies, while the Kabbalah in the twentieth century and onwards has been associated with New Age, Parapsychology and Indian Mysticism. Apart from Bureus, most Kabbalists in Sweden have followed the trends that flourished in the rest of the world. Bureus was the first to create a specifically Swedish interpretation of the Kabbalah.

Immobilization of uranium and neptunium by microorganisms in subsurface crystalline rock environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krawczyk-Baersch, Evelyn; Schmeide, Katja; Bok, Frank [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, P.O. Box 51 01 19, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Pedersen, Karsten [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Goeteborg (Sweden)

2014-07-01

In crystalline rock, the dominant transport medium for radionuclides is groundwater flowing through subsurface fractures. Since groundwater is containing microorganisms, fracture surfaces support biological growth of microbial communities, the so-called bio-films. The microbial diversity of these bio-films depends on the microbial consortia and the chemical composition of the fracture water. Subsurface bio-films have a significant effect on the adsorption capacity of host rock formations by forming a barrier between the rock surface and the groundwater. They can significantly affect subsurface biogeochemical interactions, leading to the immobilization and adsorption of radionuclides. Microbial studies were performed to evaluate the relevance of microbial processes for the immobilization of radionuclides in a deep crystalline repository for high-level radioactive waste. Studies were performed in Olkiluoto, in the rock characterization facility ONKALO in Finland, and in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) in Sweden. Massive 5-10-mm thick bio-films were observed in both sites attached to tunnel walls where groundwater was seeping from bedrock fractures. In experiments the effect of uranium on bio-films was studied on site in the ONKALO tunnel by adding UO{sub 2}(ClO{sub 4}){sub 2} with a final U-concentration of 1.0x10{sup -5} M to the fracture water in a self-constructed flow cell by using detached bio-film samples. bio-film specimens collected for transmission electron microscopy studies indicated that uranium in the bio-film was immobilized intracellularly in microorganisms as needle-shaped uranyl phosphate minerals, similar to meta-Autunite (Ca[UO{sub 2}]{sub 2}[PO{sub 4}]{sub 2}.10-12H{sub 2}O). In contrast, thermodynamic calculation of the theoretical predominant fields of uranium species and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the formation of aqueous uranium carbonate species Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3} and Mg{sub 2}UO{sub 2

Country report: Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Sweden has twelve nuclear power reactors with a combined capacity of 9900 MW net electric power. According to a resolution passed by parliament in 1980, Sweden will terminate its use of nuclear power in the year 2010, at the latest. According to generally accepted guidelines, the spent nuclear fuel will be kept in interim storage for approximately 40 years after which, according to present plans, it will be deposited in geological formations in Sweden

Implementation of the full-scale emplacement (FE) experiment at the Mont Terri rock laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Müller, H.R.; Garitte, B.; Vogt, T.; and others

2017-04-15

Opalinus Clay is currently being assessed as the host rock for a deep geological repository for high-level and low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in Switzerland. Within this framework, the 'Full-Scale Emplacement' (FE) experiment was initiated at the Mont Terri rock laboratory close to the small town of St-Ursanne in Switzerland. The FE experiment simulates, as realistically as possible, the construction, waste emplacement, backfilling and early post-closure evolution of a spent fuel/vitrified high-level waste disposal tunnel according to the Swiss repository concept. The main aim of this multiple heater test is the investigation of repository-induced thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled effects on the host rock at this scale and the validation of existing coupled THM models. For this, several hundred sensors were installed in the rock, the tunnel lining, the bentonite buffer, the heaters and the plug. This paper is structured according to the implementation timeline of the FE experiment. It documents relevant details about the instrumentation, the tunnel construction, the production of the bentonite blocks and the highly compacted 'granulated bentonite mixture' (GBM), the development and construction of the prototype 'backfilling machine' (BFM) and its testing for horizontal GBM emplacement. Finally, the plug construction and the start of all 3 heaters (with a thermal output of 1350 Watt each) in February 2015 are briefly described. In this paper, measurement results representative of the different experimental steps are also presented. Tunnel construction aspects are discussed on the basis of tunnel wall displacements, permeability testing and relative humidity measurements around the tunnel. GBM densities achieved with the BFM in the different off-site mock-up tests and, finally, in the FE tunnel are presented. Finally, in situ thermal conductivity and temperature measurements recorded during the first heating months

A coupled mechanical-hydrological methodology for modeling flow in jointed rock masses using laboratory data for the joint flow model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, C.F.; Bastian, R.J.; Shotwell, L.R.

1986-01-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) currently supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management in developing and evaluating analytical methods for assessing the suitability of sites for geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The research includes consideration of hydrological, geomechanical, geochemical, and waste package components and the evaluation of the degree of coupling that can occur between two or more of these components. The PNL effort and those of other research groups investing potential waste sites in the U.S. and abroad are producing a suite of computer codes to analyze the long-term performance of the proposed repository sites. This paper summarizes the ongoing research in rock mechanics at PNL involving flow through jointed rock. The objective of this research is to develop a methodology for modeling the coupled mechanical-hydrological process of flow through joints and then attempt to validate a ''simple'' model using small-scale laboratory test data as a basis for judging whether the approach has merit. This paper discusses the laboratory tests being conducted to develop a joint behavioral constitutive model for the numerical method under development and the modeling approach being considered

Long Term Sorption Diffusion Experiment (LTDE-SD). Supporting laboratory program - Sorption diffusion experiments and rock material characterisation. With supplement of adsorption studies on intact rock samples from the Forsmark and Laxemar site investigations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widestrand, Henrik; Byegaard, Johan; Selnert, Eva; Skaalberg, Mats; Hoeglund, Susanne; Gustafsson, Erik (Geosigma AB, Uppsala (Sweden))

2010-12-15

The LTDE-SD experiment, (Long Term Sorption Diffusion Experiment) aims at increasing the scientific knowledge of sorption and diffusion under in situ conditions and to provide data for performance and safety assessment calculations. In this report, performance and results of laboratory sorption and diffusion experiments and porosity investigations using site-specific crushed and intact rock materials are presented, including a geological and mineralogical characterization of the samples. A synthetic groundwater and a part of the radionuclide tracer cocktail that was used for the in situ experiment were used also in the laboratory experiments. 13 radionuclide tracers were analysed in the laboratory experiments. The method descriptions from SKB Site Investigations were applied in order to enable comparisons with Site Investigations data. The water saturation porosity of 10 unaltered matrix rock samples from KA3065A02 and A03 is 0.26 +- 0.08% and two fracture material samples show porosities of 2.4% and 5.2% respectively. 14C-methylmethacrylate impregnation (the PMMA-method) show that the unaltered rock matrix porosity is relatively homogeneous with grain boundary porosity, while the porosity of fracture samples is heterogeneous and have increased porosity up to more than 10% in some parts. Through-diffusion experiments using tritiated water (H3HO) give a matrix diffusivity in the range from 2.7centre dot10-14 to 6.5centre dot10-14 m2/s in four samples from KA3065A02 and A03. The results of the porosity and diffusion measurements are coherent in ranges with earlier LTDE-SD measurements and are also in line with the SKB Site Investigations results. In the batch sorption experiments using crushed rock material, two matrix rock samples of Aevroe granodiorite, one red-stained altered Aevroe granodiorite sample and two chlorite-calcite dominated fracture samples were analysed for three different size fractions as a function of time up to 186 days contact time. The

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Final report of the first stage of the tracer retention understanding experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winberg, A.; Andersson, Peter; Hermanson, Jan; Byegaard, Johan

2000-03-01

The first stage of the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) was performed as a SKB funded project. The overall objectives of TRUE are to develop the understanding of radionuclide migration and retention in fractured rock, to evaluate the realism in applied model concepts, and to assess whether the necessary input data to the models can be collected from site characterisation. Further, to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of different model approaches, and finally to provide in situ data on radionuclide migration and retention. The strive for address with multiple approaches is facilitated through a close collaboration with the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. The TRUE programme is a staged programme which addresses various scales from laboratory ( 22 Na + 47 Ca 2+ ≅ 85 Sr 2+ 86 Rb + ≅ 133 Ba 2+ The field tracer tests, using essentially the same cocktail of sorbing tracers as in the laboratory, were found to show the same relative sorbtivity as seen in the laboratory. A test using 137 Cs showed that after termination of the test, some 63% of the injected activity remained sorbed in the rock. The interpretation of the in situ tests with sorbing tracers was performed using the LaSAR approach, developed as a part of the TRUE project. In this approach the studied flow path is viewed as a part of an open fracture. Key processes are spatially variable advection and mass transfer. The evaluation shows that laboratory diffusion data are not representative for in situ conditions, and that a close fit between field and modelled breakthrough is obtained only when a parameter group which includes diffusion is enhanced with a factor varying between 32-50 for all tracers and experiments (except for Cs) and 137 for Cs. Our interpretation is that the enhancement is mainly due to higher diffusivity/porosity and higher sorption in the part of the altered rim zone of the feature which is accessible over the time scales

Between-hole acoustic surveying and monitoring of a granitic rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulsson, B.N.P.; King, M.S.

1980-02-01

The purpose of this technical note is to present preliminary results of an acoustic monitoring study performed as part of a comprehensive rock mechanic and geophysics research program (Ref.20) associated with large-scale heater tests in an abandoned iron-ore mine in central Sweden. The investigation was performed in a fractured granitic rock mass at a sub-surface depth of 340 m, in a drift adjacent to the original iron-ore mine workings. Acoustic monitoring took place between four empty, dry, vertical boreholes of 10 m depth spaced in the vicinity of a vertical heater borehole in the floor of a drift

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-09-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site for a deep repository. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The bedrock with available fractures and fracture zones, its properties and on-going physical, chemical and biological processes which affect the integrity of the engineered barriers and the transport of radionuclides are denoted the natural barriers of a deep repository. Experiments are performed at Aespoe HRL at conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth, with the aim to increase the knowledge of the long term function of the repository barriers. Another aim with the Aespoe HRL is testing of models for groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, chemical and biological processes. The programme for the testing of models includes evaluation of the usefulness and reliability of different models and the development and testing of methods for determination of parameters required as input to conceptual and numerical models. Ongoing projects are Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments, Long Term Diffusion Experiment, Radionuclide Retention Experiment, Microbial Project, Colloid Project, and Matrix Water Chemistry Experiments. The activities at Aespoe HRL include the evaluation of the usefulness and reliability of different calculation models and the development and testing of methods for determination of parameters required as input to the models. An important part of this work is performed in the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes, an international co-operation project. The work within the Tasks 4 and 5 were reported

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Annual Report 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) constitutes an important part of SKB's work to design and construct a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and to develop and test methods for characterisation of a suitable site for a deep repository. One of the fundamental reasons behind SKB's decision to construct an underground laboratory was to create an opportunity for research, development and demonstration in a realistic and undisturbed rock environment down to repository depth. The bedrock with available fractures and fracture zones, its properties and on-going physical, chemical and biological processes which affect the integrity of the engineered barriers and the transport of radionuclides are denoted the natural barriers of a deep repository. Experiments are performed at Aespoe HRL at conditions that are expected to prevail at repository depth, with the aim to increase the knowledge of the long term function of the repository barriers. Another aim with the Aespoe HRL is testing of models for groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, chemical and biological processes. The programme for the testing of models includes evaluation of the usefulness and reliability of different models and the development and testing of methods for determination of parameters required as input to conceptual and numerical models. Ongoing projects are Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments, Long Term Diffusion Experiment, Radionuclide Retention Experiment, Microbial Project, Colloid Project, and Matrix Water Chemistry Experiments. The activities at Aespoe HRL include the evaluation of the usefulness and reliability of different calculation models and the development and testing of methods for determination of parameters required as input to the models. An important part of this work is performed in the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes, an international co-operation project. The work within the Tasks 4 and 5 were reported during 2001

Laboratory Experiments to Evaluate Matrix Diffusion of Dissolved Organic Carbon Carbon-14 in Southern Nevada Fractured-rock Aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hershey, Ronald L. [Nevada University, Reno, NV (United States). Desert Research Institute; Fereday, Wyatt [Nevada University, Reno, NV (United States). Desert Research Institute

2016-05-01

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) carbon-14 (¹⁴C) is used to estimate groundwater ages by comparing the DIC ¹⁴C content in groundwater in the recharge area to the DIC ¹⁴C content in the downgradient sampling point. However, because of chemical reactions and physical processes between groundwater and aquifer rocks, the amount of DIC ¹⁴C in groundwater can change and result in ¹⁴C loss that is not because of radioactive decay. This loss of DIC ¹⁴C results in groundwater ages that are older than the actual groundwater ages. Alternatively, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ¹⁴C in groundwater does not react chemically with aquifer rocks, so DOC ¹⁴C ages are generally younger than DIC ¹⁴C ages. In addition to chemical reactions, ¹⁴C ages may also be altered by the physical process of matrix diffusion. The net effect of a continuous loss of ¹⁴C to the aquifer matrix by matrix diffusion and then radioactive decay is that groundwater appears to be older than it actually is. Laboratory experiments were conducted to measure matrix diffusion coefficients for DOC ¹⁴C in volcanic and carbonate aquifer rocks from southern Nevada. Experiments were conducted using bromide (Br-) as a conservative tracer and ¹⁴C-labeled trimesic acid (TMA) as a surrogate for groundwater DOC. Outcrop samples from six volcanic aquifers and five carbonate aquifers in southern Nevada were used. The average DOC ¹⁴C matrix diffusion coefficient for volcanic rocks was 2.9 x 10^-7 cm²/s, whereas the average for carbonate rocks was approximately the same at 1.7 x 10^-7 cm²/s. The average Br- matrix diffusion coefficient for volcanic rocks was 10.4 x 10^-7 cm²/s, whereas the average for carbonate rocks was less at 6.5 x 10^-7 cm²/s. Carbonate rocks exhibited greater variability in

Policing football in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stott, Clifford; Havelund, Jonas; Lundberg, Filip

2016-01-01

of football policing in Sweden. Central to these is the empowerment and coordination of dialogue based approaches to the policing of football supporters in Sweden. The report points out that this is an area of crowd policing where Sweden are global leaders having influenced how policing is conducted in other...

Some remarks about remedial actions and research program in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, S.O.

1980-01-01

In the fall of 1978 six houses in Sweden were found to have unacceptably high radon concentrations. These houses were built on land where shale ash had been used as landfill. Radon levels were reduced significantly by increasing ventilation rates or by removing the shale ash. In five houses built of aerated concrete based on alum shale attempts are being made to reduce the radon concentration by papering the walls with aluminum foil. Further work is being done on the relation between elevated activity in rock and soil and indoor concentrations of radon, and on the exhalation of radon from building materials

Fundamental Research on Percussion Drilling: Improved rock mechanics analysis, advanced simulation technology, and full-scale laboratory investigations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael S. Bruno

2005-12-31

This report summarizes the research efforts on the DOE supported research project Percussion Drilling (DE-FC26-03NT41999), which is to significantly advance the fundamental understandings of the physical mechanisms involved in combined percussion and rotary drilling, and thereby facilitate more efficient and lower cost drilling and exploration of hard-rock reservoirs. The project has been divided into multiple tasks: literature reviews, analytical and numerical modeling, full scale laboratory testing and model validation, and final report delivery. Literature reviews document the history, pros and cons, and rock failure physics of percussion drilling in oil and gas industries. Based on the current understandings, a conceptual drilling model is proposed for modeling efforts. Both analytical and numerical approaches are deployed to investigate drilling processes such as drillbit penetration with compression, rotation and percussion, rock response with stress propagation, damage accumulation and failure, and debris transportation inside the annulus after disintegrated from rock. For rock mechanics modeling, a dynamic numerical tool has been developed to describe rock damage and failure, including rock crushing by compressive bit load, rock fracturing by both shearing and tensile forces, and rock weakening by repetitive compression-tension loading. Besides multiple failure criteria, the tool also includes a damping algorithm to dissipate oscillation energy and a fatigue/damage algorithm to update rock properties during each impact. From the model, Rate of Penetration (ROP) and rock failure history can be estimated. For cuttings transport in annulus, a 3D numerical particle flowing model has been developed with aid of analytical approaches. The tool can simulate cuttings movement at particle scale under laminar or turbulent fluid flow conditions and evaluate the efficiency of cutting removal. To calibrate the modeling efforts, a series of full-scale fluid hammer

Laboratory investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Handin, J.

1980-01-01

Our task is to design mined-repository systems that will adequately secure high-level nuclear waste for at least 10,000 yr and that will be mechanically stable for 50 to 100-yr periods of retrievability during which mistakes could be corrected and a valuable source of energy could be reclaimed, should national policy on the reprocessing of spent fuel ever change. The only credible path for the escape of radionuclides from the repository to the biosphere is through ground-water, and in hard rock, bulk permeability is largely governed by natural and artificial fracture systems. Catastrophic failure of an excavation in hard rock is likely to occur at the weakest links - the discontinuities in the rock mass that is perturbed first by mining and then by radiogenic heating. The laboratory can contribute precise measurements of the pertinent thermomechanical, hydrological and chemical properties and improve our understanding of the fundamental processes through careful experiments under well controlled conditions that simulate the prototype environment. Thus laboratory investigations are necessary, but they are not sufficient, for conventional sample sizes are small relative to natural defects like joints - i.e., the rock mass is not a continuum - and test durations are short compared to those that predictive modeling must take into account. Laboratory investigators can contribute substantially more useful data if they are provided facilities for testing large specimens(say one cubic meter) and for creep testing of all candidate host rocks. Even so, extrapolations of laboratory data to the field in neither space nor time are valid without the firm theoretical foundations yet to be built. Meanwhile in-situ measurements of structure-sensitive physical properties and access to direct observations of rock-mass character will be absolutely necessary

Monitoring and modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes - main results of a heater experiment at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ingeborg, G.; Alheid, H.J. [BGR - Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover (Germany); Jockwerz, N. [Gesellschaft fur Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) - Final Repository Research Division, Braunschweig (Germany); Mayor, J.C. [ENRESA - Empresa Nacional des Residuos Radioactivos, Madrid (Spain); Garcia-Siner, J.L. [AITEMIN -Asociacion para la Investigacion y Desarrollo Industrial de los Recursos Naturales, Madrid, (Spain); Alonso, E. [CIMNE - Centre Internacional de Metodos Numerics en Ingenyeria, UPC, Barcelona (Spain); Weber, H.P. [NAGRA - National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Wettingen (Switzerland); Plotze, M. [ETHZ - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, IGT, Zurich, (Switzerland); Klubertanz, G. [COLENCO Power Engineering Ltd., Baden (Switzerland)

2005-07-01

The long-term safety of permanent underground repositories relies on a combination of engineered and geological barriers, so that the interactions between the barriers in response to conditions expected in a high-level waste repository need to be identified and fully understood. Co-financed by the European Community, a heater experiment was realized on a pilot plant scale at the underground laboratory in Mont Terri, Switzerland. The experiment was accompanied by an extensive programme of continuous monitoring, experimental investigations on-site as well as in laboratories, and numerical modelling of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes. Heat-producing waste was simulated by a heater element of 10 cm diameter, held at a constant surface temperature of 100 C. The heater element (length 2 m) operated in a vertical borehole of 7 m depth at 4 to 6 m depth. It was embedded in a geotechnical barrier of pre-compacted bentonite blocks (outer diameter 30 cm) that were irrigated for 35 months before the heating phase (duration 18 months) began. The host rock is a highly consolidated stiff Jurassic clay stone (Opalinus Clay). After the heating phase, the vicinity of the heater element was explored by seismic, hydraulic, and geotechnical tests to investigate if the heating had induced changes in the Opalinus Clay. Additionally, rock mechanic specimens were tested in the laboratory. Finally, the experiment was dismantled to provide laboratory specimens of post - heating buffer and host rock material. The bentonite blocks were thoroughly wetted at the time of the dismantling. The volume increase amounted to 5 to 9% and was thus below the bentonite potential. Geo-electrical measurements showed no decrease of the water content in the vicinity of the heater during the heating phase. Decreasing energy input to the heater element over time suggests hence, that the bentonite dried leading to a decrease of its thermal conductivity. Gas release during the heating period occurred

Rock engineering in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-01-01

Contains a large collection of short articles concerned with tunnels and underground caverns and their construction and use. The articles are grouped under the following headings: use of the subsurface space; water supply; waste water services; energy management (includes articles on power stations, district heating and oil storage and an article on coal storage); multipurpose tunnels; waste disposal; transport; shelters; sporting and recreational amenities located in rock caverns; storage facilities; industrial, laboratory, and service facilities; rock foundations; tourism and culture; utilization of rock masses; research on the disposal of nuclear waste; training and research in the field of rock engineering; site investigation techniques; design of structures in rock; construction; the environment and occupational safety; modern equipment technology; underground space in Helsinki.

A global sensitivity analysis of two-phase flow between fractured crystalline rock and bentonite with application to spent nuclear fuel disposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Dessirier, Benoît; Frampton, Andrew; Jarsjö, Jerker

2015-11-01

Geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep crystalline rock is investigated as a possible long term solution in Sweden and Finland. The fuel rods would be cased in copper canisters and deposited in vertical holes in the floor of deep underground tunnels, embedded within an engineered bentonite buffer. Recent experiments at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Sweden) showed that the high suction of unsaturated bentonite causes a de-saturation of the adjacent rock at the time of installation, which was also independently predicted in model experiments. Remaining air can affect the flow patterns and alter bio-geochemical conditions, influencing for instance the transport of radionuclides in the case of canister failure. However, thus far, observations and model realizations are limited in number and do not capture the conceivable range and combination of parameter values and boundary conditions that are relevant for the thousands of deposition holes envisioned in an operational final repository. In order to decrease this knowledge gap, we introduce here a formalized, systematic and fully integrated approach to study the combined impact of multiple factors on air saturation and dissolution predictions, investigating the impact of variability in parameter values, geometry and boundary conditions on bentonite buffer saturation times and on occurrences of rock de-saturation. Results showed that four parameters consistently appear in the top six influential factors for all considered output (target) variables: the position of the fracture intersecting the deposition hole, the background rock permeability, the suction representing the relative humidity in the open tunnel and the far field pressure value. The combined influence of these compared to the other parameters increases as one targets a larger fraction of the buffer reaching near-saturation. Strong interaction effects were found, which means that some parameter combinations yielded results (e.g., time to

Exploring diffusion and sorption processes at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland): lessons learned from 20 years of field research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leupin, O.X. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Van Loon, L.R. [Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Villigen (Switzerland); Gimmi, T. [Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Berne, Berne (Switzerland); Gimmi, T. [Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain); and others

2017-04-15

Transport and retardation parameters of radionuclides, which are needed to perform a safety analysis for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in a compacted claystone such as Opalinus Clay, must be based on a detailed understanding of the mobility of nuclides at different spatial scales (laboratory, field, geological unit). Thanks to steadily improving experimental designs, similar tracer compositions in different experiments and complementary small laboratory-scale diffusion tests, a unique and large database could be compiled. This paper presents the main findings of 20 years of diffusion and retention experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory and their impact on safety analysis. (authors)

Energy in Sweden 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-11-15

The annual Energy in Sweden report, and its sister publication, Energy in Sweden - Facts and Figures 2010 (STEM-ET--2010-46), are intended to provide decision makers, journalists, companies, teachers and the public with coherent and easily available information on developments in the energy sector. Most of the publication is based on official statistics up to and including 2009, complemented where possible by input reflecting current events and decisions up to the middle of 2010. Energy in Sweden presents facts about the use and supply of energy, present energy- and climate policy and policy measures, energy prices and energy markets, the impact of energy systems on the environment and an international outlook etc. See also the publication Energy in Sweden - Facts and Figures 2010 where the tabular data behind most of the diagrams in Energy in Sweden are presented

Energy in Sweden 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-12-15

The annual Energy in Sweden report, and its sister publication, Energy in Sweden: Facts and Figures (STEM-ET--2009-29), are intended to provide decision makers, journalists, companies, teachers and the public with coherent and easily available information on developments in the energy sector. Most of the publication is based on official statistics up to and including 2008, complemented where possible by input reflecting current events and decisions up to the middle of 2009. Energy in Sweden presents facts about the use and supply of energy, present energy- and climate policy and policy measures, energy prices and energy markets, the impact of energy systems on the environment and an international outlook etc. See also the publication Energy in Sweden - Facts and Figures 2009 where the tabular data behind most of the diagrams in Energy in Sweden are presented

Chemistry and origin of deep ground water in crystalline rocks; Kemi och genes av djupa grundvatten i kristallint berg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagerblad, B [Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

1995-11-01

This report discusses the interactions between water and crystalline rocks and its consequences for the chemical composition of the water. It also treats how flows of different types of water are modified by the rock, and the possible consequences for the ground water near a nuclear waste repository. The focus of the work is the changes in composition that ground water gets at deep levels in the rock. Data from Finnsjoen and Aespoe in Sweden show higher salinity in deep rock, which has been interpreted as a result of marine inflow of water during glaciation. Data from other, deeper boreholes in Finland, Canada, Russia, England and Sweden show that the increasing salinity is a rule and very high at great depths, higher than marine water can produce. Therefore, the deep waters from Finnsjoen and Aespoe are probably very old, and the high salinity a result from geological processes. Differing cation and isotopic composition than seawater also indicate geologic water. Differing theories on the origin of the ground water should be regarded in the safety analysis for a repository. 36 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab.

Waste disposal in granite: preliminary results from Stripa, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, N.G.W.; Gale, J.E.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1979-03-01

The results of this experiment to date indicate that the temperature fields in a rock mass contaning geologic discontinuities can be predicted with accuracy using the simple linear theory of heat conduction. Geologic discontinuities appear to introduce significant non-linear thermomechanical behavior into the rock mass as a result of which the thermally induced displacements are much less than those predicted by the simple theory of thermoelasticity, using laboratory values for Poisson's ratio and the coefficient of thermal expansion. The additional compliance introduced into the rock mass by geologic discontinuities affects the thermally induced stresses but to a lesser degree than the displacements. Further analytical, laboratory and field studies are expected to resolve many of the current uncertainties, especially field data gathered during a planned cooling down period following the switching off of the heaters scheduled in the near future

Geomechanics Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Geomechanics Laboratory allows its users to measure rock properties under a wide range of simulated service conditions up to very high pressures and complex load...

Comprehensive Interpretation of the Laboratory Experiments Results to Construct Model of the Polish Shale Gas Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Jarzyna, Jadwiga A.; Krakowska, Paulina I.; Puskarczyk, Edyta; Wawrzyniak-Guz, Kamila; Zych, Marcin

2018-03-01

More than 70 rock samples from so-called sweet spots, i.e. the Ordovician Sa Formation and Silurian Ja Member of Pa Formation from the Baltic Basin (North Poland) were examined in the laboratory to determine bulk and grain density, total and effective/dynamic porosity, absolute permeability, pore diameters size, total surface area, and natural radioactivity. Results of the pyrolysis, i.e., TOC (Total Organic Carbon) together with S1 and S2 - parameters used to determine the hydrocarbon generation potential of rocks, were also considered. Elemental composition from chemical analyses and mineral composition from XRD measurements were also included. SCAL analysis, NMR experiments, Pressure Decay Permeability measurements together with water immersion porosimetry and adsorption/ desorption of nitrogen vapors method were carried out along with the comprehensive interpretation of the outcomes. Simple and multiple linear statistical regressions were used to recognize mutual relationships between parameters. Observed correlations and in some cases big dispersion of data and discrepancies in the property values obtained from different methods were the basis for building shale gas rock model for well logging interpretation. The model was verified by the result of the Monte Carlo modelling of spectral neutron-gamma log response in comparison with GEM log results.

Changes in Ultrasonic Velocity from Fluid Substitution, Calculated with Laboratory Methods, Digital Rock Physics, and Biot Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, E. J.; Ikeda, K.; Tisato, N.

2017-12-01

Seismic and ultrasonic velocities of rocks are function of several variables including fluid saturation and type. Understanding the effect of each variable on elastic waves can be valuable when using seismic methods for subsurface modeling. Fluid type and saturation are of specific interest to volcanology, water, and hydrocarbon exploration. Laboratory testing is often employed to understand the effects of fluids on elastic waves. However, laboratory testing is expensive and time consuming. It normally requires cutting rare samples into regular shapes. Fluid injection can also destroy specimens as removing the fluid after testing can prove difficult. Another option is theoretical modeling, which can be used to predict the effect of fluids on elastic properties, but it is often inaccurate. Alternatively, digital rock physics (DRP) can be used to investigate the effect of fluid substitution. DRP has the benefit of being non invasive, as it does not require regular sample shapes or fluid injection. Here, we compare the three methods for dry and saturated Berea sandstone to test the reliability of DRP. First, ultrasonic velocities were obtained from laboratory testing. Second, for comparison, we used a purely theoretical approach - i.e., Hashin-Shtrikman and Biot theory - to estimate the wave speeds at dry and wet conditions. Third, we used DRP. The dry sample was scanned with micro Computed Tomography (µCT), and a three dimensional (3D) array was recorded. We employed a segmentation-less method to convert each 3D array value to density, porosity, elastic moduli, and wave speeds. Wave propagation was simulated numerically at similar frequency as the laboratory. To simulate fluid substitution, we numerically substituted air values for water and repeated the simulation. The results from DRP yielded similar velocities to the laboratory, and accurately predicted the velocity change from fluid substitution. Theoretical modeling could not accurately predict velocity, and

Acceleration to failure in geophysical signals prior to laboratory rock failure and volcanic eruptions (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Main, I. G.; Bell, A. F.; Greenhough, J.; Heap, M. J.; Meredith, P. G.

2010-12-01

The nucleation processes that ultimately lead to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rock bursts in mines, and landslides from cliff slopes are likely to be controlled at some scale by brittle failure of the Earth’s crust. In laboratory brittle deformation experiments geophysical signals commonly exhibit an accelerating trend prior to dynamic failure. Similar signals have been observed prior to volcanic eruptions, including volcano-tectonic earthquake event and moment release rates. Despite a large amount of effort in the search, no such statistically robust systematic trend is found prior to natural earthquakes. Here we describe the results of a suite of laboratory tests on Mount Etna Basalt and other rocks to examine the nature of the non-linear scaling from laboratory to field conditions, notably using laboratory ‘creep’ tests to reduce the boundary strain rate to conditions more similar to those in the field. Seismic event rate, seismic moment release rate and rate of porosity change show a classic ‘bathtub’ graph that can be derived from a simple damage model based on separate transient and accelerating sub-critical crack growth mechanisms, resulting from separate processes of negative and positive feedback in the population dynamics. The signals exhibit clear precursors based on formal statistical model tests using maximum likelihood techniques with Poisson errors. After correcting for the finite loading time of the signal, the results show a transient creep rate that decays as a classic Omori law for earthquake aftershocks, and remarkably with an exponent near unity, as commonly observed for natural earthquake sequences. The accelerating trend follows an inverse power law when fitted in retrospect, i.e. with prior knowledge of the failure time. In contrast the strain measured on the sample boundary shows a less obvious but still accelerating signal that is often absent altogether in natural strain data prior to volcanic eruptions. To test the

Weathering of rock 'Ginger'

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

One of the more unusual rocks at the site is Ginger, located southeast of the lander. Parts of it have the reddest color of any material in view, whereas its rounded lobes are gray and relatively unweathered. These color differences are brought out in the inset, enhanced at the upper right. In the false color image at the lower right, the shape of the visible-wavelength spectrum (related to the abundance of weathered ferric iron minerals) is indicated by the hue of the rocks. Blue indicates relatively unweathered rocks. Typical soils and drift, which are heavily weathered, are shown in green and flesh tones. The very red color in the creases in the rock surface correspond to a crust of ferric minerals. The origin of the rock is uncertain; the ferric crust may have grown underneath the rock, or it may cement pebbles together into a conglomerate. Ginger will be a target of future super-resolution studies to better constrain its origin.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Radioactive wast management in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivintsev, Yu.V.

1985-01-01

A system under development and partially realized of NPP radioactive waste management in Sweden up to spent-fuel disposal in underground storage is described. The system implies that the spent fuel after unloading from a reactor is stored at the NPP in water shielded tanks. Then fuel assemblies (FA) are transforted by a special ship, being operated since 1982, to the CLAB central storage. In CLAB water pools lacated in underground granite openings fuel assemblies will be stored for 40 years. CLAB is suggested to be put in operation in 1985. At the next stage FA are transported from CLAB to the canning set-up (located on the ground above the under ground disposal). Hot isostatic pressing is used for hermetization as a method allowing to make monolithic copper containers with a storage time of about 1 mln years. Sealed copper containers will be put into a burial ground sited in crystal rocks

Effects of earthquakes on the deep repository for spent fuel in Sweden based on case studies and preliminary model results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baeckblom, Goeran [Conrox, Djursholm (Sweden); Munier, Raymond [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)

2002-06-01

The Baltic Shield is one of the most stable areas in the world. Earthquakes have only on a few occasions exceeded magnitude 4 in Sweden in modern times. The safety case for a deep repository for spent fuel however includes an earthquake scenario due to the following reason: Earthquakes with much greater magnitudes occurred in northern Sweden during the most recent deglaciation period some 9,000 - 10,000 years ago when re-activated faults ruptured the surface. One of the most prominent evidences is the Paervie fault in Lapland, Sweden. The displacements exceeded 10 m in places and occurred over distances of around 150 km. The deep repository is designed to keep radiation well below the natural, ambient radiation for any time in the future. The safety function is achieved by a combination of engineered and natural barriers. One important safety issue is that future displacements in the rock should be less than 0.1 m at the precise location where the engineered canisters containing the waste are emplaced in the rock. Larger displacements could damage the canister that is designed to be tight for several 100,000 of years. SKB now re-visits the issues of seismic effects on underground facilities to supplement and update previous work. The project Effects of Earthquakes on Underground Facilities aims to re-compile field evidences of seismic damage on underground facilities, to shed additional light on the matter of friction loss in bedrock due to water-level changes and finally to find suitable ways to inform concerned citizens on the matter. The fact-finding was carried out in the form of interviews, literature surveys, Internet searches and by sending letters to some 60 organisations and researchers asking for co-operation. The most important conclusions are: Earthquake impact during the pre-closure phase: Damage due to shaking in an underground facility may occur if the peak ground acceleration exceeds 2 m/s{sup 2}. Sweden is located in the Baltic Shield that is

Pore Type Classification on Carbonate Reservoir in Offshore Sarawak using Rock Physics Model and Rock Digital Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubis, L A; Harith, Z Z T

2014-01-01

It has been recognized that carbonate reservoirs are one of the biggest sources of hydrocarbon. Clearly, the evaluation of these reservoirs is important and critical. For rigorous reservoir characterization and performance prediction from geophysical measurements, the exact interpretation of geophysical response of different carbonate pore types is crucial. Yet, the characterization of carbonate reservoir rocks is difficult due to their complex pore systems. The significant diagenesis process and complex depositional environment makes pore systems in carbonates far more complicated than in clastics. Therefore, it is difficult to establish rock physics model for carbonate rock type. In this paper, we evaluate the possible rock physics model of 20 core plugs of a Miocene carbonate platform in Central Luconia, Sarawak. The published laboratory data of this area were used as an input to create the carbonate rock physics models. The elastic properties were analyzed to examine the validity of an existing analytical carbonate rock physics model. We integrate the Xu-Payne Differential Effective Medium (DEM) Model and the elastic modulus which was simulated from a digital carbonate rock image using Finite Element Modeling. The results of this integration matched well for the separation of carbonate pore types and sonic P-wave velocity obtained from laboratory measurement. Thus, the results of this study show that the integration of rock digital image and theoretical rock physics might improve the elastic properties prediction and useful for more advance geophysical techniques (e.g. Seismic Inversion) of carbonate reservoir in Sarawak

Fragments of deeper parts of the hanging wall mantle preserved as orogenic peridotites in the central belt of the Seve Nappe Complex, Sweden

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Clos, F.; Gilio, M.; van Roermund, H.L.M.

Formation conditions of olivine microstructures are investigated in the Kittelfjäll spinel peridotite (KSP), a fragment of lithospheric mantle which occurs as an isolated body within high grade metamorphic crustal rocks of the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC), southern Västerbotten, central Sweden. The KSP

Mont Terri rock laboratory, 20 years of research: introduction, site characteristics and overview of experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossart, P.; Bernier, F.; Birkholzer, J.

2017-01-01

Geologic repositories for radioactive waste are designed as multi-barrier disposal systems that perform a number of functions including the long-term isolation and containment of waste from the human environment, and the attenuation of radionuclides released to the subsurface. The rock laboratory at Mont Terri (canton Jura, Switzerland) in the Opalinus Clay plays an important role in the development of such repositories. The experimental results gained in the last 20 years are used to study the possible evolution of a repository and investigate processes closely related to the safety functions of a repository hosted in a clay rock. At the same time, these experiments have increased our general knowledge of the complex behaviour of argillaceous formations in response to coupled hydrological, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biological processes. After presenting the geological setting in and around the Mont Terri rock laboratory and an overview of the mineralogy and key properties of the Opalinus Clay, we give a brief overview of the key experiments that are described in more detail in the following research papers to this Special Issue of the Swiss Journal of Geosciences. These experiments aim to characterise the Opalinus Clay and estimate safety-relevant parameters, test procedures, and technologies for repository construction and waste emplacement. Other aspects covered are: bentonite buffer emplacement, high-pH concrete-clay interaction experiments, anaerobic steel corrosion with hydrogen formation, depletion of hydrogen by microbial activity, and finally, release of radionuclides into the bentonite buffer and the Opalinus Clay barrier. In the case of a spent fuel/high-level waste repository, the time considered in performance assessment for repository evolution is generally 1 million years, starting with a transient phase over the first 10,000 years and followed by an equilibrium phase. Experiments dealing with initial conditions, construction, and waste

Mont Terri rock laboratory, 20 years of research: introduction, site characteristics and overview of experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bossart, P. [Swisstopo, Federal Office of Topography, Wabern (Switzerland); Bernier, F. [Federal Agency for Nuclear Control FANC, Brussels (Belgium); Birkholzer, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley (United States); and others

2017-04-15

Geologic repositories for radioactive waste are designed as multi-barrier disposal systems that perform a number of functions including the long-term isolation and containment of waste from the human environment, and the attenuation of radionuclides released to the subsurface. The rock laboratory at Mont Terri (canton Jura, Switzerland) in the Opalinus Clay plays an important role in the development of such repositories. The experimental results gained in the last 20 years are used to study the possible evolution of a repository and investigate processes closely related to the safety functions of a repository hosted in a clay rock. At the same time, these experiments have increased our general knowledge of the complex behaviour of argillaceous formations in response to coupled hydrological, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biological processes. After presenting the geological setting in and around the Mont Terri rock laboratory and an overview of the mineralogy and key properties of the Opalinus Clay, we give a brief overview of the key experiments that are described in more detail in the following research papers to this Special Issue of the Swiss Journal of Geosciences. These experiments aim to characterise the Opalinus Clay and estimate safety-relevant parameters, test procedures, and technologies for repository construction and waste emplacement. Other aspects covered are: bentonite buffer emplacement, high-pH concrete-clay interaction experiments, anaerobic steel corrosion with hydrogen formation, depletion of hydrogen by microbial activity, and finally, release of radionuclides into the bentonite buffer and the Opalinus Clay barrier. In the case of a spent fuel/high-level waste repository, the time considered in performance assessment for repository evolution is generally 1 million years, starting with a transient phase over the first 10,000 years and followed by an equilibrium phase. Experiments dealing with initial conditions, construction, and waste

Radionuclide migration in crystalline rock fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoelttae, P.

2002-01-01

Crystalline rock has been considered as a host medium for the repository of high radioactive spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The geosphere will act as an ultimate barrier retarding the migration of radionuclides to the biosphere if they are released through the technical barriers. Radionuclide transport is assumed to take place along watercarrying fractures, and retardation will occur both in the fracture and within the rock matrix. To be able to predict the transport and retardation of radionuclides in rock fractures and rock matrices, it is essential to understand the different phenomena involved. Matrix diffusion has been indicated to be an important mechanism, which will retard the transport of radionuclides in rock fractures. Both dispersion and matrix diffusion are processes, which can have similar influences on solute breakthrough curves in fractured crystalline rock. In this work, the migration of radionuclides in crystalline rock fractures was studied by means of laboratory scale column methods. The purpose of the research was to gain a better understanding of various phenomena - particularly matrix diffusion - affecting the transport and retardation behaviour of radionuclides in fracture flow. Interaction between radionuclides and the rock matrix was measured in order to test the compatibility of experimental retardation parameters and transport models used in assessing the safety of underground repositories for spent nuclear fuel. Rock samples of mica gneiss and of unaltered, moderately altered and strongly altered tonalite represented different rock features and porosities offering the possibility to determine experimental boundary limit values for parameters describing both the transport and retardation of radionuclides and rock matrix properties. The dominant matrix diffusion behaviour was demonstrated in porous ceramic column and gas diffusion experiments. Demonstration of the effects of matrix diffusion in crystalline rock fracture succeeded for the

Research of compression strength of fissured rock mass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. Г. Протосеня

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article examines a method of forecasting strength properties and their scale effect in fissured rock mass using computational modelling with final elements method in ABAQUS software. It shows advantages of this approach for solving tasks of determining mechanical properties of fissured rock mass, main stages of creating computational geomechanic model of rock mass and conducting a numerical experiment. The article presents connections between deformation during loading of numerical model, inclination angle of main fracture system from uniaxial and biaxial compression strength value, size of the sample of fissured rock mass and biaxial compression strength value under conditions of apatite-nepheline rock deposit at Plateau Rasvumchorr OAO «Apatit» in Kirovsky region of Murmanskaya oblast. We have conducted computational modelling of rock mass blocks testing in discontinuities based on real experiment using non-linear shear strength criterion of Barton – Bandis and compared results of computational experiments with data from field studies and laboratory tests. The calculation results have a high-quality match to laboratory results when testing fissured rock mass samples.

Energy in Sweden 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2008-12-15

Energy in Sweden is published annually and is intended to provide decision-makers, journalists, companies, teachers and the general public with a coherent and easily available source of information on developments in the energy sector. Statistics are presented up to and including year 2007, when possible. Energy in Sweden presents facts about the use and supply of energy, present energy- and climate policy and policy measures, energy prices and energy markets, the impact of energy systems on the environment, and an international outlook. A new chapter for this year is Secure energy supply. There is also a chapter on Sweden's share of renewable energy calculated with the definition by the European commission. See also the publication Energy in Sweden - Facts and Figures 2008 where the tabular data behind most of the diagrams in Energy in Sweden are presented. Most of the publication is based on official statistics up to and including 2007, complemented where possible by input reflecting current events and decisions up to the middle of 2008

The Vaigat Rock Avalanche Laboratory, west-central Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Dunning, S.; Rosser, N. J.; Szczucinski, W.; Norman, E. C.; Benjamin, J.; Strzelecki, M.; Long, A. J.; Drewniak, M.

2013-12-01

Rock avalanches have unusually high mobility and pose both an immediate hazard, but also produce far-field impacts associated with dam breach, glacier collapse and where they run-out into water, tsunami. Such secondary hazards can often pose higher risks than the original landslide. The prediction of future threats posed by potential rock avalanches is heavily reliant upon understanding of the physics derived from an interpretation of deposits left by previous events, yet drawing comparisons between multiple events is normally challenging as interactions with complex mountainous terrain makes deposits from each event unique. As such numerical models and the interpretation of the underlying physics which govern landslide mobility is commonly case-specific and poorly suited to extrapolation beyond the single events the model is tuned to. Here we present a high-resolution LiDAR and hyperspectral dataset captured across a unique cluster of large rock avalanche source areas and deposits in the Vaigat straight, west central Greenland. Vaigat offers the unprecedented opportunity to model a sample of > 15 rock avalanches of various age sourced from an 80 km coastal escarpment. At Vaigat many of the key variables (topography, geology, post-glacial history) are held constant across all landslides providing the chance to investigate the variations in dynamics and emplacement style related to variable landslide volume, drop-heights, and thinning/spreading over relatively simple, unrestricted run-out zones both onto land and into water. Our data suggest that this region represents excellent preservation of landslide deposits, and hence is well suited to calibrate numerical models of run out dynamics. We use this data to aid the interpretation of deposit morphology, structure lithology and run-out characteristics in more complex settings. Uniquely, we are also able to calibrate our models using a far-field dataset of well-preserved tsunami run-up deposits, resulting from the 21

Rock properties data base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, R.; Gorski, B.; Gyenge, M.

1991-03-01

As mining companies proceed deeper and into areas whose stability is threatened by high and complex stress fields, the science of rock mechanics becomes invaluable in designing underground mine strata control programs. CANMET's Mining Research Laboratories division has compiled a summary of pre- and post-failure mechanical properties of rock types which were tested to provide design data. The 'Rock Properties Data Base' presents the results of these tests, and includes many rock types typical of Canadian mine environments. The data base also contains 'm' and 's' values determined using Hoek and Brown's failure criteria for both pre- and post-failure conditions. 7 refs., 3 tabs., 9 figs., 1 append.

Strains and stresses in the rock around and unlined hot water cavern

Science.gov (United States)

Rehbinder, Göran

1984-07-01

Hot water stored in an unlined rock cavern is an efficient energy storage. A research program has been carried out with a test plant at the city of Avesta, Sweden. The plant consists of a rock cavern, the volume of which is 15000 m3, which serves as an energy buffer in the district heating system of the city. The water is heated from a garbage incinerator located close to the cavern. During the first test period the temperature of the stored water has varied between 40°C and 95°C. The heating of the rock causes strains and stresses in the rock. The measurements show that the state in the rock does mainly respond to the average temperature and not to the fluctuations. The maximum thermal stress is 9 MPa occurring at the wall of the cavern. The heave of the ground is less than 5 mm. The development of stress and strain will continue after the first test period since thermal equilibrium was not reached during this period.

Geo-Engineering Evaluation of Rock Masses for Crushed Rock and Cut Stones in Khartoum State, Sudan

Science.gov (United States)

Kheirelseed, E. E.; Ming, T. H.; Abdalla, S. B.

The purpose of this study is to find artificial coarse aggregates and cut stones around Khartoum. To meat the objectives of the study, data from both field and laboratory are collected. The field data includes geological investigations based on different methods and samples collection, whereas the laboratory tests consists of specific gravity, water absorption, impact value, crushing value, Los Angeles abrasion, soundness tests. The field and laboratory results were weighed and compiled together to reveal the engineering performance of the different rock masses in term of cut stone and crushed aggregates. The results show that most of the examined rock masses are suitable for crushing, building and dressed stones. For decorative slabs only foliated granite and syenite masses can be used.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory Annual Report 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-08-01

At Aespoe HRL, methods for characterising a suitable site for a deep repository are being developed and tested. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995. Most of the research is focused on processes of importance for the long-term safety of a future deep repository. To meet the overall time schedule for SKB's RDandD work, the following stage goals were initially defined for the work at the Aespoe HRL. 1. Verify pre-investigation methods. Demonstrate that investigations on the ground surface and in boreholes provide sufficient data on essential safety-related properties of the rock at repository level. 2. Finalise detailed investigation methodology. Refine and verify the methods and the technology needed for characterisation of the rock in the detailed site investigations. 3. Test models for description of the barrier functions at natural conditions. Further develop and at repository depth test methods and models for description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions during operation of a repository and after closure. 4. Demonstrate technology for and function of important parts of the repository system. Test, investigate and demonstrate on full-scale different components of importance for the long-term safety of a deep repository and to show that high quality can be achieved in design, construction, and operation of repository components. Stage goals 1 and 2 have been concluded at Aespoe HRL and the tasks have been transferred to the Site Investigation Department of SKB which performs site investigations at two sites, Simpevarp/Laxemar in the municipality of Oskarshamn and Forsmark in the municipality of Oesthammar. In order to reach present goals the following important tasks are performed at the Aespoe HRL: Develop, test, evaluate and demonstrate

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory Annual Report 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-08-01

At Aespoe HRL, methods for characterising a suitable site for a deep repository are being developed and tested. The underground part of the laboratory consists of a tunnel from the Simpevarp peninsula to the southern part of Aespoe where the tunnel continues in a spiral down to a depth of 460 m. Aespoe HRL has been in operation since 1995. Most of the research is focused on processes of importance for the long-term safety of a future deep repository. To meet the overall time schedule for SKB's RDandD work, the following stage goals were initially defined for the work at the Aespoe HRL. 1. Verify pre-investigation methods. Demonstrate that investigations on the ground surface and in boreholes provide sufficient data on essential safety-related properties of the rock at repository level. 2. Finalise detailed investigation methodology. Refine and verify the methods and the technology needed for characterisation of the rock in the detailed site investigations. 3. Test models for description of the barrier functions at natural conditions. Further develop and at repository depth test methods and models for description of groundwater flow, radionuclide migration, and chemical conditions during operation of a repository and after closure. 4. Demonstrate technology for and function of important parts of the repository system. Test, investigate and demonstrate on full-scale different components of importance for the long-term safety of a deep repository and to show that high quality can be achieved in design, construction, and operation of repository components. Stage goals 1 and 2 have been concluded at Aespoe HRL and the tasks have been transferred to the Site Investigation Department of SKB which performs site investigations at two sites, Simpevarp/Laxemar in the municipality of Oskarshamn and Forsmark in the municipality of Oesthammar. In order to reach present goals the following important tasks are performed at the Aespoe HRL: Develop, test, evaluate and

Strategy for a Rock Mechanics Site Descriptive Model. Development and testing of the theoretical approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staub, Isabelle; Fredriksson, Anders; Outters, Nils [Golder Associates AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

2002-05-01

deal with spatial variability and data uncertainties of the modelling results, and in order to minimise the number of numerical models to run, Monte Carlo simulations are used. The methodology was tested in Sweden on a limited set of data coming from the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The mechanical properties of the rock mass were determined in two scales, (I) in a 550 m block in which 'ordinary rock units' and 'deformation zone units' are identified,and (II) in a box located at depth from -380 to -500 m,and divided in 30x30x30 m cubes.

Strategy for a Rock Mechanics Site Descriptive Model. Development and testing of the theoretical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staub, Isabelle; Fredriksson, Anders; Outters, Nils

2002-05-01

deal with spatial variability and data uncertainties of the modelling results, and in order to minimise the number of numerical models to run, Monte Carlo simulations are used. The methodology was tested in Sweden on a limited set of data coming from the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The mechanical properties of the rock mass were determined in two scales, (I) in a 550 m block in which 'ordinary rock units' and 'deformation zone units' are identified,and (II) in a box located at depth from -380 to -500 m,and divided in 30x30x30 m cubes

Laboratory studies of groundwater degassing in replicas of natural fractured rock for linear flow geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geller, J.T.

1998-02-01

Laboratory experiments to simulate two-phase (gas and water) flow in fractured rock evolving from groundwater degassing were conducted in transparent replicas of natural rock fractures. These experiments extend the work by Geller et al. (1995) and Jarsjo and Geller (1996) that tests the hypothesis that groundwater degassing caused observed flow reductions in the Stripa Simulated Drift Experiment (SDE). Understanding degassing effects over a range of gas contents is needed due to the uncertainty in the gas contents of the water at the SDE. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) measure the effect of groundwater degassing on liquid flow rates for lower gas contents than the values used in Geller for linear flow geometry in the same fracture replicas of Geller; (2) provide a data set to develop a predictive model of two-phase flow in fractures for conditions of groundwater degassing; and (3) improve the certainty of experimental gas contents (this effort included modifications to the experimental system used by Geller et al. and separate gas-water equilibration tests). The Stripa site is being considered for a high-level radioactive waste repository

Spanish participation in the Haw Project: Laboratory investigations on Gamma irradiation effects in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuevas, C. de las; Miralles, L.; Teixidor, P.; Garcia Veigas, J.; Dies, X.; Ortega, X.; Pueyo, J.J.

1993-01-01

In order to prove the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HAW) in salt rock, a five years test disposal of thirty highly radioactive radiation sources is planned in the Asse salt mine, in the Federal Republic of Germany. The thirty radiation sources consist of steel canisters containing the vitrified radionuclides Caesium 137 and Strontium 90 in quantities sufficient to cover the bandwidth of heat generation and gamma radiation of real HAW. The radiation sources will be emplaced in six boreholes located in two galleries at the 800 m level. Two electrical heater tests were already started in November 1988 and are continuosly surveyed in respect of the rock mass. Also the handling system necessary for the emplacement of the radioactive canisters was developed and succesfully tested. A laboratory investigation programme on radiation effects in salt is being performed in advance to the radioactive canister emplacement. This programme includes the investigation of thermally and radiolytically induced water and gas release from the rock salt and the radiolytical decomposition of salt minerals. Part of this programme has been carried out since 1988 at the University of Barcelona, basically what refers to colloidal sodium determinations by light absorption measurements and microstructural studies on irradiated salt samples. For gamma dose and dose rate measurements in the test field, measuring systems consisting of ionisation chambers as well as solid state dosemeters were developed and tested. Thermomechanical computer code validation is performed by calculational predictions and parallel investigation of the stress and displacement fields in the underground test field

Waste disposal in granitic rocks: analysis of thermal microcracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoto, M.; Roeshoff, K.; Leojon, B.; Bel-Lan, A.

1981-04-01

The possible development of microcracks from a thermal origin has been researched in the granitic rocks of Shipa (Sweden), within which in a real scale have been originated some thermal gradients similar to the ones which could take place in the waste disposal. To achieve an optimal fratographic information, with some petrographic meaning, different microscopic techniques, optical and electronic, have been combined and an automatized quantification methodology has also been developed by means of digitals. Between warmed and unwarmed granitis no microfractographic differences have been detected. The observed variations are only apparent and may be explained as a function of the inherent petrographic heterogeneity of rocky blocks. In any case in the internal temperatures generated within these rocks have not attained its own threshold of thermal microcracking. (author)

Spectral variations in rocks and soils containing ferric iron hydroxide and(or) sulfate minerals as seen by AVIRIS and laboratory spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Rockwell, Barnaby W.

2004-01-01

Analysis of Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data covering the Big Rock Candy Mountain area of the Marysvale volcanic field, west-central Utah, identified abundant rocks and soils bearing jarosite, goethite, and chlorite associated with volcanic rocks altered to propylitic grade during the Miocene (2321 Ma). Propylitically-altered rocks rich in pyrite associated with the relict feeder zones of convecting, shallow hydrothermal systems are currently undergoing supergene oxidation to natrojarosite, kaolinite, and gypsum. Goethite coatings are forming at the expense of jarosite where most pyrite has been consumed through oxidation in alluvium derived from pyrite-bearing zones. Spectral variations in the goethite-bearing rocks that resemble variations found in reference library samples of goethites of varying grain size were observed in the AVIRIS data. Rocks outside of the feeder zones have relatively low pyrite content and are characterized by chlorite, epidote, and calcite, with local copper-bearing quartz-calcite veins. Iron-bearing minerals in these rocks are weathering directly to goethite. Laboratory spectral analyses were applied to samples of iron-bearing rock outcrops and alluvium collected from the area to determine the accuracy of the AVIRIS-based mineral identification. The accuracy of the iron mineral identification results obtained by analysis of the AVIRIS data was confirmed. In general, the AVIRIS analysis results were accurate in identifying medium-grained goethite, coarse-grained goethite, medium- to coarse-grained goethite with trace jarosite, and mixtures of goethite and jarosite. However, rock fragments from alluvial areas identified as thin coatings of goethite with the AVIRIS data were found to consist mainly of medium- to coarse-grained goethite based on spectral characteristics in the visible and near-infrared. To determine if goethite abundance contributed to the spectral variations observed in goethite-bearing rocks

Analysis of the hydraulic data from the MI fracture zone at the Grimsel Rock Laboratory, Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davey, A.; Karasaki, K.; Long, J.C.S.; Landsfeld, M.; Mensch, A.; Martel, S.J.

1989-10-01

One of the major problems in analyzing flow and transport in fractured rock is that the flow may be largely confined to a poorly connected network of fractures. In order to overcome some of this problem, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) has been developing a new type of fracture hydrology model called an equivalent discontinuum model. In this model the authors represent the discontinuous nature of the problem through flow on a partially filled lattice. A key component in constructing an equivalent discontinuum model from this lattice is removing some of the conductive elements such that the system is partially connected in the same manner as the fracture network. This is done through a statistical inverse technique called simulated annealing. The fracture network model is annealed by continually modifying a base model, or template such that the modified systems behave more and more like the observed system. In order to see how the simulated annealing algorithm works, the authors have developed a series of synthetic real cases. In these cases, the real system is completely known so that the results of annealing to steady state data can be evaluated absolutely. The effect of the starting configuration has been studied by varying the percent of conducting elements in the initial configuration. Results have shown that the final configurations converge to about the same percentage of conducting elements. An example using Nagra field data from the Migration Experiment (MI) at Grimsel Rock Laboratory in Switzerland is also analyzed. 24 refs., 33 figs., 3 tabs

Sweden - Physics in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1995-11-15

In its continual monitoring of physics in its Member States, the European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA) recently visited Sweden, where it met at the University of Lund in September. Physics in Sweden is flourishing, with both a long CERN tradition and excellent prospects for future collaboration. On the experimental side, about 80 researchers, including about 30 graduate students, out of a total of 110 (including 50 graduate students), concentrate on CERN for their work. The main centres of experimental activity are: Chalmers- Goteborg; Lund (particle physics and relativistic heavy ion groups), the Royal Institute of Technology - KTH - Stockholm, the University of Stockholm, and Uppsala. Engineering support staff in particle and highenergy nuclear physics number about 25. There is a strong Swedish participation (34 researchers from Lund, Stockholm, and Uppsala) in the Delphi experiment at LEP with a full commitment to higher energy running at LEP2, in the CP-LEAR experiment, JETSET studies at the LEAR low energy antiproton ring and in a LEAR hyperon experiment. Sweden is also well represented in CERN's extensive programme of nuclear and heavy ion physics, with 12 researchers active in the heavy ion programme, and a contingent in the SMC muon beam experiment. The strong Swedish interest in CERN's heavy ion programme was underlined by a special national contribution of 1.5M Swiss francs to the new lead ion injector. At lower energies, there is also good Swedish participation (mainly from the Chalmers Institute) in the Isolde online isotope separator. The national physics community has always appreciated CERN's diversified programmes and has greatly benefited as a result. For the future, there is an important involvement (some 40 physicists) in the ATLAS experiment at CERN's LHC collider. Swedish groups have been active in 11 research and development project for LHC physics. Sweden's heavy ion activity will continue at the RHIC heavy ion collider being

Sweden - Physics in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

In its continual monitoring of physics in its Member States, the European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA) recently visited Sweden, where it met at the University of Lund in September. Physics in Sweden is flourishing, with both a long CERN tradition and excellent prospects for future collaboration. On the experimental side, about 80 researchers, including about 30 graduate students, out of a total of 110 (including 50 graduate students), concentrate on CERN for their work. The main centres of experimental activity are: Chalmers- Goteborg; Lund (particle physics and relativistic heavy ion groups), the Royal Institute of Technology - KTH - Stockholm, the University of Stockholm, and Uppsala. Engineering support staff in particle and highenergy nuclear physics number about 25. There is a strong Swedish participation (34 researchers from Lund, Stockholm, and Uppsala) in the Delphi experiment at LEP with a full commitment to higher energy running at LEP2, in the CP-LEAR experiment, JETSET studies at the LEAR low energy antiproton ring and in a LEAR hyperon experiment. Sweden is also well represented in CERN's extensive programme of nuclear and heavy ion physics, with 12 researchers active in the heavy ion programme, and a contingent in the SMC muon beam experiment. The strong Swedish interest in CERN's heavy ion programme was underlined by a special national contribution of 1.5M Swiss francs to the new lead ion injector. At lower energies, there is also good Swedish participation (mainly from the Chalmers Institute) in the Isolde online isotope separator. The national physics community has always appreciated CERN's diversified programmes and has greatly benefited as a result. For the future, there is an important involvement (some 40 physicists) in the ATLAS experiment at CERN's LHC collider. Swedish groups have been active in 11 research and development project for LHC physics. Sweden's heavy ion activity will continue at the RHIC

Experimental investigation of incipient shear failure in foliated rock

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ikari, Matt J.; Niemeijer, André R.; Marone, Chris

It has long been known that rock fabric plays a key role in dictating rock strength and rheology throughout Earth's crust; however the processes and conditions under which rock fabric impacts brittle failure and frictional strength are still under investigation. Here, we report on laboratory

Using Local Event Tomography to Image Changes in the Rock Mass in the Kiirunavaara Iron Ore Mine, Northern Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, B.; Berglund, K.; Tryggvason, A.; Dineva, S.; Jonsson, L.

2017-12-01

Although induced seismic events in a mining environment are a potential hazard, they can be used to gain information about the rock mass in the mine which otherwise would be very difficult to obtain. In this study we use approximately 1.2 million mining induced seismic events in the Kiirunavaara iron ore mine in northernmost Sweden to image the rock mass using local event travel-time tomography. The Kiirunavaara mine is the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. The ore body is a magnetite sheet of 4 km length, with an average thickness of 80 m, which dips approximately 55° to the east. The events are of various origins such as shear slip on fractures, non-shear events and blasts, with magnitudes of up to 2.5. We use manually picked P- and S-wave arrival times from the routine processing in the tomography and we require that both phases are present at at least five geophones. For the tomography we use the 3D local earthquake tomography code PStomo_eq (Tryggvason et al., 2002), which we adjusted to the mining scale. The tomographic images show clearly defined regions of high and low velocities. Prominent low S-velocity zones are associated with mapped clay zones. Regions of ore where mining is ongoing and the near-ore tunnel infrastructure in the foot-wall also show generally low P- and S-velocities. The ore at depths below the current mining levels is imaged both as a low S-velocity zone but even more pronounced as a high Vp/Vs ratio zone. The tomography shows higher P- and S-velocities in the foot-wall away from the areas of mine infrastructure. We relocate all 1.2 million events in the new 3D velocity model. The relocation significantly enhances the clarity of the event distribution in space and we can much more easily identify seismically active structures, such as e.g. the deformation of the ore passes. The large number of events makes it possible to do detailed studies of the temporal evolution of stability in the mine. We present preliminary results

Investigation of the THM behaviour of the buffer and rock-buffer interaction during the canister retrieval test performed in the ASPÖ Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millard, A.; Barnichon, J.D.

2014-01-01

In the framework of the THERESA European project, numerical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviour of buffer (bentonite) and buffer-rock interfaces for deep underground nuclear waste repositories has been undertaken, with focus on the performance assessments. A major step of the project was the analysis of a large scale test, called the Canister Retrieval test, which has been performed in Aspö Hard Rock Laboratory. It consists in a full scale test of the emplacement of a canister with the surrounding buffer material. A deposition hole was first bored, and then the canister with heaters was installed together with bentonite blocks. The gap between the rock and the bentonite blocks was filled with bentonite pellets. The whole set was artificially wetted from its external boundary in order to accelerate the expected natural rehydration by the surrounding rock. The evolution of the THM processes was recorded over 5 years. Before analysing the whole CRT experiment, a preliminary simpler problem has been defined, which consisted in modelling a disc of buffer at canister mid-height. Thanks to the available experimental recorded measurements, it has been possible to numerically investigate the respective influence of the various THM parameters involved in the modelling of the physical processes. The theoretical model is based on one hand on the Richard's approximation for the flow calculation, and on the other hand on a Biot's type model for the hydro-mechanical behaviour. It has revealed the large influence of the liquid relative permeability, which is unfortunately in general not directly available from experiments and must be determined through inverse analysis techniques. Then, in a second stage, the whole CRT experiment has been analysed. For simplicity reasons, an axisymetrical model has been adopted, although the presence of a neighbouring experiment did influence the CRT results. The comparisons of

Investigation of the THM behaviour of the buffer and rock-buffer interaction during the canister retrieval test performed in the ASPÖ Hard Rock Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Millard, A., E-mail: alain.millard@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DANS, DM2S, SEMT, LM2S, F91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Barnichon, J.D. [IRSN/DEI/SARG/LR2S, F-92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

2014-04-01

In the framework of the THERESA European project, numerical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviour of buffer (bentonite) and buffer-rock interfaces for deep underground nuclear waste repositories has been undertaken, with focus on the performance assessments. A major step of the project was the analysis of a large scale test, called the Canister Retrieval test, which has been performed in Aspö Hard Rock Laboratory. It consists in a full scale test of the emplacement of a canister with the surrounding buffer material. A deposition hole was first bored, and then the canister with heaters was installed together with bentonite blocks. The gap between the rock and the bentonite blocks was filled with bentonite pellets. The whole set was artificially wetted from its external boundary in order to accelerate the expected natural rehydration by the surrounding rock. The evolution of the THM processes was recorded over 5 years. Before analysing the whole CRT experiment, a preliminary simpler problem has been defined, which consisted in modelling a disc of buffer at canister mid-height. Thanks to the available experimental recorded measurements, it has been possible to numerically investigate the respective influence of the various THM parameters involved in the modelling of the physical processes. The theoretical model is based on one hand on the Richard's approximation for the flow calculation, and on the other hand on a Biot's type model for the hydro-mechanical behaviour. It has revealed the large influence of the liquid relative permeability, which is unfortunately in general not directly available from experiments and must be determined through inverse analysis techniques. Then, in a second stage, the whole CRT experiment has been analysed. For simplicity reasons, an axisymetrical model has been adopted, although the presence of a neighbouring experiment did influence the CRT results. The

Tensile rock mass strength estimated using InSAR

KAUST Repository

Jonsson, Sigurjon

2012-11-01

The large-scale strength of rock is known to be lower than the strength determined from small-scale samples in the laboratory. However, it is not well known how strength scales with sample size. I estimate kilometer-scale tensional rock mass strength by measuring offsets across new tensional fractures (joints), formed above a shallow magmatic dike intrusion in western Arabia in 2009. I use satellite radar observations to derive 3D ground displacements and by quantifying the extension accommodated by the joints and the maximum extension that did not result in a fracture, I put bounds on the joint initiation threshold of the surface rocks. The results indicate that the kilometer-scale tensile strength of the granitic rock mass is 1–3 MPa, almost an order of magnitude lower than typical laboratory values.

Tensile rock mass strength estimated using InSAR

KAUST Repository

Jonsson, Sigurjon

2012-01-01

The large-scale strength of rock is known to be lower than the strength determined from small-scale samples in the laboratory. However, it is not well known how strength scales with sample size. I estimate kilometer-scale tensional rock mass strength by measuring offsets across new tensional fractures (joints), formed above a shallow magmatic dike intrusion in western Arabia in 2009. I use satellite radar observations to derive 3D ground displacements and by quantifying the extension accommodated by the joints and the maximum extension that did not result in a fracture, I put bounds on the joint initiation threshold of the surface rocks. The results indicate that the kilometer-scale tensile strength of the granitic rock mass is 1–3 MPa, almost an order of magnitude lower than typical laboratory values.

Applicability of initial stress measurement methods to Horonobe Siliceous rocks and initial stress state around Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanada, Hiroyuki; Niunoya, Sumio; Matsui, Hiroya; Fujii, Yoshiaki

2009-01-01

Understanding initial stress condition in deep underground is important for such construction as rock cavern for geological disposal of HLW and underground power plant. Neogene sedimentary rock is widely distributed in Japan. There are only a few studies of initial stress measurement in Neogene sedimentary rock mass in Japan due to difficulty of measurement. Evaluation of initial stress condition around Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project was carried out in order to understand initial stress condition and applicability of AE, DSCA and hydraulic fracturing (HF) methods to Neogene sedimentary rock. Initial stress values obtained from AE method is smaller than overburden pressure due to time dependency of Kaizer effect. It would be difficult to use AE method as initial stress measurement method for Horonobe Siliceous rocks. Principal stress values by DSCA are similar to those by HF tests. Directions of maximum horizontal principal stresses are approximately in E-W and corresponded to HF results. In HF, rod type and wire-line type systems were compared. Workability of rod type was much better than wire-line type. However, re-opening pressure were not able to be precisely measured in case of rod type system due to the large compliance of the packers and rods. Horizontal maximum and minimum principal stresses increase linearly in HF results. Deviatoric stress is acting at shallow depth. Initial stress condition approaches hydrostatic condition with depth. Direction of maximum horizontal principal stress was in E-W direction which was similar to tectonic movement around Horonobe URL by triangular surveying. (author)

Rock shape, restitution coefficients and rockfall trajectory modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Glover, James; Christen, Marc; Bühler, Yves; Bartelt, Perry

2014-05-01

Restitution coefficients are used in rockfall trajectory modelling to describe the ratio between incident and rebound velocities during ground impact. They are central to the problem of rockfall hazard analysis as they link rock mass characteristics to terrain properties. Using laboratory experiments as a guide, we first show that restitution coefficients exhibit a wide range of scatter, although the material properties of the rock and ground are constant. This leads us to the conclusion that restitution coefficients are poor descriptors of rock-ground interaction. The primary problem is that "apparent" restitution coefficients are applied at the rock's centre-of-mass and do not account for rock shape. An accurate description of the rock-ground interaction requires the contact forces to be applied at the rock surface with consideration of the momentary rock position and spin. This leads to a variety of rock motions including bouncing, sliding, skipping and rolling. Depending on the impact configuration a wide range of motions is possible. This explains the large scatter of apparent restitution coefficients. We present a rockfall model based on newly developed hard-contact algorithms which includes the effects of rock shape and therefore is able to reproduce the results of different impact configurations. We simulate the laboratory experiments to show that it is possible to reproduce run-out and dispersion of different rock shapes using parameters obtained from independent tests. Although this is a step forward in rockfall trajectory modelling, the problem of parametersing real terrain remains.

Effects of earthquakes on the deep repository for spent fuel in Sweden based on case studies and preliminary model results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeckblom, Goeran; Munier, Raymond

2002-06-01

The Baltic Shield is one of the most stable areas in the world. Earthquakes have only on a few occasions exceeded magnitude 4 in Sweden in modern times. The safety case for a deep repository for spent fuel however includes an earthquake scenario due to the following reason: Earthquakes with much greater magnitudes occurred in northern Sweden during the most recent deglaciation period some 9,000 - 10,000 years ago when re-activated faults ruptured the surface. One of the most prominent evidences is the Paervie fault in Lapland, Sweden. The displacements exceeded 10 m in places and occurred over distances of around 150 km. The deep repository is designed to keep radiation well below the natural, ambient radiation for any time in the future. The safety function is achieved by a combination of engineered and natural barriers. One important safety issue is that future displacements in the rock should be less than 0.1 m at the precise location where the engineered canisters containing the waste are emplaced in the rock. Larger displacements could damage the canister that is designed to be tight for several 100,000 of years. SKB now re-visits the issues of seismic effects on underground facilities to supplement and update previous work. The project Effects of Earthquakes on Underground Facilities aims to re-compile field evidences of seismic damage on underground facilities, to shed additional light on the matter of friction loss in bedrock due to water-level changes and finally to find suitable ways to inform concerned citizens on the matter. The fact-finding was carried out in the form of interviews, literature surveys, Internet searches and by sending letters to some 60 organisations and researchers asking for co-operation. The most important conclusions are: Earthquake impact during the pre-closure phase: Damage due to shaking in an underground facility may occur if the peak ground acceleration exceeds 2 m/s 2 . Sweden is located in the Baltic Shield that is

Training and accreditation for radon professionals in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mjoenes, L.; Soederman, A.-L.

2004-01-01

Radon training courses and seminars on radon have been arranged in Sweden since the early 1980s. A commercial educational company initiated the first regular training courses in 1987. Up to 1990 about 400 persons had attended courses in radon measurement and radon mitigation methods. In 1991 the training programme was taken over by the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, SSI. Today SSI's Radon Training Programme comprises three different two-day courses, a Basic Radon Course and two continuation courses: Radon Measurements and Radon in Water. Until 2003 SSI also arranged courses about Radon Remedial Measures and Radon Investigation and Risk Map Production. The courses are arranged twice a year. Altogether, about 750 municipal environmental health officers and technicians from private companies have been educated in the SSI training programme between 1991 and 2003. The continuation courses are completed with an examination, consisting of a theoretical test. The names of the persons who pass are being published in a list that is found on the SSI web site. Since no certification system is currently in place for radon professionals in Sweden, this list helps people who need to get in contact with radon counsellors to find one in their area and is used by authorities as well as private house-owners. Since 1991 it has been possible to obtain accreditation for measurements of indoor radon in Sweden and since 1997, also for measurements of radon in water. Although accreditation is voluntary in Sweden, accredited laboratories perform most measurements, both for indoor air and water. Passing the examination in the SSI training courses is a condition for accreditation. The Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment, SWEDAC, is in charge of the accreditation. So far, three major companies have obtained accreditation for measurement of indoor radon and four have been accredited for measurements of radon in water

Diffusion and retention experiment at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in St. Ursanne

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leupin, O.X.; Wersin, P.; Gimmi, Th.; Van Loon, L.; Eikenberg, J.; Baeyens, B.; Soler, J.M.; Dewonck, S.; Wittebroodt, C.; Samper, J.; Yi, S.; Naves, A.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Because of their favourable hydraulic and retention properties that limit the migration of radionuclides, indurated clays are being considered as potential host rocks for radioactive waste disposal. Migration of radionuclides by diffusion and retention is thereby one of the main concerns for safety assessment and therefore carefully investigated at different scales. The transfer from dispersed sorption batch and diffusion data from lab experiments to field scale is however not always straightforward. Thus, combined sorption and diffusion experiments at both lab and field scale are instrumental for a critical verification of the applicability of such sorption and diffusion data. The present migration field experiment 'DR' (Diffusion and Retention experiment) at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory (Switzerland) is the continuation of a series of successful diffusion experiments. The design is based on these previous diffusion experiments and has been extended to two diffusion chambers in a single borehole drilled perpendicular to the bedding plane. The radionuclides were injected as a pulse in both upper and lower loops where artificial pore water is circulating. The injected tracers were tritium, iodide, bromide, sodium-22, strontium-85, caesium (stable) for the lower diffusion chamber and deuterium caesium-137, barium-133, cobalt-60, europium-152, selenium (stable) and selenium-75 for the lower diffusion chamber. Their decrease in the circulation fluid - as they diffuse into the clay - is continuously monitored by online?-detection and regular sampling. The goals are fourfold (i) obtain diffusion and retention data for moderately to strongly sorbing tracers and to verify the corresponding data obtained on small-scale lab samples, (ii) improve diffusion data for the rock anisotropy, (iii) quantify effects of the borehole-disturbed zone for non-reactive tracers and (iv) improve data for long term diffusion. The

Sweden and the NEGP: A Pilot Study of the North European Gas Pipeline and Sweden's Dependence on Russian Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsson, Robert L

2006-06-15

Developments between 2004 and 2006 indicate that a North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP) through the Baltic Sea, from Russia to Germany, may be realised in the coming decade. This would provide Europe with yet another opportunity to diversify its import channels of gas. It is however reasonable to assume that the NEGP also could change the strategic pattern and be a source of friction. The NEGP may rock the regional stability and reduce the potential of the new EU members to become security providers in Europe's northern dimension. It also gives increased leverage and influence to Russia, a state that has moved in an authoritarian direction under President Putin. The aim of this pilot study is to elucidate on the NEGP pipeline and Sweden's increasing dependence on Russian energy. A subsidiary aim is to outline a set of concerns that have bearing on the situation for the EU and Baltic Sea Region and that need to be further addressed. In conclusion, the NEGP will enhance Russia's direct leverage on Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, as it will allow Russia to turn off gas supplies without affecting exports to other parts of Europe. Russia will also increase its leverage over the states that will or may be connected to the NEGP (Germany, and possibly Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK). Even if Sweden is not embracing the NEGP, it is today highly sensitive as it imports most of its energy. It is increasingly dependent on Russian oil and is partly dependent on imports of electricity from Russia. Should the NEGP materialise and Sweden becomes connected in the future, it would likely be dependent also on natural gas. It is of paramount importance for the energy security of the connected states how the pipeline is constructed and operated. If there will be technical possibilities for Russia to tamper with the flow of gas to individual states without affecting supply to others, there are tangible threats to the importing states.

Sweden and the NEGP: A Pilot Study of the North European Gas Pipeline and Sweden's Dependence on Russian Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, Robert L.

2006-06-01

Developments between 2004 and 2006 indicate that a North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP) through the Baltic Sea, from Russia to Germany, may be realised in the coming decade. This would provide Europe with yet another opportunity to diversify its import channels of gas. It is however reasonable to assume that the NEGP also could change the strategic pattern and be a source of friction. The NEGP may rock the regional stability and reduce the potential of the new EU members to become security providers in Europe's northern dimension. It also gives increased leverage and influence to Russia, a state that has moved in an authoritarian direction under President Putin. The aim of this pilot study is to elucidate on the NEGP pipeline and Sweden's increasing dependence on Russian energy. A subsidiary aim is to outline a set of concerns that have bearing on the situation for the EU and Baltic Sea Region and that need to be further addressed. In conclusion, the NEGP will enhance Russia's direct leverage on Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, as it will allow Russia to turn off gas supplies without affecting exports to other parts of Europe. Russia will also increase its leverage over the states that will or may be connected to the NEGP (Germany, and possibly Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK). Even if Sweden is not embracing the NEGP, it is today highly sensitive as it imports most of its energy. It is increasingly dependent on Russian oil and is partly dependent on imports of electricity from Russia. Should the NEGP materialise and Sweden becomes connected in the future, it would likely be dependent also on natural gas. It is of paramount importance for the energy security of the connected states how the pipeline is constructed and operated. If there will be technical possibilities for Russia to tamper with the flow of gas to individual states without affecting supply to others, there are tangible threats to the importing states

Chemval project report on stage 2: application of speciation models to laboratory and field data sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Read, D.

1990-01-01

This report describes the results of Chemval Stage 2, an international chemical model validation exercise involving the active participation of 14 organizations within EC countries, Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. Four different sites have been studied, representing a range of host rock types and proposed disposal facilities. It details the methodology employed and results obtained for 19 test cases of varying complexity, devised to allow comparison between modelling results and experimental measurements. Recommendations are made for enhancement of models and thermodynamic databases employed, as well as for the collection of field/laboratory data geared to the needs of model validation. This report complements a previous one, ref. EUR 12237 EN, devoted to the verification of speciation models. The work is part of the Community's Mirage project - Second phase, on migration of radionuclides in the geosphere

Rock fracture dynamics research at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory: applications to geological disposal of radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, R.P. [Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Haycox, J.R. [Applied Seismology Consultants Limited, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (United Kingdom); Martino, J. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Pinawa, MB (Canada)

2011-07-01

Studies of rock fracture dynamics at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL) have helped to provide a fundamental understanding of how crystalline rock responds to stresses induced from excavation, pressurization and temperature changes. The data acquired continue to provide insights into how a facility for the future geological disposal of radioactive waste could be engineered. Research into microseismic (MS), acoustic emission (AE), and ultrasonic velocity measurements has been performed on the full-scale sealed, pressurized, and heated horizontal elliptical tunnel at the Tunnel Sealing Experiment (TSX). The continuous monitoring of the experiment for 8 years provides a unique dataset for the understanding of the medium-term performance of an engineered disposal facility. This paper summarizes the results, interpretations and key findings of the experiment paying particular focus to the heating and cooling/depressurization of the chamber. Initial drilling of the tunnel and bulkheads causes microfracturing around the tunnel, mapped by MS and AEs, and is used as a benchmark for fracturing representing the excavated damaged zone (EDZ). There is no further extension to the volume during pressurization or heating of the tunnel suggesting an increase in crack density and coalescence of cracks rather than extension into unfractured rock. The dominant structure within the seismic cloud has been investigated using a statistical approach applying the three-point method. MS events in the roof exhibit a dominant pattern of sub-horizontal and shallow-dipping well defined planar features, but during cooling and depressurization a 45 degree dip normal to the tunnel axis is observed, which may be caused by movement in the rock-concrete interface due to differential cooling of the bulkhead and host rock. Cooling and depressurization of the TSX have not led to a significant increase in the number of MS or AE events. Ultrasonic results suggest the rock gets even stiffer

Cases of human brucellosis in Sweden linked to Middle East and Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Garofolo, Giuliano; Fasanella, Antonio; Di Giannatale, Elisabetta; Platone, Ilenia; Sacchini, Lorena; Persiani, Tiziana; Boskani, Talar; Rizzardi, Kristina; Wahab, Tara

2016-05-17

Human brucellosis cases are still reported each year in Sweden despite eradication of the disease in animals. Epidemiological investigation has never been conducted to trace back the source of human infection in the country. The purpose of the study was to identify the source of infection for 16 human brucellosis cases that occurred in Sweden, during the period 2008-2012. The isolates were identified as Brucella melitensis and MLVA-16 genotyping revealed 14 different genotypes of East Mediterranean and Africa lineages. We also reported one case of laboratory-acquired brucellosis (LAB) that was shown to be epidemiological linked to one of the cases in the current study. Brucella melitensis was the only species diagnosed, confirming its highest zoonotic potential in the genus Brucella, and MLVA-16 results demonstrated that the cases of brucellosis in Sweden herein investigated, are imported and linked to travel in the Middle East and Africa. Due to its zoonotic concerns, any acute febrile illness linked to recent travel within those regions should be investigated for brucellosis and samples should be processed according to biosafety level 3 regulations.

Segmentation-less Digital Rock Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Tisato, N.; Ikeda, K.; Goldfarb, E. J.; Spikes, K. T.

2017-12-01

In the last decade, Digital Rock Physics (DRP) has become an avenue to investigate physical and mechanical properties of geomaterials. DRP offers the advantage of simulating laboratory experiments on numerical samples that are obtained from analytical methods. Potentially, DRP could allow sparing part of the time and resources that are allocated to perform complicated laboratory tests. Like classic laboratory tests, the goal of DRP is to estimate accurately physical properties of rocks like hydraulic permeability or elastic moduli. Nevertheless, the physical properties of samples imaged using micro-computed tomography (μCT) are estimated through segmentation of the μCT dataset. Segmentation proves to be a challenging and arbitrary procedure that typically leads to inaccurate estimates of physical properties. Here we present a novel technique to extract physical properties from a μCT dataset without the use of segmentation. We show examples in which we use segmentation-less method to simulate elastic wave propagation and pressure wave diffusion to estimate elastic properties and permeability, respectively. The proposed method takes advantage of effective medium theories and uses the density and the porosity that are measured in the laboratory to constrain the results. We discuss the results and highlight that segmentation-less DRP is more accurate than segmentation based DRP approaches and theoretical modeling for the studied rock. In conclusion, the segmentation-less approach here presented seems to be a promising method to improve accuracy and to ease the overall workflow of DRP.

Hydrogeology of the rock mass encountered at the 240 level of Canada's Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozak, E.T.; Davison, C.C.

1992-09-01

The rock mass surrounding the 240 level of Canada's Underground Research Laboratory (URL) has been hydrogeologically characterized through observations made in the tunnel and room excavations and from a network of radiating low-dipping boreholes. The 240 level complex sits in a wedge of grey-to-pink granite between two important, low-dipping, hydraulically active fracture zones, known as Fracture Zone 2 (FZ2) and Fracture Zone 2.5 (FZ2.5), a splay of FZ2. There is no apparent seepage into the 240 level room and tunnel network from the surrounding rock mass except from a vertical fracture intersected by the Room 209 tunnel. Extensive hydraulic and geomechanical tests have been conducted in boreholes intersecting the Room 209 vertical fracture, and transmissivities were found to range from 10 -10 to 10 -6 m 2 /s. FZ2 and FZ2.5 occur at the 240 m depth approximately 10 m to the west and 100 m to the south respectively of the 240 level tunnel network. Hydraulic testing within packer-isolated boreholes intersecting these fracture zones showed that transmissivities ranged from 10 -7 to 10 -5 m 2 /s in FZ2, and 10 -9 to 10 -7 m 2 /s in FZ2.5. No naturally-occurring fractures were encountered east of the 240 level complex up to 300 m away. The rock mass to the north of the 240 level is dominated by the Room 209 vertical fracture, which tends to splay with distance and has been intersected 95 m from the Room 209 tunnel. (Author) (50 figs., 5 tabs., 10 refs.)

In Situ Observation of Rock Spalling in the Deep Tunnels of the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (2400 m Depth)

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xia-Ting; Xu, Hong; Qiu, Shi-Li; Li, Shao-Jun; Yang, Cheng-Xiang; Guo, Hao-Sen; Cheng, Yuan; Gao, Yao-Hui

2018-04-01

To study rock spalling in deep tunnels at China Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II (CJPL-II), photogrammetry method and digital borehole camera were used to quantify key features of rock spalling including orientation, thickness of slabs and the depth of spalling. The failure mechanism was analysed through scanning electron microscope and numerical simulation based on FLAC3D. Observation results clearly showed the process of rock spalling failure: a typical spalling pattern around D-shaped tunnels after top-heading and bottom bench were discovered. The orientation and thickness of the slabs were obtained. The slabs were parallel to the excavated surfaces of the tunnel and were related to the shape of the tunnel surface and orientation of the principal stress. The slabs were alternately thick and thin, and they gradually increased in thickness from the sidewall inwards. The form and mechanism of spalling at different locations in the tunnels, as influenced by stress state and excavation, were analysed. The result of this study was helpful to those rethinking the engineering design, including the excavation and support of tunnels, or caverns, at high risk of spalling.

Test procedures for salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dusseault, M.B.

1985-01-01

Potash mining, salt mining, design of solution caverns in salt rocks, disposal of waste in salt repositories, and the use of granular halite backfill in underground salt rock mines are all mining activities which are practised or contemplated for the near future. Whatever the purpose, the need for high quality design parameters is evident. The authors have been testing salt rocks in the laboratory in a number of configurations for some time. Great care has been given to the quality of sample preparation and test methodology. This paper describes the methods, presents the elements of equipment design, and shows some typical results

Physical properties and rock physics models of sediment containing natural and laboratory-formed methane gas hydrate

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, W.J.; Pecher, I.A.; Waite, W.F.; Mason, D.H.

2004-01-01

This paper presents results of shear strength and acoustic velocity (p-wave) measurements performed on: (1) samples containing natural gas hydrate from the Mallik 2L-38 well, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories; (2) reconstituted Ottawa sand samples containing methane gas hydrate formed in the laboratory; and (3) ice-bearing sands. These measurements show that hydrate increases shear strength and p-wave velocity in natural and reconstituted samples. The proportion of this increase depends on (1) the amount and distribution of hydrate present, (2) differences, in sediment properties, and (3) differences in test conditions. Stress-strain curves from the Mallik samples suggest that natural gas hydrate does not cement sediment grains. However, stress-strain curves from the Ottawa sand (containing laboratory-formed gas hydrate) do imply cementation is present. Acoustically, rock physics modeling shows that gas hydrate does not cement grains of natural Mackenzie Delta sediment. Natural gas hydrates are best modeled as part of the sediment frame. This finding is in contrast with direct observations and results of Ottawa sand containing laboratory-formed hydrate, which was found to cement grains (Waite et al. 2004). It therefore appears that the microscopic distribution of gas hydrates in sediment, and hence the effect of gas hydrate on sediment physical properties, differs between natural deposits and laboratory-formed samples. This difference may possibly be caused by the location of water molecules that are available to form hydrate. Models that use laboratory-derived properties to predict behavior of natural gas hydrate must account for these differences.

Numerical Analyses of the Influence of Blast-Induced Damaged Rock Around Shallow Tunnels in Brittle Rock

Science.gov (United States)

Saiang, David; Nordlund, Erling

2009-06-01

Most of the railway tunnels in Sweden are shallow-seated (rock cover) and are located in hard brittle rock masses. The majority of these tunnels are excavated by drilling and blasting, which, consequently, result in the development of a blast-induced damaged zone around the tunnel boundary. Theoretically, the presence of this zone, with its reduced strength and stiffness, will affect the overall performance of the tunnel, as well as its construction and maintenance. The Swedish Railroad Administration, therefore, uses a set of guidelines based on peak particle velocity models and perimeter blasting to regulate the extent of damage due to blasting. However, the real effects of the damage caused by blasting around a shallow tunnel and their criticality to the overall performance of the tunnel are yet to be quantified and, therefore, remain the subject of research and investigation. This paper presents a numerical parametric study of blast-induced damage in rock. By varying the strength and stiffness of the blast-induced damaged zone and other relevant parameters, the near-field rock mass response was evaluated in terms of the effects on induced boundary stresses and ground deformation. The continuum method of numerical analysis was used. The input parameters, particularly those relating to strength and stiffness, were estimated using a systematic approach related to the fact that, at shallow depths, the stress and geologic conditions may be highly anisotropic. Due to the lack of data on the post-failure characteristics of the rock mass, the traditional Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion was assumed and used. The results clearly indicate that, as expected, the presence of the blast-induced damage zone does affect the behaviour of the boundary stresses and ground deformation. Potential failure types occurring around the tunnel boundary and their mechanisms have also been identified.

Geological documentation of the Norrkoeping-Oskarshamn region in south-eastern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherman, S.

1994-04-01

This study comprises a compilation of data from two tectonic regions in southeastern Sweden and a presentation of geological factors judged to be of importance for the regional-scale siting of a high level nuclear waste repository. The study areas were selected to complement earlier investigations in that part of Sweden and to allow for an analysis of the transition zone between the Svecofennian subprovince and the Transcandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB). It should be noted that the studied regions have been investigated only to a limited extent (general surveying). More detailed information is needed if these regions are to be included in a siting program. It is recommended as a working strategy that the following characteristics and properties of relevance for repository siting are considered in a regional siting program. *Bedrock; historical evolution, rock-type distribution, dikes and grade of metamorphism. *Deformation history; plastic and brittle structures. The bedrock and its structural characteristics are of importance for the stability of the rock, the groundwater flow and the long term safety of the underground facility. *Quaternary deposits; characteristics and thickness. The quaternary characteristics may have an obscuring impact on some of the geophysical methods and is therefore important when selecting investigation methods. *Natural resources such as ore and mineral deposits, industrial minerals and ornamental stones. Of importance in order to minimize land use conflicts and as far as possible avoid future human intrusions. *Experiences from underground constructions in the actual region. This will give three-dimensional information on the bedrock and structures as well as the technical outcome from underground construction work. *Regional groundwater properties. Important for the understanding of large-scale gradient (topography) and of the variations of the groundwater chemistry. 24 refs

The ISRM suggested methods for rock characterization, testing and monitoring 2007-2014

CERN Document Server

2015-01-01

This book is a collection of ISRM suggested methods for testing or measuring properties of rocks and rock masses both in the laboratory and in situ, as well as for monitoring the performance of rock engineering structures. The first collection (Yellow Book) has been published in 1981. In order to provide access to all the Suggested Methods in one volume, the ISRM Blue Book was published in 2007 (by the ISRM via the Turkish National Group) and contains the complete set of Suggested Methods from 1974 to 2006 inclusive. The papers in this most recent volume have been published during the last seven years in international journals, mainly in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. They offer guidance for rock characterization procedures and laboratory and field testing and monitoring in rock engineering. These methods provide a definitive procedure for the identification, measurement and evaluation of one or more qualities, characteristics, or properties of rocks or rock systems that produces a test result.

Ash fertilization in a clear cut and in a Scots pine stand in central Sweden. Effects on soil-water and soil chemistry coupled to laboratory leachings of six ash products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ring, Eva; Nohrstedt, H.Oe.; Jansson, Gunnar; Loevgren, Linnea

1999-01-01

An experiment with six different ash products was performed in a two-year old clear cut in central Sweden during 1995-98. Two of the ash products were also applied in a nearby 70 year old Scots pine stand. Five of the ash products originated from ash generated by the same boiler. Effects on soil-water and soil chemistry were monitored in the field. The leaching properties of the ash products were tested on the laboratory according to two methods, a column test and a shaking test

Large scale gas injection test (Lasgit) performed at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Summary report 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuss, R.J.; Harrington, J.F.; Noy, D.J.

2010-02-01

This report describes the set-up, operation and observations from the first 1,385 days (3.8 years) of the large scale gas injection test (Lasgit) experiment conducted at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. During this time the bentonite buffer has been artificially hydrated and has given new insight into the evolution of the buffer. After 2 years (849 days) of artificial hydration a canister filter was identified to perform a series of hydraulic and gas tests, a period that lasted 268 days. The results from the gas test showed that the full-scale bentonite buffer behaved in a similar way to previous laboratory experiments. This confirms the up-scaling of laboratory observations with the addition of considerable information on the stress responses throughout the deposition hole. During the gas testing stage, the buffer was continued to artificially hydrate. Hydraulic results, from controlled and uncontrolled events, show that the buffer continues to mature and has yet to reach full maturation. Lasgit has yielded high quality data relating to the hydration of the bentonite and the evolution in hydrogeological properties adjacent to the deposition hole. The initial hydraulic and gas injection tests confirm the correct working of all control and data acquisition systems. Lasgit has been in successful operation for in excess of 1,385 days

Large scale gas injection test (Lasgit) performed at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Summary report 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuss, R.J.; Harrington, J.F.; Noy, D.J. (British Geological Survey (United Kingdom))

2010-02-15

This report describes the set-up, operation and observations from the first 1,385 days (3.8 years) of the large scale gas injection test (Lasgit) experiment conducted at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. During this time the bentonite buffer has been artificially hydrated and has given new insight into the evolution of the buffer. After 2 years (849 days) of artificial hydration a canister filter was identified to perform a series of hydraulic and gas tests, a period that lasted 268 days. The results from the gas test showed that the full-scale bentonite buffer behaved in a similar way to previous laboratory experiments. This confirms the up-scaling of laboratory observations with the addition of considerable information on the stress responses throughout the deposition hole. During the gas testing stage, the buffer was continued to artificially hydrate. Hydraulic results, from controlled and uncontrolled events, show that the buffer continues to mature and has yet to reach full maturation. Lasgit has yielded high quality data relating to the hydration of the bentonite and the evolution in hydrogeological properties adjacent to the deposition hole. The initial hydraulic and gas injection tests confirm the correct working of all control and data acquisition systems. Lasgit has been in successful operation for in excess of 1,385 days

Semantic modeling of plastic deformation of polycrystalline rock

Science.gov (United States)

Babaie, Hassan A.; Davarpanah, Armita

2018-02-01

We have developed the first iteration of the Plastic Rock Deformation (PRD) ontology by modeling the semantics of a selected set of deformational processes and mechanisms that produce, reconfigure, displace, and/or consume the material components of inhomogeneous polycrystalline rocks. The PRD knowledge model also classifies and formalizes the properties (relations) that hold between instances of the dynamic physical and chemical processes and the rock components, the complex physio-chemical, mathematical, and informational concepts of the plastic rock deformation system, the measured or calculated laboratory testing conditions, experimental procedures and protocols, the state and system variables, and the empirical flow laws that define the inter-relationships among the variables. The ontology reuses classes and properties from several existing ontologies that are built for physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. With its flexible design, the PRD ontology is well positioned to incrementally develop into a model that more fully represents the knowledge of plastic deformation of polycrystalline rocks in the future. The domain ontology will be used to consistently annotate varied data and information related to the microstructures and the physical and chemical processes that produce them at different spatial and temporal scales in the laboratory and in the solid Earth. The PRDKB knowledge base, when built based on the ontology, will help the community of experimental structural geologists and metamorphic petrologists to coherently and uniformly distribute, discover, access, share, and use their data through automated reasoning and integration and query of heterogeneous experimental deformation data that originate from autonomous rock testing laboratories.

Predictive hydro-mechanical excavation simulation of a mine-by test at the Mont Terri rock laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krug, St.; Shao, H.; Hesser, J.; Nowak, T.; Kunz, H.; Vietor, T.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The Mont Terri rock laboratory was extended from mid October 2007 to end 2008 with the goal to allow the project partners to continue their cooperative research on the long term. The extension of the underground laboratory by the excavation of an additional 165 metres long access tunnel (Gallery 08) with four niches was taken as opportunity to conduct an instrumented mine-by test in one of the niches (Niche 2/Niche MB). The measurements during the bedding parallel excavation provided a large amount of data as a basis to understand the hydro-mechanical (HM) coupled behaviour of Opalinus Clay around the excavated niche. BGR was involved in the in-situ investigations (seismic measurements) as a member of the experiment team consisting of five organisations (incl. NAGRA, ANDRA, GRS, Obayashi). An important issue for BGR is the application of the numerical code RockFlow (RF) for HM coupled simulations in order to understand the behaviour of Opalinus Clay by the use of the gained measuring data for validation. Under the management of NAGRA a blind prediction was carried out for a group of modelers belonging to some of the experiment team organisations. After a first comparison between the numerical results of different HM coupled models during the prediction meeting of the teams in June 2009 the measurement data are provided by NAGRA in order to validate the numerical models. Basically the model predictions have already shown the correct tendencies and ranges of observed deformation and pore water pressure evolution besides some under- or overestimations. The future RF validation results after having done some slight parameter adjustments are intended to be presented in the paper. The excavation of Niche 2 was done from 13 October to 7 November 2008 with a constant excavation rate of 1.30 m per day. The orientation of the niche follows the bedding strike, which amounts 60 deg.. The bedding planes have an average dip of

Abiotic dechlorination in rock matrices impacted by long-term exposure to TCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Charles E; Towne, Rachael M; Lippincott, David R; Lacombe, Pierre J; Bishop, Michael E; Dong, Hailiang

2015-01-01

Field and laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the abiotic reaction of trichloroethene (TCE) in sedimentary rock matrices. Hydraulically conductive fractures, and the rock directly adjacent to the hydraulically conductive fractures, within a historically contaminated TCE bedrock aquifer were used as the basis for this study. These results were compared to previous work using rock that had not been exposed to TCE (Schaefer et al., 2013) to assess the impact of long-term TCE exposure on the abiotic dechlorination reaction, as the longevity of these reactions after long-term exposure to TCE was hitherto unknown. Results showed that potential abiotic TCE degradation products, including ethane, ethene, and acetylene, were present in the conductive fractures. Using minimally disturbed slices of rock core at and near the fracture faces, laboratory testing on the rocks confirmed that abiotic dechlorination reactions between the rock matrix and TCE were occurring. Abiotic daughter products measured in the laboratory under controlled conditions were consistent with those measured in the conductive fractures, except that propane also was observed as a daughter product. TCE degradation measured in the laboratory was well described by a first order rate constant through the 118-d study. Observed bulk first-order TCE degradation rate constants within the rock matrix were 1.3×10(-8) s(-1). These results clearly show that abiotic dechlorination of TCE is occurring within the rock matrix, despite decades of exposure to TCE. Furthermore, these observed rates of TCE dechlorination are expected to have a substantial impact on TCE migration and uptake/release from rock matrices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurements of copper corrosion in the LOT Project at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosborg, B.; Karnland, O.; Quirk, G.; Werme, L.

2003-01-01

Real-time monitoring, of corrosion by means of electrochemical noise and other electrochemical techniques may offer interesting possibilities to estimate the kind and degree of corrosion in a sample or component, and further visualize the corrosion resistance of pure copper in repository environments. As a pilot effort, three cylindrical copper electrodes for such measurements, each of about 100 cm 2 surface area, have been installed in a test parcel in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and electrochemical measurements using InterCorr's SmartCET system were initiated in May 2001. The first results from real-time monitoring of copper corrosion in the Aespoe HRL under actual repository environment conditions by means of linear polarisation resistance, harmonic distortion analysis and electrochemical noise techniques are presented, and compared with the results obtained from one of the retrieved test parcels. (authors)

Women and energy in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rising, Agneta [Vattenfall - Swedish State Power Board (Sweden)

1989-07-01

Sweden is currently facing a new situation In energy politics. Nuclear power is to be phased out nd replaced by new energy sources and by more effective use of electricity. This will be a great change for the whole society as nuclear power today is giving half of electricity. And Sweden is a high-consumption- country, in fact looking at the top list of electricity consumption per capita in the world, you will find Sweden on the fourth plate. In general- women know less than men about the relation between energy, technology, environment and economy. This knowledge is required If women re to Influence the choice of future energy supplies of Sweden. It is with this background the project 'Women and Energy' has been started. Important decisions are to be made within their fairly immediate future with major consequences for Sweden's coming development. These decisions have until now often been made by men, but now it Is the hope of Vattenfall that women will be able to influence these decisions. So that all of 'nuclear people' may share responsibility the path that has been chosen.

Women and energy in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rising, Agneta

1989-01-01

Sweden is currently facing a new situation In energy politics. Nuclear power is to be phased out nd replaced by new energy sources and by more effective use of electricity. This will be a great change for the whole society as nuclear power today is giving half of electricity. And Sweden is a high-consumption- country, in fact looking at the top list of electricity consumption per capita in the world, you will find Sweden on the fourth plate. In general- women know less than men about the relation between energy, technology, environment and economy. This knowledge is required If women re to Influence the choice of future energy supplies of Sweden. It is with this background the project 'Women and Energy' has been started. Important decisions are to be made within their fairly immediate future with major consequences for Sweden's coming development. These decisions have until now often been made by men, but now it Is the hope of Vattenfall that women will be able to influence these decisions. So that all of 'nuclear people' may share responsibility the path that has been chosen

Sweden and the NEGP: A Pilot Study of the North European Gas Pipeline and Sweden's Dependence on Russian Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsson, Robert L.

2006-06-15

Developments between 2004 and 2006 indicate that a North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP) through the Baltic Sea, from Russia to Germany, may be realised in the coming decade. This would provide Europe with yet another opportunity to diversify its import channels of gas. It is however reasonable to assume that the NEGP also could change the strategic pattern and be a source of friction. The NEGP may rock the regional stability and reduce the potential of the new EU members to become security providers in Europe's northern dimension. It also gives increased leverage and influence to Russia, a state that has moved in an authoritarian direction under President Putin. The aim of this pilot study is to elucidate on the NEGP pipeline and Sweden's increasing dependence on Russian energy. A subsidiary aim is to outline a set of concerns that have bearing on the situation for the EU and Baltic Sea Region and that need to be further addressed. In conclusion, the NEGP will enhance Russia's direct leverage on Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, as it will allow Russia to turn off gas supplies without affecting exports to other parts of Europe. Russia will also increase its leverage over the states that will or may be connected to the NEGP (Germany, and possibly Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK). Even if Sweden is not embracing the NEGP, it is today highly sensitive as it imports most of its energy. It is increasingly dependent on Russian oil and is partly dependent on imports of electricity from Russia. Should the NEGP materialise and Sweden becomes connected in the future, it would likely be dependent also on natural gas. It is of paramount importance for the energy security of the connected states how the pipeline is constructed and operated. If there will be technical possibilities for Russia to tamper with the flow of gas to individual states without affecting supply to others, there are tangible threats to the importing states.

Rock strength under explosive loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rimer, N.; Proffer, W.

1993-01-01

This presentation emphasizes the importance of a detailed description of the nonlinear deviatoric (strength) response of the surrounding rock in the numerical simulation of underground nuclear explosion phenomenology to the late times needed for test ban monitoring applications. We will show how numerical simulations which match ground motion measurements in volcanic tuffs and in granite use the strength values obtained from laboratory measurements on small core samples of these rocks but also require much lower strength values after the ground motion has interacted with the rock. The underlying physical mechanisms for the implied strength reduction are not yet well understood, and in fact may depend on the particular rock type. However, constitutive models for shock damage and/or effective stress have been used successfully at S-Cubed in both the Geophysics Program (primarily for DARPA) and the Containment Support Program (for DNA) to simulate late time ground motions measured at NTS in many different rock types

Lone mothers in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burström, B; Diderichsen, Finn; Shouls, S

1999-01-01

To study trends in the health and socioeconomic circumstances of lone mothers in Sweden over the years 1979-1995, and to make comparisons with couple mothers over the same period.......To study trends in the health and socioeconomic circumstances of lone mothers in Sweden over the years 1979-1995, and to make comparisons with couple mothers over the same period....

An overview of a possible approach to calculate rock movements due to earthquakes at Finnish nuclear waste repository sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaPointe, P.R.; Cladouhos, T.T.

1999-02-01

The report outlines a possible approach to estimating rock movements due to earthquakes that may diminish canister safety. The method is based upon an approach developed for studying similar problems in Sweden at three generic Swedish sites. In the first part of the report, the problem of rock movements during earthquakes is described. The second section of the report outlines the approach used to estimate rock movements in Sweden, and discusses how the approach could be adapted to evaluating movements at Finnish repositories. This section also discusses data needs and potential problems in applying the approach in Finland. The next section presents some simple earthquake calculations for the four Finnish sites. These simulations use the discrete fracture network model geometric parameters developed by VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) for the use in hydrological calculations. The calculations are not meant for performance assessment purposes for reasons discussed in the report, but are designed to show (1) the importance of fracture size, intensity and orientation on induced displacement magnitudes; (2) the need for additional studies with regards to fracture size and intensity; and (3) the need to resolve issues regarding the role of post-glacial faulting, glacial rebound and tectonic processes in present-day and future earthquakes. (orig.)

The Usability of Noise Level from Rock Cutting for the Prediction of Physico-Mechanical Properties of Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Delibalta, M. S.; Kahraman, S.; Comakli, R.

2015-11-01

Because the indirect tests are easier and cheaper than the direct tests, the prediction of rock properties from the indirect testing methods is important especially for the preliminary investigations. In this study, the predictability of the physico-mechanical rock properties from the noise level measured during cutting rock with diamond saw was investigated. Noise measurement test, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test, Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) test, point load strength (Is) test, density test, and porosity test were carried out on 54 different rock types in the laboratory. The results were statistically analyzed to derive estimation equations. Strong correlations between the noise level and the mechanical rock properties were found. The relations follow power functions. Increasing rock strength increases the noise level. Density and porosity also correlated strongly with the noise level. The relations follow linear functions. Increasing density increases the noise level while increasing porosity decreases the noise level. The developed equations are valid for the rocks with a compressive strength below 150 MPa. Concluding remark is that the physico-mechanical rock properties can reliably be estimated from the noise level measured during cutting the rock with diamond saw.

Laboratory measurements of P- and S-wave anisotropy in synthetic rocks by 3D printing

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, L.; Ostadhassan, M.; Tamimi, N.; Li, C.; Alexeyev, A.

2017-12-01

Synthetic rocks have been widely used to realize the models with controlled factors in rock physics and geomechanics experiments. Additive manufacturing technology, known as 3D printing, is becoming a popular method to produce the synthetic rocks as the advantages of timesaving, economics, and control. In terms of mechanical properties, the duplicability of 3D printed rock towards a natural rock has been studied whereas the seismic anisotropy still remains unknown as being the key factor in conducting rock physics experiments. This study utilized a 3D printer with gypsum as the ink to manufacture a series of synthetic rocks that have the shapes of octagonal prisms, with half of them printed from lateral and another half from the bottom. An ultrasonic investigation system was set up to measure the P- and S- wave velocities at different frequencies while samples were under dry conditions. The results show the impact of layered property on the P- and S- wave velocities. The measurement results were compared with the predicted results of Hudson model, demonstrating that the synthetic rock from 3D printing is a transverse isotropic model. The seismic anisotropy indicates that the availability of using 3D printed rocks to duplicate natural rocks for the purpose of recreating the experiments of rock physics. Future experiments will be performed on the dependence of seismic anisotropy on fracture geometry and density in 3D printed synthetic rocks.

Public Procurement of Innovation in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rolfstam, Max; Ågren, Robert

2014-01-01

Sweden is often thought of as a country with a strong tradition for using public procurement as a means to stimulate innovation. Early on, Sweden recognized and developed procedures for using public procurement as a technologydevelopment tool. After a period where emphasis was put on this aspect ...... government authorities to engage in public procurement for innovation, and by issuing guidance on the topic.......Sweden is often thought of as a country with a strong tradition for using public procurement as a means to stimulate innovation. Early on, Sweden recognized and developed procedures for using public procurement as a technologydevelopment tool. After a period where emphasis was put on this aspect...... of public procurement Sweden dropped many policy initiatives within this field. This was in part due to neo-liberal movements during the 1980s which in interaction with a distributed institutional setup led to the removal of incentives for a procuring authority to engage in public procurement of innovation...

Radiological physics in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walstam, Rune

1980-01-01

Development of radiological or radiation physics as a separate discipline in Sweden is outlined. Growth in number of hospital physicists is compared with that of some other countries for the period 1950-1975. The main duties of hospital physicists are described. Undergraduate and postgraduate courses in radiation physics in Sweden are discussed. A microtron and a multi-source cobalt-60 unit are described. (M.G.B.)

Prediction of thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks from well logs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuchs, Sven; Förster, Andrea

2014-01-01

The calculation of heat-flow density in boreholes requires reliable values for the change of temperature and rock thermal conductivity with depth. As rock samples for laboratory measurements of thermal conductivity (TC) are usually rare geophysical well logs are used alternatively to determine TC...... parameters (i.e. thermal conductivity, density, hydrogen index, sonic interval transit time, gamma-ray response, photoelectric factor) of artificial mineral assemblages consisting 15 rock-forming minerals that are used in different combinations to typify sedimentary rocks. The predictive capacity of the new...... equations is evaluated on subsurface data from four boreholes drilled into the Mesozoic sequence of the North German Basin, including more than 1700 laboratory-measured thermal-conductivity values. Results are compared with those from other approaches published in the past. The new approach predicts TC...

Spectral analysis and classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks of Hamedan region for remote sensing studies; using laboratory reflectance spectra (350-2500 nm)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangzan, K.; Saki, A.; Hassanshahi, H.; Mojaradi, B.

2012-01-01

Reflectance spectrometry techniques with the integration of remote sensing data help us in identifying and mapping the phenomena on the earth. Using these techniques to discriminate the petrologic units independently and without knowing the spectral behavior of rocks along the electromagnetic wavelengths can not be so much useful. For the purposes of this study, 65 samples of igneous and metamorphic rocks from Hamedan region were collected and their spectra were measured using Fieldspec3 device in laboratory. The spectra were analyzed on the basis of absorption, position and shape. Petrographic analyses were used to interpret the absorption patterns as well. Then the spectra were classified according to spectral patterns. This measurement was done on both freshly cut and exposed surfaces of the samples and except a few samples, the two sets of spectra did not differ significantly. Finally, to evaluate the possibility of recognition of these targets, the responses of two hyper spectral and multispectral sensors were simulated from spectra representative of the spectral classes, showing that significant identification and classification of well exposed rocks are potentially possible using remote instruments providing high quality spectra. Also Aster simulation showed that a preliminary gross discrimination of rocks was however possible.

The History of Tuberculosis Management in Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Wallstedt

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We review the history of TB in Sweden beginning in 1800, when 25% of mortality in Sweden was associated with TB. The Royal Family was involved in establishing dedicated sanatoria in Sweden to offer better diagnostics and clinical care. TB has declined in Sweden steadily, with some recent increases due to local spread of TB and challenging international and national socio-economical structures. Improved research and clinical knowledge is needed to diagnose and manage drug-susceptible as well as drug-resistant TB.

New Rock Abrasivity Test Method for Tool Life Assessments on Hard Rock Tunnel Boring: The Rolling Indentation Abrasion Test (RIAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, F. J.; Dahl, F.; Bruland, A.

2016-05-01

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) method has become widely used and is currently an important presence within the tunnelling industry. Large investments and high geological risk are involved using TBMs, and disc cutter consumption has a great influence on performance and cost, especially in hard rock conditions. Furthermore, reliable cutter life assessments facilitate the control of risk as well as avoiding delays and budget overruns. Since abrasive wear is the most common process affecting cutter consumption, good laboratory tests for rock abrasivity assessments are needed. A new abrasivity test method by rolling disc named Rolling Indentation Abrasion Test (RIAT) has been developed. The goal of the new test design and procedure is to reproduce wear behaviour on hard rock tunnel boring in a more realistic way than the traditionally used methods. Wear by rolling contact on intact rock samples is introduced and several rock types, covering a wide rock abrasiveness range, have been tested by RIAT. The RIAT procedure indicates a great ability of the testing method to assess abrasive wear on rolling discs. In addition and to evaluate the newly developed RIAT test method, a comprehensive laboratory testing programme including the most commonly used abrasivity test methods and the mineral composition were carried out. Relationships between the achieved results from conventional testing and RIAT results have been analysed.

Boring and Sealing Rock with Directed Energy Millimeter-Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Woskov, P.; Einstein, H. H.; Oglesby, K.

2015-12-01

Millimeter-wave directed energy is being investigated to penetrate into deep crystalline basement rock formations to lower well costs and to melt rocks, metals, and other additives to seal wells for applications that include nuclear waste storage and geothermal energy. Laboratory tests have established that intense millimeter-wave (MMW) beams > 1 kW/cm2 can melt and/ or vaporize hard crystalline rocks. In principle this will make it possible to create open boreholes and a method to seal them with a glass/ceramic liner and plug formed from the original rock or with other materials. A 10 kW, 28 GHz commercial (CPI) gyrotron system with a launched beam diameter of about 32 mm was used to heat basalt, granite, limestone, and sandstone specimens to temperatures over 2500 °C to create melts and holes. A calibrated 137 GHz radiometer view, collinear with the heating beam, monitored real time peak rock temperature. A water load surrounding the rock test specimen primarily monitored unabsorbed power at 28 GHz. Power balance analysis of the laboratory observations shows that the temperature rise is limited by radiative heat loss, which would be expected to be trapped in a borehole. The analysis also indicates that the emissivity (absorption efficiency) in the radiated infrared range is lower than the emissivity at 28 GHz, giving the MMW frequency range an important advantage for rock melting. Strength tests on one granite type indicated that heating the rock initially weakens it, but with exposure to higher temperatures the resolidified black glassy product regains strength. Basalt was the easiest to melt and penetrate, if a melt leak path was provided, because of its low viscosity. Full beam holes up to about 50 mm diameter (diffraction increased beam size) were achieved through 30 mm thick basalt and granite specimens. Laboratory experiments to form a seal in an existing hole have also been carried out by melting rock and a simulated steel casing.

Some aspects of regional flow of variable-density groundwater in crystalline basement rock of Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, C.I.; Andersson, Johan

1991-12-01

The distribution of saltwaters in the Baltic shield in Sweden is consistent with ongoing but incomplete Holocene flushing and depends on the geometry and connectivity of conductive structures at both regional and local scales, and on the surface topography. Numerical simulation of regional variable-density fluid flow during Holocene land-rise and coastal regression shows that the existence of any old saltwater, whether derived from submarine recharge in regions below Sweden's highest post-glacial coastline or geochemical processes, is an indication either of slow fluid movements through the bedrock over long times, or of long travel distances through fracture systems before arriving at measurement points. During the land-rise period, regional flow is not affected by the variable density of fluids in the upper few kilometers of the shield and the topography of the water table is the only driving force. The spatial distribution of meteoric flushing water and pre-Holocene waters may be complex, with the possibility of relatively fresh water in fracture zones below salty units even at depths of a few kilometers. The domination of the topographic driving force implies that deep saltwater is not necessarily stagnant, and significant saltwater flows may be expected to occur in well-connected horizons even at depth. Local topography variation and fracture zone location combine to create a complex flow field in which local topographic driving forces extend to considerable depth in some areas, whereas regional topographic forces predominate in others. Thus, a pattern may be difficult to discern in measurements of the regional saltwater distribution, although it is clear that the coastal region is the major zone of discharge for deeper pre-Holocene fluids. During the land-rise period, regional flow equilibrates with changing climatic conditions and coastal positions, while the distribution of flushing water and older waters lags and will perpetually change between successive

Waste-rock interactions and bedrock reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, W.B.

1977-01-01

The experimental program is designed to discover possible reactions between shale repository rocks and radioactive wastes. The canister can be regarded in three ways: (a) As a source of heat that modifies the mineralogy and therefore the physical properties of the surrounding rock (dry heat). (b) As a source of heat that activates reactions between minerals in the surrounding rock and slowly percolating ground water. (c) As a source of reaction materials of different composition from the surrounding rock and which therefore may react to form completely new ''minerals'' in a contact aureole around the canister. The matrix of interactions contains two composition axes. The waste compositions are defined by the various prototype waste forms usually investigated: glass, calcine, ''spent fuel'' and the ceramic supercalcine. The temperatures and pressures at which these reactions take place must be investigated. Thus each node on the ''wiring diagram'' is itself a matrix of experiments in which the T and to some extent P are varied. Experiments at higher pressure and temperature allow reactions to take place on a laboratory time scale and thus identify what could happen. These reactions are then followed downward in temperature to determine both phase boundaries and kinetic cut-offs below which equilibrium cannot be achieved on a laboratory time scale

The history of tuberculosis management in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallstedt, Helen; Maeurer, Markus

2015-03-01

We review the history of TB in Sweden beginning in 1800, when 25% of mortality in Sweden was associated with TB. The Royal Family was involved in establishing dedicated sanatoria in Sweden to offer better diagnostics and clinical care. TB has declined in Sweden steadily, with some recent increases due to local spread of TB and challenging international and national socio-economical structures. Improved research and clinical knowledge is needed to diagnose and manage drug-susceptible as well as drug-resistant TB. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Summary of rock mechanics work completed for Posiva before 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, J.A.; Johansson, E.

2006-06-01

To plan Posiva's rock mechanics work for 2005-2006 and beyond, it was necessary to have a clear understanding of the individual components of work that had been completed for Posiva before 2005 and to assess the cumulative rock mechanics knowledge base. This review summarizes the 80 individual completed documents, which include rock mechanics reports and other reports containing rock mechanics material. They are summarised within a structured framework of rock properties, analyses and the effects of excavation. Following the introductory section, the method of structuring the rock mechanics information is presented. Then the tabulation highlighting the features of all the previous rock mechanics work is explained. This tabulation forms the Appendix; the content of each rock mechanics report that has been produced is summarized via the table headings of document number, subject area, document reference, subject matter, objectives, methodology, highlighted figures, conclusions and comments. In addition to the direct usefulness of the tabulation in summarizing each report, it has been possible to draw overall conclusions: Information has also been obtained worldwide, especially Sweden and Canada; The rock stress state has been measured but further work is required related both to in situ measurements and numerical modelling to study, e.g., the influence of deformation zones on the local stress state; The intact rock has been extensively studied: there is a good knowledge of the parameters and their values, including the anisotropic nature of the site rocks; The geometry of the fractures is included in the geological characterisation but more rock mechanics work is required on the mechanical properties; The mechanical properties of the deformation zones have not been studied in detail; The thermal properties of the site rock are relatively well understood; A new classification has been developed for constructability and long-term safety assessment. This classification

Hydraulic testing in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almen, K.E.; Andersson, J.E.; Carlsson, L.; Hansson, K.; Larsson, N.A.

1986-12-01

Swedish Geolocical Company (SGAB) conducted and carried out single-hole hydraulic testing in borehole Fi 6 in the Finnsjoen area of central Sweden. The purpose was to make a comprehensive evaluation of different methods applicable in crystalline rocks and to recommend methods for use in current and scheduled investigations in a range of low hydraulic conductivity rocks. A total of eight different methods of testing were compared using the same equipment. This equipment was thoroughly tested as regards the elasticity of the packers and change in volume of the test section. The use of a hydraulically operated down-hole valve enabled all the tests to be conducted. Twelve different 3-m long sections were tested. The hydraulic conductivity calculated ranged from about 5x10 -14 m/s to 1x10 -6 m/s. The methods used were water injection under constant head and then at a constant rate-of-flow, each of which was followed by a pressure fall-off period. Water loss, pressure pulse, slug and drill stem tests were also performed. Interpretation was carried out using standard transient evaluation methods for flow in porous media. The methods used showed themselves to be best suited to specific conductivity ranges. Among the less time-consuming methods, water loss, slug and drill stem tests usually gave somewhat higher hydraulic conductivity values but still comparable to those obtained using the more time-consuming tests. These latter tests, however, provided supplementary information on hydraulic and physical properties and flow conditions, together with hydraulic conductivity values representing a larger volume of rock. (orig./HP)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Sensor Data Report No 23

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goudarzi, Reza; Johannesson, Lars-Erik (Clay Technology AB (Sweden))

2010-11-15

The Prototype Repository Test consists of two sections. The installation of the first Section of Prototype Repository was made during summer and autumn 2001 and Section 2 was installed in spring and summer 2003. This report presents data from measurements in the Prototype Repository during the period 20010917-20100601. The report is organized so that the actual measured results are shown in Appendix 1-10, where Appendix 8 deals with measurements of canister displacements (by AITEMIN), Appendix 9 deals with geo-electric measurements in the backfill (by GRS), Appendix 10 deals with stress and strain measurement in the rock (by AaF) and Appendix 11 deals with measurement of water pressure in the rock (by VBB/VIAK). The main report and Appendix 1-7 deal with the rest of the measurements. Section 1. The following measurements are made in the bentonite in each of the two instrumented deposition holes in Section 1 (1 and 3): Temperature is measured in 32 points, total pressure in 27 points, pore water pressure in 14 points and relative humidity in 37 points. Temperature is also measured by all relative humidity gauges. Every measuring point is related to a local coordinate system in the deposition hole. The following measurements are made in the backfill in Section 1. Temperature is measured in 20 points, total pressure in 18 points, pore water pressure in 23 points and relative humidity in 45 points. Temperature is also measured by all relative humidity gauges. Furthermore, water content is measured by an electric chain in one section. Every measuring point is related to a local coordinate system in the tunnel. The following measurements are made on the surface of the canisters in Section 1: Temperature is measured every meter along two fiber optic cables. Furthermore, displacements of the canister in hole 3 are measured with 6 gauges. The following measurements are made in the rock in Section 1: Temperature is measured in 37 points in boreholes in the floor. Water

Review of geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsic, Nico; Grundfelt, Bertil

2013-09-01

In this report a compilation of recent geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in Sweden is presented. The goal of the study has been limited to identifying and briefly describing such geoscientific information of relevance to disposal in deep boreholes that was not available at the time when previous compilations were made. Hence, the study is not to be regarded as a general up-date of new geoscientific information. Disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes has been studied in Sweden since the second half of the 1980s. The currently studied concept has been proposed by Sandia National Laboratories in the USA. In this concept the spent fuel elements are encapsulated in cylindrical steel canisters that are joined together in strings of 40 canisters and lowered into five kilometres deep boreholes. Ten such strings are stacked between three and five kilometres depth separated from each other by concrete plugs. The study started with a review of boreholes that have been reported after the previous reviews that were published in 1998 and 2004. A total of 12 boreholes of potential relevance were identified. Further study showed that only four out of these holes penetrated into crystalline rock. Two of these were deemed to be less relevant because they were drilled in areas with much higher geothermal gradient than in the parts of the Fennoscandian shield that realistically could host a Swedish deep borehole repository. Of the two remaining boreholes, only one, a geoscientific hole drilled at Outokumpu in Finland, is associated with a reasonably complete geoscientific data set. It is worth mentioning that a large part of this hole is drilled through meta sedimentary rock (mica schist) rather than granitic rock. The information collected and reviewed has been gathered under the headings hydraulic conditions, geothermal conditions, hydrogeochemical conditions, bacteriological activity and rock mechanical properties. Only

Review of geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in crystalline rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsic, Nico; Grundfelt, Bertil [Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-09-15

In this report a compilation of recent geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in Sweden is presented. The goal of the study has been limited to identifying and briefly describing such geoscientific information of relevance to disposal in deep boreholes that was not available at the time when previous compilations were made. Hence, the study is not to be regarded as a general up-date of new geoscientific information. Disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes has been studied in Sweden since the second half of the 1980s. The currently studied concept has been proposed by Sandia National Laboratories in the USA. In this concept the spent fuel elements are encapsulated in cylindrical steel canisters that are joined together in strings of 40 canisters and lowered into five kilometres deep boreholes. Ten such strings are stacked between three and five kilometres depth separated from each other by concrete plugs. The study started with a review of boreholes that have been reported after the previous reviews that were published in 1998 and 2004. A total of 12 boreholes of potential relevance were identified. Further study showed that only four out of these holes penetrated into crystalline rock. Two of these were deemed to be less relevant because they were drilled in areas with much higher geothermal gradient than in the parts of the Fennoscandian shield that realistically could host a Swedish deep borehole repository. Of the two remaining boreholes, only one, a geoscientific hole drilled at Outokumpu in Finland, is associated with a reasonably complete geoscientific data set. It is worth mentioning that a large part of this hole is drilled through meta sedimentary rock (mica schist) rather than granitic rock. The information collected and reviewed has been gathered under the headings hydraulic conditions, geothermal conditions, hydrogeochemical conditions, bacteriological activity and rock mechanical properties. Only

United States National Waste Terminal Storage argillaceous rock studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunton, G.D.

1981-01-01

The past and present argillaceous rock studies for the US National Waste Terminal Storage Program consist of: (1) evaluation of the geological characteristics of several widespread argillaceous formations in the United States; (2) laboratory studies of the physical and chemical properties of selected argillaceous rock samples; and (3) two full-scale in situ surface heater experiments that simulate the emplacement of heat-generating radioactive waste in argillaceous rock

United States National Waste Terminal Storage argillaceous rock studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunton, G.D.

1979-01-01

The past and present argillaceous rock studies for the US National Waste Terminal Storage Program consist of: (1) evaluation of the geological characteristics of several widespread argillaceous formations in the United States; (2) laboratory studies of the physical and chemical properties of selected argillaceous rock samples; and (3) two full-scale in-situ surface heater experiments that simulate the emplacement of heat-generating radioactive waste in argillaceous rock

Image resolution influence on determination of resin injection rock mass

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weixing; Hakami, Eva

2006-01-01

In the context of nuclear waste repositories, an important approach to understanding brittle rock mass behavior to integrate new and powerful observational and numerical methods with multi-functional 3-D imaging and visualization techniques. Since 1994, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) have identified the need for a better understanding of radionuclide transport and retention processes in fractured rock. As a cooperation project between Sweden and China, we sampled a number of rock specimens for analyze rock fracture network by optical image technique. The samples are resin injected, in which way; opened fractures can be seen clearly by means of UV (Ultraviolet) light illumination. In the study period, we used different optical focuses to obtain the images from the same samples; we found that Image resolution influences on porosity determination of resin injected rock mass. This paper presents and discusses the six issues based on our research results: (1) Fracture porosity increases as camera focus distance decreases; (2) Porosity increases as illumination increases in resin injected fracture images; (3) To roughly estimate the porosity, the low resolution image can be used; (4) To collect more details of fracture information, the high resolution image is needed; (5) The resolution of image should be determined based on the aim of fracture analysis; (6) To acquire high resolution image, constructing a special illumination (standard) box maybe helpful to avoid light reflection and diffusion.

Mechanical dispersion in fractured crystalline rock systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafleur, D.W.; Raven, K.G.

1986-12-01

This report compiles and evaluates the hydrogeologic parameters describing the flow of groundwater and transport of solutes in fractured crystalline rocks. This report describes the processes of mechanical dispersion in fractured crystalline rocks, and compiles and evaluates the dispersion parameters determined from both laboratory and field tracer experiments. The compiled data show that extrapolation of the reliable test results performed over intermediate scales (10's of m and 10's to 100's of hours) to larger spatial and temporal scales required for performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository in crystalline rock is not justified. The reliable measures of longitudinal dispersivity of fractured crystalline rock are found to range between 0.4 and 7.8 m

Mechanical properties of rock at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Naoto; Abe, Tohru; Wakabayashi, Naruki; Ishida, Tsuyoshi.

1997-01-01

The laboratory tests have been performed in order to investigate the effects of temperature up to 300degC and pressure up to 30 MPa on the mechanical properties of three types of rocks, Inada granite, Sanjoume andesite and Oya tuff. The experimental results indicated that the significant differences in temperature dependence of mechanical properties exist between the three rocks, because of the difference of the factors which determine the mechanical properties of the rocks. The effect of temperature on the mechanical properties for the rocks is lower than that of pressure and water content. Temperature dependence of the mechanical properties is reduced by increase in pressure in the range of pressure and temperature investigated in this paper. (author)

Feminist Language Planning in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Milles, Karin

2011-01-01

The international literature has often described linguistic authorities as being opposed to the idea of changing language in the name of feminism. However, in Sweden, many linguistic authorities have been active agents in adopting feminist language reforms. This is probably due to Sweden's long tradition of political feminist efforts and to the…

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Final report of the first stage of the tracer retention understanding experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winberg, A. [Conterra AB, Uppsala (Sweden); Andersson, Peter [Geosigma AB, Uppsala (Sweden); Hermanson, Jan [Golder Grundteknik, Solna (Sweden); Byegaard, Johan [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Nuclear Chemistry; Cvetkovic, V. [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Water Resources Engineering; Birgersson, Lars [Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2000-03-15

The first stage of the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) was performed as a SKB funded project. The overall objectives of TRUE are to develop the understanding of radionuclide migration and retention in fractured rock, to evaluate the realism in applied model concepts, and to assess whether the necessary input data to the models can be collected from site characterisation. Further, to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of different model approaches, and finally to provide in situ data on radionuclide migration and retention. The strive for address with multiple approaches is facilitated through a close collaboration with the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. The TRUE programme is a staged programme which addresses various scales from laboratory (< 0.5 m), detailed scale (< 10 m) and block scale (10-50 m). The First TRUE Stage was performed in the detailed scale with the specific objectives of providing data and conceptualising the investigated feature using conservative and sorbing tracers. Further, to improve methodologies for performing tracer tests, and to develop and test a methodology for obtaining pore volume/aperture data from epoxy resin injection, excavation and subsequent analyses. The experimental site is located at approximately 400 m depth in the northeastern part of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The identification of conductive fractures and the target feature has benefited from the use of BIPS borehole TV imaging combined with detailed flow logging. The assessment of the conductive geometry has been further sustained by cross-hole pressure interference data. The investigated target feature (Feature A) is a reactivated mylonite which has later undergone brittle deformation. The feature is oriented northwest, along the principal horizontal stress orientation, and is a typical conductor for Aespoe conditions. Hydraulic characterisation shows that the feature is relatively well isolated

Using an Online Remote Laboratory for Electrical Experiments in Upper Secondary Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Håkansson

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The use of remote laboratories in courses at university level has been reported in literature numerous times since the mid 90’s. In this article focus is on activities carried out by teachers and students, at the Upper Secondary School Level, using the remote laboratory VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality. The Upper Secondary School, Katedralskolan in Lund, Sweden, cooperate with Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden, in a project that concerns the introduction of remote laboratory environment suitable for Upper Secondary School science courses. A remote laboratory in electronics has been introduced and is used as a complement to the traditional workbench in the hands-on laboratory. Significant results from the project are; 1 the great interest shown by the students for the remote experiments, 2 the students appreciation for the fact that it was not simulations but actual real experiments, 3 the remote laboratory is easy to implement for use by both teachers and students and 4 it can be used simultaneously by many students.

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Sensor Data Report No 23

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goudarzi, Reza; Johannesson, Lars-Erik

2010-11-01

The Prototype Repository Test consists of two sections. The installation of the first Section of Prototype Repository was made during summer and autumn 2001 and Section 2 was installed in spring and summer 2003. This report presents data from measurements in the Prototype Repository during the period 20010917-20100601. The report is organized so that the actual measured results are shown in Appendix 1-10, where Appendix 8 deals with measurements of canister displacements (by AITEMIN), Appendix 9 deals with geo-electric measurements in the backfill (by GRS), Appendix 10 deals with stress and strain measurement in the rock (by AaF) and Appendix 11 deals with measurement of water pressure in the rock (by VBB/VIAK). The main report and Appendix 1-7 deal with the rest of the measurements. Section 1. The following measurements are made in the bentonite in each of the two instrumented deposition holes in Section 1 (1 and 3): Temperature is measured in 32 points, total pressure in 27 points, pore water pressure in 14 points and relative humidity in 37 points. Temperature is also measured by all relative humidity gauges. Every measuring point is related to a local coordinate system in the deposition hole. The following measurements are made in the backfill in Section 1. Temperature is measured in 20 points, total pressure in 18 points, pore water pressure in 23 points and relative humidity in 45 points. Temperature is also measured by all relative humidity gauges. Furthermore, water content is measured by an electric chain in one section. Every measuring point is related to a local coordinate system in the tunnel. The following measurements are made on the surface of the canisters in Section 1: Temperature is measured every meter along two fiber optic cables. Furthermore, displacements of the canister in hole 3 are measured with 6 gauges. The following measurements are made in the rock in Section 1: Temperature is measured in 37 points in boreholes in the floor. Water

U–Pb, Rb–Sr, and U-series isotope geochemistry of rocks and fracture minerals from the Chalk River Laboratories site, Grenville Province, Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neymark, L.A.; Peterman, Z.E.; Moscati, R.J.; Thivierge, R.H.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • AECL evaluates Chalk River Laboratories site as potential nuclear waste repository. • Isotope-geochemical data for rocks and fracture minerals at CRL site are reported. • Zircons from gneiss and granite yielded U–Pb ages of 1472 ± 14 and 1045 ± 6 Ma. • WR Rb–Sr and Pb–Pb systems do not show substantial large-scale isotopic mobility. • U-series and REE data do not support oxidizing conditions at depth in the past 1 Ma. - Abstract: As part of the Geologic Waste Management Facility feasibility study, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) is evaluating the suitability of the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site in Ontario, situated in crystalline rock of the southwestern Grenville Province, for the possible development of an underground repository for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste. This paper presents petrographic and trace element analyses, U–Pb zircon dating results, and Rb–Sr, U–Pb and U-series isotopic analyses of gneissic drill core samples from the deep CRG-series characterization boreholes at the CRL site. The main rock types intersected in the boreholes include hornblende–biotite (±pyroxene) gneisses of granitic to granodioritic composition, leucocratic granitic gneisses with sparse mafic minerals, and garnet-bearing gneisses with variable amounts of biotite and/or hornblende. The trace element data for whole-rock samples plot in the fields of within-plate, syn-collision, and volcanic arc-type granites in discrimination diagrams used for the tectonic interpretation of granitic rocks. Zircons separated from biotite gneiss and metagranite samples yielded SHRIMP-RG U–Pb ages of 1472 ± 14 (2σ) and 1045 ± 6 Ma, respectively, in very good agreement with widespread Early Mesoproterozoic plutonic ages and Ottawan orogeny ages in the Central Gneiss Belt. The Rb–Sr, U–Pb, and Pb–Pb whole-rock errorchron apparent ages of most of the CRL gneiss samples are consistent with zircon U–Pb age and do not indicate

District element modelling of the rock mass response to glaciation at Finnsjoen, central Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosengren, L.; Stephansson, O.

1990-12-01

Six rock mechanics models of a cross section of the Finnsjoen test site have been simulated by means of distinct element analysis and the computer code UDEC. The rock mass response to glaciation, deglaciation, isostatic movements and water pressure from an ice lake have been simulated. Four of the models use a boundary condition with boundary elements at the bottom and sides of the model. This gives a state of stress inside the model which agrees well with the analytical solution where the horizontal and vertical stresses are almost similar. Roller boundaries were applied to two models. This boundary condition cause zero lateral displacement at the model boundaries and the horizontal stress are always less than the vertical stress. Isostatic movements were simulated in one model. Two different geometries of fracture Zone 2 were simulated. Results from modelling the two different geometries show minor changes in stresses, displacements and failure of fracture zones. Under normal pore pressure conditions in the rock mass the weight of the ice load increases the vertical stresses in the models differ depending on the boundary condition. An ice thickness of 3 km and 1 km and an ice wedge of 1 km thickness covering half the top surface of the model have been simulated. For each loading sequence of the six models a complete set of data about normal stress, stress profiles along selected sections, displacements and failure of fracture zones are presented. Based on the results of this study a protection zone of about 100 m width from the outer boundary of stress discontinuity to the repository location is suggested. This value is based on the result that the stress disturbance diminishes at this distance from the outer boundary of the discontinuity. (25 refs.) (authors)

High cesium concentrations in groundwater in the upper 1.2 km of fractured crystalline rock - Influence of groundwater origin and secondary minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Mathurin, Frédéric A.; Drake, Henrik; Tullborg, Eva-Lena; Berger, Tobias; Peltola, Pasi; Kalinowski, Birgitta E.; Åström, Mats E.

2014-05-01

Dissolved and solid phase cesium (Cs) was studied in the upper 1.2 km of a coastal granitoid fracture network on the Baltic Shield (Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory and Laxemar area, SE Sweden). There unusually high Cs concentrations (up to 5-6 μg L-1) occur in the low-temperature (single and primary control of dissolved Cs in these systems. The high Cs concentrations in the saline groundwater is ascribed to long-term weathering of minerals, primarily Cs-enriched fracture coatings dominated by illite and mixed-layer clays and possibly wall rock micaceous minerals. The high Cs concentrations in the groundwater of marine origin are, in contrast, explained by relatively fast cation exchange reactions. As indicated by the field data and predicted by 1D solute transport modeling, alkali cations with low-energy hydration carried by intruding marine water are capable of (NH4+ in particular and K+ to some extent) replacing Cs+ on frayed edge (FES) sites on illite in the fracture coatings. The result is a rapid and persistent (at least in the order of decades) buildup of dissolved Cs concentrations in fractures where marine water flows downward. The identification of high Cs concentrations in young groundwater of marine origin and the predicted capacity of NH4+ to displace Cs from fracture solids are of particular relevance in the disposal of radioactive nuclear waste deep underground in crystalline rock.

Projects on filter testing in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Normann, B.; Wiktorsson, C.

1985-01-01

The Swedish nuclear power program comprises twelve light water reactors. Nine are boiling water reactors of ASEA-ATOM design and three are pressurized water reactors of Westinghouse design. Of these, ten are in operation and two are under construction and planned to go into operation during late 1984 and early 1985, respectively. Frequent tests on the penetration of particles through HEPA filters, regular tests on the adsorption of methyl iodide in the stand-by carbon filter units by laboratory testing are discussed. The proposed new regulations are based on many years of experience of filter system operation and of tests in-situ and in the laboratory. Moisture and water are factors that affect the functioning of filters. In addition, high loading of dust can give rise to increased penetration through HEPA filters, however pinholes could have less influence on the total penetration. Laboratory tests show that DOP particles retain 30-40% in 90 mm carbon filters (8-12 mesh). However no effect on the ability of carbon to adsorb methyl iodide after DOP contamination in combined carbon/HEPA filters has been observed. Leakage from ventilation ducts can cause radioactive contamination problems during filter testing with radioiodine. In-situ testing of control-room filters has been performed using inactive methyl iodide. A type of carbon bed not previously used in Sweden has been introduced. Testing of this filter type is discussed

Supplementation of male pheromone on rock substrates attracts female rock lizards to the territories of males: a field experiment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Martín

Full Text Available Many animals produce elaborated sexual signals to attract mates, among them are common chemical sexual signals (pheromones with an attracting function. Lizards produce chemical secretions for scent marking that may have a role in sexual selection. In the laboratory, female rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni prefer the scent of males with more ergosterol in their femoral secretions. However, it is not known whether the scent-marks of male rock lizards may actually attract females to male territories in the field.In the field, we added ergosterol to rocks inside the territories of male lizards, and found that this manipulation resulted in increased relative densities of females in these territories. Furthermore, a higher number of females were observed associated to males in manipulated plots, which probably increased mating opportunities for males in these areas.These and previous laboratory results suggest that female rock lizards may select to settle in home ranges based on the characteristics of scent-marks from conspecific males. Therefore, male rock lizards might attract more females and obtain more matings by increasing the proportion of ergosterol when scent-marking their territories. However, previous studies suggest that the allocation of ergosterol to secretions may be costly and only high quality males could afford it, thus, allowing the evolution of scent-marks as an honest sexual display.

Supplementation of Male Pheromone on Rock Substrates Attracts Female Rock Lizards to the Territories of Males: A Field Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Martín, José; López, Pilar

2012-01-01

Background Many animals produce elaborated sexual signals to attract mates, among them are common chemical sexual signals (pheromones) with an attracting function. Lizards produce chemical secretions for scent marking that may have a role in sexual selection. In the laboratory, female rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) prefer the scent of males with more ergosterol in their femoral secretions. However, it is not known whether the scent-marks of male rock lizards may actually attract females to male territories in the field. Methodology/Principal Findings In the field, we added ergosterol to rocks inside the territories of male lizards, and found that this manipulation resulted in increased relative densities of females in these territories. Furthermore, a higher number of females were observed associated to males in manipulated plots, which probably increased mating opportunities for males in these areas. Conclusions/Significance These and previous laboratory results suggest that female rock lizards may select to settle in home ranges based on the characteristics of scent-marks from conspecific males. Therefore, male rock lizards might attract more females and obtain more matings by increasing the proportion of ergosterol when scent-marking their territories. However, previous studies suggest that the allocation of ergosterol to secretions may be costly and only high quality males could afford it, thus, allowing the evolution of scent-marks as an honest sexual display. PMID:22253895

Hydro-mechanical evolution of the EDZ as transport path for radionuclides and gas: insights from the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul Marschall, P.; Giger, S. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); La Vassière De, R. [Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs ANDRA, Meuse Haute-Marne, Center RD 960, Bure (France); and others

2017-04-15

The excavation damaged zone (EDZ) around the backfilled underground structures of a geological repository represents a release path for radionuclides, which needs to be addressed in the assessment of long-term safety. Additionally, the EDZ may form a highly efficient escape route for corrosion and degradation gases, thus limiting the gas overpressures in the backfilled repository structures. The efficiency of this release path depends not only on the shape and extent of the EDZ, but also on the self-sealing capacity of the host rock formation and the prevailing state conditions, such as in situ stresses and pore pressure. The hydro-mechanical and chemico-osmotic phenomena associated with the formation and temporal evolution of the EDZ are complex, thus precluding a detailed representation of the EDZ in conventional modelling tools for safety assessment. Therefore, simplified EDZ models, able to mimic the safety-relevant functional features of the EDZ in a traceable manner are required. In the framework of the Mont Terri Project, a versatile modelling approach has been developed for the simulation of flow and transport processes along the EDZ with the goal of capturing the evolution of hydraulic significance of the EDZ after closure of the backfilled underground structures. The approach draws on both empirical evidence and experimental data, collected in the niches and tunnels of the Mont Terri rock laboratory. The model was benchmarked with a data set from an in situ self-sealing experiment at the Mont Terri rock laboratory. This paper summarises the outcomes of the benchmark exercise that comprises relevant empirical evidence, experimental data bases and the conceptual framework for modelling the evolution of the hydraulic significance of the EDZ around a backfilled tunnel section during the entire re-saturation phase. (authors)

Hydro-mechanical evolution of the EDZ as transport path for radionuclides and gas: insights from the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul Marschall, P.; Giger, S.; La Vassière De, R.

2017-01-01

The excavation damaged zone (EDZ) around the backfilled underground structures of a geological repository represents a release path for radionuclides, which needs to be addressed in the assessment of long-term safety. Additionally, the EDZ may form a highly efficient escape route for corrosion and degradation gases, thus limiting the gas overpressures in the backfilled repository structures. The efficiency of this release path depends not only on the shape and extent of the EDZ, but also on the self-sealing capacity of the host rock formation and the prevailing state conditions, such as in situ stresses and pore pressure. The hydro-mechanical and chemico-osmotic phenomena associated with the formation and temporal evolution of the EDZ are complex, thus precluding a detailed representation of the EDZ in conventional modelling tools for safety assessment. Therefore, simplified EDZ models, able to mimic the safety-relevant functional features of the EDZ in a traceable manner are required. In the framework of the Mont Terri Project, a versatile modelling approach has been developed for the simulation of flow and transport processes along the EDZ with the goal of capturing the evolution of hydraulic significance of the EDZ after closure of the backfilled underground structures. The approach draws on both empirical evidence and experimental data, collected in the niches and tunnels of the Mont Terri rock laboratory. The model was benchmarked with a data set from an in situ self-sealing experiment at the Mont Terri rock laboratory. This paper summarises the outcomes of the benchmark exercise that comprises relevant empirical evidence, experimental data bases and the conceptual framework for modelling the evolution of the hydraulic significance of the EDZ around a backfilled tunnel section during the entire re-saturation phase. (authors)

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory project. Rock mechanical investigations measurement of the rock strain and displacement during shaft excavation at GL.-200m level of research galley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, Toru; Seno, Yasuhiro; Hikima, Ryoichi; Matsui, Hiroya

2011-09-01

In order to establish the scientific and technical basis for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is proceeding with the geoscientific research in the research galleries excavated at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU). One of the scientific and technical objectives of this project is to understand the change of geological environment due to excavation of research galleries. The investigation described herein is the measurement of the rock strain / displacement while pre-excavation grouting or excavating of the shaft around the GL.-200m level of research gallery. A brief summary is presented as follows. 1) Apparent strain with pre-excavation grouting: Injection pressure during pre-excavation grouting could explain the observed strain. Maximum principal strain 'E1' (extension) was oriented to NS direction. The measured fracture system at the site includes a fracture set perpendicular to E1. We infer that these fracture expanded due to grout injection pressure. 2) Apparent strain during excavation of the shaft: Rock behavior of stress release was observed when the bottom of shaft passed by and lining of shaft was constructed. The observed strain was very small and almost same scale as the expected strain for elastic material. But the observed strain of radial direction was compression whereas the expected strain was extension. Therefore it was estimated that rock behavior was affected by cracks. 3) Applicability of the FBG sensors for in situ displacement measurement near the shaft: FBG sensors were stable and reliable in comparison to strain meters or inclinometers. There was no electrical equipment trouble nor large drift in measurements. FBG results can lead to understand bending mode of borehole. But we cannot specify the displacement direction from these data in some cases. (author)

Anisotropy effect on strengths of metamorphic rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Özbek

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to study the effect of anisotropy on strengths of several metamorphic rocks of southern (Çine submassif of Menderes metamorphic massif in southwest Turkey. Four different metamorphic rocks including foliated phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble (calcschist were selected and examined. Discontinuity surveys were made along lines for each rock and evaluated with DIPS program. L-type Schmidt hammer was applied in the directions parallel and perpendicular to foliation during the field study. Several hand samples and rock blocks were collected during the field study for measurements of dry and saturated densities, dry and saturated unit weights and porosity, and for petrographic analysis and strength determination in laboratory. L- and N-type Schmidt hammers were applied in the directions perpendicular (anisotropy angle of 0° and parallel (anisotropy angle of 90° to the foliation on selected blocks of phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble (calcschist. The phyllite and schist have higher porosity and lower density values than the other rocks. However, coarse crystalline gneiss and marble (calcschist have higher rebound values and strengths, and they are classified as strong–very strong rocks. Generally, the rebound values in the direction perpendicular to the foliation are slightly higher than that in the direction parallel to foliation. Rebound values of N-type Schmidt hammer are higher than the L-type values except for phyllite. Sometimes, the rebound values of laboratory and field applications gave different results. This may result from variable local conditions such as minerals differentiation, discontinuities, water content, weathering degree and thickness of foliated structure.

Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Site Assessment: Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiatreungwattana, Kosol [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Salasovich, James [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kandt, Alicen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-03-22

As part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to reduce energy use and incorporate renewable energy technologies into its facilities, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory performed an energy efficiency and renewable energy site assessment of the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. This report documents the findings of this assessment, and provides site-specific information for the implementation of energy and water conservation measures, and renewable energy measures.

SAPHYR: the Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Wenning, Q. C.; Zappone, A. S.; Kissling, E.

2015-12-01

The Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR) is a multi-year project, aiming to compile a comprehensive data set on physical properties of rocks exposed in Switzerland and surrounding areas. The ultimate goal of SAPHYR is to make these data accessible to an open and wide public, such as industrial, engineering, land and resource planning companies, as well as academic institutions. Since the early sixties worldwide geophysicists, petrologists, and engineers, focused their work on laboratory measurements of rocks physical properties, and their relations with microstructures, mineralogical compositions and other rock parameters, in the effort to constrain the geological interpretation of geophysical surveys. In combination with efforts to investigate deep structure of the continental crust by controlled source seismology, laboratories capable to reproduce pressure and temperature conditions to depth of 50km and more collected measurements of various parameters on a wide variety of rock types. In recent years, the increasing interest on non-traditional energy supply, (deep geothermal energy, shale gas) and CO2 storage renovated the interests in physical characterization of the deep underground. The idea to organize those laboratory data into a geographically referenced database (GIS) is supported by the Swiss Commission for Geophysics. The data refer to density and porosity, seismic, magnetic, thermal properties, permeability and electrical properties. An effort has been placed on collecting samples and measuring the physical properties of lithologies that are poorly documented in literature. The phase of laboratory measurements is still in progress. At present SAPHYR focuses towards developing a 3-D physical properties model of the Swiss subsurface, using the structure of the exposed geology, boreholes data and seismic surveys, combined with lab determined pressure and temperature derivatives. An early version of the final product is presented here.

Gas migration in argillaceous rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, E. E.; Olivella, S.

2007-01-01

The intrinsic gas permeability of fractured argillaceous rocks depends on the current structure of micro-cracks and fissures of the rock. They are a consequence of the initial state and the subsequent deformations induced by stress and gas pressure changes. Stresses are also coupled with fluid pressures and, therefore, gas flow and mechanical behaviour are intensely coupled. Laboratory experiments, aimed at determining intrinsic permeability, show the relevant effect of volumetric deformations induced by isotropic, as well as deviatoric stress changes. The relevance, in practice, of the flow-mechanical coupling is illustrated by means of some results obtained during the performance of the drift scale test (DST) in fractured tuff in the Yucca Mountain facility. The technique of embedding discontinuities in continuum thermo-hydro-mechanical elements is capable of reproducing observed features of gas flow migration in clayey rocks. An example is described. It is believed that the developed approach provides a powerful computational procedure to handle complex gas phenomena in clayey rocks. (author)

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Degueldre, Claude, E-mail: c.degueldre@lancaster.ac.uk [Engineering Department, University of Lancaster, LA1 4YW Lancaster (United Kingdom); ChiAM & Institute of Environment, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève 4, Swizerland (Switzerland); Earlier, NES, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Cloet, Veerle [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, 5430 Wettingen (Switzerland)

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Sweden surpassed its 2020 nationally binding renewable energy in 2013. Main support measures to promote renewable energy in Sweden consists of a quota system, various tax regulation mechanisms and subsidy schemes. Sweden has a joint support scheme with Norway, thus being the first EU Member State to implement a cooperation mechanism, as defined under the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive. The Swedish coalition government has agreed on a target of 100% renewable electricity production by 2040

Effects of confinement on rock mass modulus: A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Vazaios

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to examine the influence of the applied confining stress on the rock mass modulus of moderately jointed rocks (well interlocked undisturbed rock mass with blocks formed by three or less intersecting joints. A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM approach is employed to determine the mechanical properties of the rock mass. In this approach, the intact body of rock is represented by the discrete element method (DEM-Voronoi grains with the ability of simulating the initiation and propagation of microcracks within the intact part of the model. The geometry of the pre-existing joints is generated by employing discrete fracture network (DFN modelling based on field joint data collected from the Brockville Tunnel using LiDAR scanning. The geometrical characteristics of the simulated joints at a representative sample size are first validated against the field data, and then used to measure the rock quality designation (RQD, joint spacing, areal fracture intensity (P21, and block volumes. These geometrical quantities are used to quantitatively determine a representative range of the geological strength index (GSI. The results show that estimating the GSI using the RQD tends to make a closer estimate of the degree of blockiness that leads to GSI values corresponding to those obtained from direct visual observations of the rock mass conditions in the field. The use of joint spacing and block volume in order to quantify the GSI value range for the studied rock mass suggests a lower range compared to that evaluated in situ. Based on numerical modelling results and laboratory data of rock testing reported in the literature, a semi-empirical equation is proposed that relates the rock mass modulus to confinement as a function of the areal fracture intensity and joint stiffness. Keywords: Synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM, Discrete fracture network (DFN, Rock mass modulus, Geological strength index (GSI, Confinement

Rock stress investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pahl, A.; Heusermann, St.; Braeuer, V.; Gloeggler, W.

1989-04-01

On the research project 'Rock Stress Mesurements' the BGR has developed and tested several methods for use in boreholes at a depth of 200 m. Indirect stress measurements using overcoring methods with BGR-probes and CSIR-triaxial cells as well as direct stress measurements using the hydraulic-fracturing method were made. To determine in-situ rock deformation behavior borehole deformation tests, using a BGR-dilatometer, were performed. Two types of the BGR-probe were applied: a four-component-probe to determine horizontal stresses and a five-component-probe to determine a quasi three-dimensional stress field. The first time a computer for data processing was installed in the borehole together with the BGR-probe. Laboratory tests on low cylinders were made to study the stress-deformation behavior. To validate and to interprete the measurement results some test methods were modelled using the finite-element method. The dilatometer-tests yielded high values of Young's modulus, whereas laboratory tests showed lower values with a distinct deformation anisotropy. Stress measurements with the BGR-probe yielded horizontal stresses being higher than the theoretical overburden pressure. These results are comparable to the results of the hydraulic fracturing tests, whereas stresses obtained with CSIR-triaxial cells are lower. The detailed geological mapping of the borehole indicated relationships between stress and geology. With regard to borehole depth different zones of rock structure joint frequency, joint orientation, and orientation of microfissures as well as stress magnitude, stress direction, and degree of deformation anisotropy could be distinguished. (author) 4 tabs., 76 figs., 31 refs

International Workshop on Hot Dry Rock. Creation and evaluation of geothermal reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1988-11-04

At the above-named event which met on November 4 and 5, 1988, a number of essays were presented concerning the fracture system, exploration, evaluation, geophysical measurement application, etc., as developed in the U.S., France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, England, etc. Novel technologies are necessary for a breakthrough in HDR (hot dry rock) exploitation. In the designing of an HDR system, the orientation and dimensions of a fracture to be hydraulically produced have to be appropriately predicted, for which knowledge of rock physical properties and geological structures and the technology of simulating them will be useful. Drilling and geophysical probing of rock mass are some means for fracture observation. Seismometer-aided mapping by AE (acoustic emission) observation is performed while hydraulic fracturing is under way. Upon completion of an HDR circulation system, evaluation of the reservoir by experiment or theory becomes necessary. The heat exchanging area and deposition are estimated using the geochemical data, temperature fall, etc., of the liquid in circulation. If fracture impedance or water loss is out of the designed level, the fracture needs improvement. (NEDO)

Rock Physical Interpretation of the Relationship between Dynamic and Static Young's Moduli of Sedimentary Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, T.

2017-12-01

The static Young's modulus (deformability) of a rock is indispensable for designing and constructing tunnels, dams and underground caverns in civil engineering. Static Young's modulus which is an elastic modulus at large strain level is usually obtained with the laboratory tests of rock cores sampled in boreholes drilled in a rock mass. A deformability model of the entire rock mass is then built by extrapolating the measurements based on a rock mass classification obtained in geological site characterization. However, model-building using data obtained from a limited number of boreholes in the rock mass, especially a complex rock mass, may cause problems in the accuracy and reliability of the model. On the other hand, dynamic Young's modulus which is the modulus at small strain level can be obtained from seismic velocity. If dynamic Young's modulus can be rationally converted to static one, a seismic velocity model by the seismic method can be effectively used to build a deformability model of the rock mass. In this study, we have, therefore, developed a rock physics model (Mavko et al., 2009) to estimate static Young's modulus from dynamic one for sedimentary rocks. The rock physics model has been generally applied to seismic properties at small strain level. In the proposed model, however, the sandy shale model, one of rock physics models, is extended for modeling the static Young's modulus at large strain level by incorporating the mixture of frictional and frictionless grain contacts into the Hertz-Mindlin model. The proposed model is verified through its application to the dynamic Young's moduli derived from well log velocities and static Young's moduli measured in the tri-axial compression tests of rock cores sampled in the same borehole as the logs were acquired. This application proves that the proposed rock physics model can be possibly used to estimate static Young's modulus (deformability) which is required in many types of civil engineering applications

The Buffer and Backfill Handbook. Part 1: Definitions, basic relationships and laboratory methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pusch, Roland [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

2002-04-01

Part 1 of this Handbook is focused on description of fundamental issues of soil physical and chemical arts and on soil mechanical definitions and relationships. Part 2 comprises a material data basis including also preparation and field testing methods. Part 3 provides a collection of physical and mathematical models and examples of how they can and should be applied. The present document, which has been prepared by Geodevelopment AB in co-operation with Scandia Consult AB and Clay Technology AB, Sweden, and with TVO, Finland, makes up Part 1. Most of the data and information emanate from the work that Geodevelopment AB and Clay Technology AB have performed for SKB but a number of results from experiments made in and for other organizations have been included as well. A significant number of experimental procedures and ways of characterizing buffers and backfills are included. The experience from the comprehensive international Stripa Project, concerning both systematic material investigations in the laboratory and the full-scale field experiments, has contributed significantly to this report. However, similar and additional information gained from later work in SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and from NAGRA and also from other waste-isolation projects have helped to make this document of assumed international interest.

The Buffer and Backfill Handbook. Part 1: Definitions, basic relationships and laboratory methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, Roland

2002-04-01

Part 1 of this Handbook is focused on description of fundamental issues of soil physical and chemical arts and on soil mechanical definitions and relationships. Part 2 comprises a material data basis including also preparation and field testing methods. Part 3 provides a collection of physical and mathematical models and examples of how they can and should be applied. The present document, which has been prepared by Geodevelopment AB in co-operation with Scandia Consult AB and Clay Technology AB, Sweden, and with TVO, Finland, makes up Part 1. Most of the data and information emanate from the work that Geodevelopment AB and Clay Technology AB have performed for SKB but a number of results from experiments made in and for other organizations have been included as well. A significant number of experimental procedures and ways of characterizing buffers and backfills are included. The experience from the comprehensive international Stripa Project, concerning both systematic material investigations in the laboratory and the full-scale field experiments, has contributed significantly to this report. However, similar and additional information gained from later work in SKB's Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory and from NAGRA and also from other waste-isolation projects have helped to make this document of assumed international interest

Leaving Sweden behind: Gains in life expectancy in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Nathalie; Le Serbon, Emilie; Rostila, Mikael

2015-06-01

Sweden and Canada are known for quality of living and exceedingly high life expectancy, but recent data on how these countries compare are lacking. We measured life expectancy in Canada and Sweden during the past decade, and identified factors responsible for changes over time. We calculated life expectancy at birth for Canada and Sweden annually from 2000 to 2010, and determined the ages and causes of death responsible for the gap between the two countries using Arriaga's method. We determined how population growth, ageing, and mortality influenced the number of deaths over time. During 2000-2010, life expectancy in Canada caught up with Sweden for men, and surpassed Sweden by 0.4 years for women. Sweden lost ground owing to a slower reduction in circulatory and tumour mortality after age 65 years compared with Canada. Nonetheless, population ageing increased the number of deaths in Canada, especially for mental and nervous system disorders. In Sweden, the number of deaths decreased. In only one decade, life expectancy in Canada caught up and surpassed Sweden due to rapid improvements in circulatory and tumour mortality. Population ageing increased the number of deaths in Canada, potentially stressing the health care system more than in Sweden. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR)

Science.gov (United States)

Zappone, Alba; Kissling, Eduard

2015-04-01

The Swiss Atlas of PHYsical properties of Rocks (SAPHYR), is a multi-year project, funded entirely by Swiss Commission for Geophysics (SGPK), with the aim to compile a comprehensive data set in digital form on physical properties of rocks exposed in Switzerland and surrounding regions. The ultimate goal of SAPHYR is to make these data accessible to an open and wide public including industrial, engineering, land and resource planning companies, as well as academic institutions, or simply people interested in geology. Since the early sixties worldwide many scientists, i.e. geophysicists, petrologists, and engineers, focused their work on laboratory measurements of rocks physical properties, and their relations with microstructures, mineralogical compositions and other rock parameters, in the effort to constrain the geological interpretation of geophysical surveys. Particularly in the years in which seismic reflection and refraction crustal scale projects were investigating the deep structures of the Alps, laboratories capable to reproduce the pressure and temperature ranges of the continental crust were collecting measurements of various rock parameters on a wide variety of lithologies, developing in the meantime more and more sophisticated experimental methodologies. In recent years, the increasing interest of European Countries on non-traditional energy supply, (i.e. Deep Geothermal Energy and shale gas) and CO2 storage renovated the interests in physical characterization of the deep underground. SAPHYR aims to organize all those laboratory data into a geographically referenced database (GIS). The data refer to density, porosity, permeability, and seismic, magnetic, thermal and electric properties. In the past years, effort has been placed on collecting samples and measuring the physical properties of lithologies that were poorly documented in literature. The phase of laboratory measurements is still in progress. Recently, SAPHYR project focused towards developing

Geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste and the role of rock engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugihara, Kozo

2008-01-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and its predecessors have been conducting an extensive geoscientific research program since the 1970's in order to contribute to the formation of a firm scientific and technological basis for the geological disposal of high level radioactive waste in Japan. As a part of this program, in situ experiments have been performed at the Tono Mine in soft sedimentary rocks and at the Kamaishi Mine in hard crystalline rocks. An experiment on excavation disturbance has been one of these experiments and has revealed the extent and properties of the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ) and the applicability of available measurement methods. It is suggested that mechanical excavation and controlled excavation have reduced excavation damage of the rock mass around a drift, although some improvements in the currently available methods for measuring and simulating the EDZ are essential to understand excavation disturbance in more detail. JAEA is now promoting two underground research laboratory projects in Japan; the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project for crystalline rocks and the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (Horonobe URL) project for sedimentary rocks. From a rock mechanical point of view, the major interest in these projects will be paid to failure phenomenon deep underground, rock stress estimation at larger scales and long-term physical stability of underground structure. These projects are open for international collaboration. (author)

Regional environmental documentation of natural radiation in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, C.

1982-01-01

In 1979, when the problem of high radon daughter levels in Swedish houses became widely published, the need for information on variations in the natural radiation environment became very apparent. The radon problem was at first attributed to radon emanation from alum shale based aerated concrete, but it was soon obvious that ground with an abnormally high uranium content constitutes an even greater risk for high radon daughter levels in houses. The geological Survey of Sweden was commissioned to produce a documentation in map form for all areas and rock types with gamma ray levels exceeding 30 μR/h, with the intention of delimiting risk areas for high soil gas radon contents. The maps, known as GEO-radiation maps, are produced at scale of 1:50 000. They are based primarily upon radiometric surveys, ground measurements of gammaradiation and geological mapping. To date some 450 map sheets have been published covering approximately 55% of the country. The maps provide primary information to local planning, health and building authorities as to variations in the natural radiation environment. Within the so-called risk areas marked on the maps, local authorities are recommended to investigate the soil gas radon content prior to any new development. Geological environments known, in Sweden, to be associated with radon daughter problems in dwellings are alum shale, a Cambrian, uranium-rich black shale, uranium-rich granites and uranium-rich pegmatites. Both alum shale and uranium-rich granites constitute extensive areas of bedrock. More recently it has been established that high soil-gas radon concentrations are also associated with glacial eskers. (Author)

A methodology for interpretation of overcoring stress measurements in anisotropic rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakala, M.; Sjoeberg, J.

2006-11-01

The in situ state of stress is an important parameter for the design of a repository for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. This report presents work conducted to improve the quality of overcoring stress measurements, focused on the interpretation of overcoring rock stress measurements when accounting for possible anisotropic behavior of the rock. The work comprised: (i) development/upgrading of a computer code for calculating stresses from overcoring strains for anisotropic materials and for a general overcoring probe configuration (up to six strain rosettes with six gauges each), (ii) development of a computer code for determining elastic constants for transversely isotropic rocks from biaxial testing, and (iii) analysis of case studies of selected overcoring measurements in both isotropic and anisotropic rocks from the Posiva and SKB sites in Finland and Sweden, respectively. The work was principally limited to transversely isotropic materials, although the stress calculation code is applicable also to orthotropic materials. The developed computer codes have been geared to work primarily with the Borre and CSIRO HI three-dimensional overcoring measurement probes. Application of the codes to selected case studies, showed that the developed tools were practical and useful for interpreting overcoring stress measurements conducted in anisotropic rock. A quantitative assessment of the effects of anisotropy may thus be obtained, which provides increased reliability in the stress data. Potential gaps in existing data and/or understanding can also be identified. (orig.)

Sweden's Leadership in a Climate Constrained World. An analysis for Sweden of the Greenhouse Development Rights framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kartha, Sivan; Baer, Paul; Athanasiou, Tom; Kemp-Benedict, Eric

2008-10-15

This report presents an analysis of the Greenhouse Development Rights framework applied to the case of Sweden. Its objective is to provide useful quantitative guidance on Sweden's role as a leader in our climate constrained world. It presents guidance that is rigorous from the standpoint of climate science and framed in the context of a right to development for the world's poor. This analysis fully accounts for Sweden's true responsibility, by looking beyond territorial emissions alone, and reckoning emissions in terms of Sweden's net 'carbon footprint.' Accounting for carbon embedded in imports, exports and international transport reveals that Sweden's responsibility is 17% larger than would be inferred by considering Sweden's territorial emissions alone. Sweden will naturally have significant obligations under any burden-sharing regime that is based on capacity and responsibility, and only more so under a regime that honors a right to development. Under the GDR framework, our indicative quantification suggests that Sweden's share of responsibility and capacity, and hence its obligation under a politically viable climate regime, will be approximately 0.51% of the global total in 2010. This can be compared to the US's 33%, the EU's 26%, Japan's 7.8%, China's 5.5%, and India's 0.5%. Sweden's 0.51% share of the global total is thus not large in absolute terms, though it is rather large relative to Sweden's small size (0.14% of the global population). These national shares shift over time, as countries' relative proportion of income and emissions change. In light of the emergence of rapidly growing developing country economies, Sweden's share of the global total obligation is projected to decline to 0.43% by 2020, and to 0.35% by 2030. This quantification of Sweden's obligation is useful in two complementary ways. First, if the total global costs of an emergency climate

Physics laboratory 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The report covers the research activities of the Physics laboratory of H.C. Oersted Institute, University of Copenhagen in the period January 1, 1976 - January 1, 1979. It gives also an idea about the teaching carried out by yhe laboratory. The research - broadly speaking - deals mainly with the interaction of particles (ions, electrons and neutrons) and electromagnetic radiation (X-rays) with matter. Use is made in studies of: atomic physics, radiation effects, surface physics, the electronic and crystallographic structure of matter and some biological problems. The research is carried out partly in the laboratory itself and partly at and in collaboration with other institutes in this country (H.C. Oersted Institute, Chemical Laboratories, Denmark's Technical University, Aarhus University, Institute of Physics and Risoe National Laboratory) and abroad (Federal Republic of Germany, France, India, Sweden, U.K., U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.). All these institutes are listed in the abstract titles. Bibliography comprehends 94 publications. A substantial part of the research is supported by the Danish Natural Sciences Research Council. (author)

Controlled sample program publication No. 1: characterization of rock samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ames, L.L.

1978-10-01

A description is presented of the methodology used and the geologic parameters measured on several rocks which are being used in round-robin laboratory and nuclide adsorption methodology experiments. Presently investigators from various laboratories are determining nuclide distribution coefficients utilizing numerous experimental techniques. Unfortunately, it appears that often the resultant data are dependent not only on the type of groundwater and rock utilized, but also on the experimentor or method used. The Controlled Sample Program is a WISAP (Waste Isolation Safety Assessment Program) attempt to resolve the apparent method and dependencies and to identify individual experimenter's bias. The rock samples characterized in an interlaboratory Kd methodology comparison program include Westerly granite, Argillaceous shale, Oolitic limestone, Sentinel Gap basalt, Conasauga shale, Climax Stock granite, anhydrite, Magenta dolomite and Culebra dolomite. Techniques used in the characterization include whole rock chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, optical examination, electron microprobe elemental mapping, and chemical analysis of specific mineral phases. Surface areas were determined by the B.E.T. and ethylene glycol sorption methods. Cation exchange capacities were determined with 85 Sr, but were of questionable value for the high calcium rocks. A quantitative mineralogy was also estimated for each rock. Characteristics which have the potential of strongly affecting radionuclide Kd values such as the presence of sulfides, water-soluble, pH-buffering carbonates, glass, and ferrous iron were listed for each rock sample

Rock mechanics in the National Waste Terminal Storage Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monsees, J.E.; Wigley, M.R.

1982-01-01

The overall objective of the rock mechanics program of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation is to predict the response of a rock mass hosting a waste repository during its construction, operation, and postoperational phases. The operational phase is expected to be 50 to 100 yr; the postoperational phase will last until the repository no longer poses any potential hazard to the biosphere, a period that may last several thousand years. The rock mechanics program is concerned with near-field effects on mine stability, as well as far-field effects relative to the overall integrity of the geologic waste isolation system. To accomplish these objectives, the rock mechanics program has established interactive studies in numerical simulation, laboratory testing, and field testing. The laboratory and field investigations provide input to the numerical simulations and give an opportunity for verification and validation of the predictive capabilities of the computer codes. Ultimately the computer codes will be used to predict the response of the geologic system to the development of a repository. 3 references, 5 figures

Modelling of rock mass response to glaciation in the Dounreay area, Scotland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Errington, M.

1992-01-01

This report presents the results of a modelling study undertaken to investigate the potential response of a faulted rock mass to glacial loading. The modelled rock mass was a 10X10X10 km region around Dounreay. This site was selected as one of the two locations under consideration by UK Nirex Ltd for a deep repository for the disposal of low and intermediate radioactive waste. The model selected for the study was 3DEC, a distinct element code which has been used in similar modelling studies in Sweden. A set of seven regional fractures and five rock types were identified in the region to be modelled. Properties for these discontinuities and media were derived from published information where possible or from data for similar regimes. A number of parameters were selected for sensitivity studies. The results of the study form a useful basis for assessing the extent of fracture movement which might be expected in the region modelled. Site-specific results cannot be extended to other areas but the results of the sensitivity study indicate those parameters which have a significant effect on the modelled behaviour of the rock mass and which would thus require site-specific determination. (Author)

Energy in Sweden 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-11-15

Energy in Sweden is published annually, and is intended to provide decision-makers, journalists and the public with coherent and easily available information on developments in the energy sector. Most of the publication is based on official statistics up to and including 2006, complemented where possible by input reflecting current events and decisions up to the middle of 2007. The publication consists of eight chapters: Current energy and climate policy areas; Policy measures and incentives; Sweden's energy balance; Energy use; Energy markets; An international perspective; The environmental situation; and, Energy facts

Energy in Sweden 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-11-15

Energy in Sweden is published annually, and is intended to provide decision-makers, journalists and the public with coherent and easily available information on developments in the energy sector. Most of the publication is based on official statistics up to and including 2006, complemented where possible by input reflecting current events and decisions up to the middle of 2007. The publication consists of eight chapters: Current energy and climate policy areas; Policy measures and incentives; Sweden's energy balance; Energy use; Energy markets; An international perspective; The environmental situation; and, Energy facts

Experiments on thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Opalinus Clay at Mont Terri rock laboratory, Switzerland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Bossart

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Repositories for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste rely on multi-barrier systems to isolate waste from the biosphere. A multi-barrier system typically comprises the natural geological barrier provided by the repository host rock – in our case the Opalinus Clay – and an engineered barrier system (EBS. The Swiss repository concept for spent fuel and vitrified high-level waste (HLW consists of waste canisters, which are emplaced horizontally in the middle of an emplacement gallery and are separated from the gallery wall by granular backfill material (GBM. We describe here a selection of five in-situ experiments where characteristic hydro-mechanical (HM and thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM processes have been observed. The first example is a coupled HM and mine-by test where the evolution of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ was monitored around a gallery in the Opalinus Clay (ED-B experiment. Measurements of pore-water pressures and convergences due to stress redistribution during excavation highlighted the HM behaviour. The same measurements were subsequently carried out in a heater test (HE-D where we were able to characterise the Opalinus Clay in terms of its THM behaviour. These yielded detailed data to better understand the THM behaviours of the granular backfill and the natural host rock. For a presentation of the Swiss concept for HLW storage, we designed three demonstration experiments that were subsequently implemented in the Mont Terri rock laboratory: (1 the engineered barrier (EB experiment, (2 the in-situ heater test on key-THM processes and parameters (HE-E experiment, and (3 the full-scale emplacement (FE experiment. The first demonstration experiment has been dismantled, but the last two ones are on-going.

Characterisation and modelling of mixing processes in groundwaters of a potential geological repository for nuclear wastes in crystalline rocks of Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Javier B; Gimeno, María J; Auqué, Luis F; Acero, Patricia

2014-01-15

This paper presents the mixing modelling results for the hydrogeochemical characterisation of groundwaters in the Laxemar area (Sweden). This area is one of the two sites that have been investigated, under the financial patronage of the Swedish Nuclear Waste and Management Co. (SKB), as possible candidates for hosting the proposed repository for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. The classical geochemical modelling, interpreted in the light of the palaeohydrogeological history of the system, has shown that the driving process in the geochemical evolution of this groundwater system is the mixing between four end-member waters: a deep and old saline water, a glacial meltwater, an old marine water, and a meteoric water. In this paper we put the focus on mixing and its effects on the final chemical composition of the groundwaters using a comprehensive methodology that combines principal component analysis with mass balance calculations. This methodology allows us to test several combinations of end member waters and several combinations of compositional variables in order to find optimal solutions in terms of mixing proportions. We have applied this methodology to a dataset of 287 groundwater samples from the Laxemar area collected and analysed by SKB. The best model found uses four conservative elements (Cl, Br, oxygen-18 and deuterium), and computes mixing proportions with respect to three end member waters (saline, glacial and meteoric). Once the first order effect of mixing has been taken into account, water-rock interaction can be used to explain the remaining variability. In this way, the chemistry of each water sample can be obtained by using the mixing proportions for the conservative elements, only affected by mixing, or combining the mixing proportions and the chemical reactions for the non-conservative elements in the system, establishing the basis for predictive calculations. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Location-Related Differences in Weathering Behaviors and Populations of Culturable Rock-Weathering Bacteria Along a Hillside of a Rock Mountain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qi; Wang, Rongrong; He, Linyan; Sheng, Xiafang

2017-05-01

Bacteria play important roles in rock weathering, elemental cycling, and soil formation. However, little is known about the weathering potential and population of bacteria inhabiting surfaces of rocks. In this study, we isolated bacteria from the top, middle, and bottom rock samples along a hillside of a rock (trachyte) mountain as well as adjacent soils and characterized rock-weathering behaviors and populations of the bacteria. Per gram of rock or surface soil, 10 6 -10 7 colony forming units were obtained and total 192 bacteria were isolated. Laboratory rock dissolution experiments indicated that the proportions of the highly effective Fe (ranging from 67 to 92 %), Al (ranging from 40 to 48 %), and Cu (ranging from 54 to 81 %) solubilizers were significantly higher in the top rock and soil samples, while the proportion of the highly effective Si (56 %) solubilizers was significantly higher in the middle rock samples. Furthermore, 78, 96, and 6 % of bacteria from the top rocks, soils, and middle rocks, respectively, significantly acidified the culture medium (pH bacteria (79 %) from the rocks were different to those from the soils and most of them (species level) have not been previously reported. Furthermore, location-specific rock-weathering bacterial populations were found and Bacillus species were the most (66 %) frequently isolated rock-weathering bacteria in the rocks based on cultivation methods. Notably, the top rocks and soils had the highest and lowest diversity of rock-weathering bacterial populations, respectively. The results suggested location-related differences in element (Si, Al, Fe, and Cu) releasing effectiveness and communities of rock-weathering bacteria along the hillside of the rock mountain.

Natural analogue and microstructural studies in relation to radionuclide retardation by rock matrix diffusion in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoto, M.; Rodriguez Rey, A.; Ruiz de Argandona, V.G.; Calleja, L.; Menendez, B.

1992-01-01

The possibility that radionuclide retardation by rock matrix diffusion will be limited in granitic rocks by geological factors is studied, as well as the possibility that diffusion will be confined to a narrow zone from water-conducting fractures. Petrophysical measurements, uranium series and geochemical analyses in the rock adjacent to fractures, have been performed to establish the extent of fracture-related microstructural changes that might influence the potential for diffusion and whether or not there is any record of diffusion of uranium, its daughters, or other elements. The results obtained from El Berrocal (Spain), Stripa (Sweden) and White-shell (Canada) granites, suggest that: (a) there is a zone adjacent to the fractures (generally less than 100 mm) where microstructural changes and enhanced uranium mobility exist; (b) the evidence for diffusion having taken place in the rock is confined largely to this zone. So, it appears that diffusivity determinations on rock collected away from the influence of fractures will not give representative data for diffusion modelling, in addition to the effect of distressing after removing rocks from depth. It is suggested that diffusion will be of limited effectiveness as a retardation mechanism in many granitic rocks, particularly in water movement confined to narrow channels where access by nuclides to the fracture walls is restricted. 51 refs., 56 figs., 9 tabs., 9 appendices

Proterozoic to Quaternary events of fracture mineralisation and oxidation in SE Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, Henrik

2008-12-01

Fracture minerals and altered wall rock have been analysed to reveal the low-temperature evolution, especially regarding redox conditions, of the Simpevarp area, SE Sweden. This area is one of the two areas in Sweden investigated by the Swedish Nuclear fuel and Waste Management Co. in order to find a potential geological repository for spent nuclear fuel. The 1.8 Ga granitic to dioritic rocks in the area are generally un-metamorphosed and structurally well-preserved, although low-grade ductile shear zones and repeatedly reactivated fractures exist. Investigations of cross-cutting fractures along with a wide variety of fracture mineral analyses, such as stable isotopes and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, have been used to distinguish a sequence of fracture filling generations. The characteristics of these generations indicate the low-temperature evolution of the area, including information of e.g. fluid origin, formation temperature, paleo stresses and relation to known geological events. Knowledge of the fracture mineral evolution is important for the conceptual geological and hydrogeochemical understanding of the site and supports predictions of future scenarios in the safety assessment. The fracture mineral generations identified have been formed at widely varying conditions starting in the Proterozoic with formation from inorganic hydrothermal fluids, continuing in the Paleozoic with formation from lower temperature brine type fluids with organic influence, and ranging into minerals formed from waters of varying salinity and with significant organic influence at conditions similar to the present conditions. However, the amount of potentially recent precipitates is very small compared to Proterozoic and Paleozoic precipitates. The fracture mineral parageneses have been associated, with varying confidence, to far-field effects of at least four different orogenies; the Svecokarelian orogeny (>1.75 Ga), the Danapolonian orogeny (∼1.47-1.44 Ga), the Sveconorwegian orogeny

Occupational Gender Composition and Wages in Sweden

OpenAIRE

Hansen, Jörgen; Wahlberg, Roger

2000-01-01

We estimate the relationship between wages and occupational gender segregation in Sweden. Because of high wage equality in Sweden compared to the U.S., we expect a lower wage penalty of job femaleness in Sweden than in the U.S. Our results supports this hypothesis. We also investigate how the unexplained gender wage gap vary across occupations and find that this gap is smallest in male dominated jobs and largest in female dominated jobs. Finally, we investigate whether the female wage-experie...

The results of the investigations on rock mechanics in HDB-9-11 boreholes and update of the rock mechanical model around the Horonobe URL construction area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanada, Hiroyuki; Niunoya, Sumio; Matsui, Hiroya

2008-09-01

Horonobe URL (Underground Research Laboratory) Project is conducted at Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido. This research report shows the result of the rock mechanical investigations which have been carried out from 2004 to 2005 as a part of the project. The objectives of the rock mechanical investigation are as follows: To obtain the data which were necessary for construction design of URL. To confirm the distribution of rock mechanical properties in and around URL construction area. The results of the investigations are summarized as follows: 1) Variation and values of depth direction of physical and mechanical properties in the laboratory construction area corresponded approximately to the results obtained from the rock mechanical investigations of HDB-1-8. 2) The major redesign had been not had about physical and mechanical properties in the laboratory construction area being able to divide into three zones and length of its own zone in updating rock mechanical model. 3) From the results of initial stress measured by hydraulic fracturing, the results that the direction of the maximum principle stress is E-W was no different from results obtained from the investigations of HDB-1-8, but the magnitude correlation among maximum, minimum principle stress and overburden pressure measured around G.L.-927 m showed different trends compared with the results of HDB-1-8. 4) Diatomaceous mudstone was yielded under isotropic compression. Cam-clay model as constitutive law of diatomaceous mudstone should be used for tunnel excavation analysis. 5) Uniaxial compression strength of rock saturated under saline water is larger than that of saturated under freshwater. Poisson's ratio of rock saturated under saline water is smaller than that of saturated under saline water. 6) The effective confining pressure increases with the equivalent opening width and permeability decreases. 7) The value of principle stress obtained from DSCA method is larger than that obtained from hydraulic

The energy transition in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruciani, Michel

2016-06-01

Sweden has the distinction of having started several major changes to its energy supply at an early stage. The country has no fossil reserves, and so was importing increasing volumes of oil products in the years following World War II. Yet it rapidly perceived the geopolitical risks generated by such oil dependency, and so developed its nuclear capacity, enabling it to reduce quickly the role of oil in its economy after the shocks of the 1970's. Sweden has also managed to exploit its natural resources. Until the 2000's, hydropower was able to enter the market without public assistance. By contrast, wood could not have gained its current market share without a policy combining public aid for investment and penalties for competing energies. The severe economic crisis which hit the country between 1991 and 1993 led such penalties being converted into taxes, notably a tax on CO_2 emissions that came into force in 1991. This helped Sweden reconstruct its tax system, to finance its social model. The challenge highlighted the country's ability to generate consensus policy guidelines. One of these guidelines was to react immediately after initial warnings about climate change. Sweden first strengthened its energy efficiency policy, structuring field actions through a national agency backed up by partner organizations in local communities to help consumers - individuals or industries - technically and economically. Sweden then adopted an unusual instrument to promote renewable electricity, namely its system of green certificates. Implemented in 2003, this system has spurred the development of the cheapest sources of renewable energy, two-thirds coming from onshore wind and one third from biomass. The cost of this support still remains remarkably moderate today. At the end of 2014, Sweden thus only used fossil fuels to provide 30% of its primary energy supplies, while renewables accounted for 52% of final energy consumption. Energy consumption per capita remains high, but

Preliminary analysis of the potential for thermally-induced rock fracture around high-level waste containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratigan, J.L.

1976-01-01

The major results are: the development of parametric formulations relating the potential for thermally induced fracturing in the high-level radioactive waste repository concept to the elastic and thermal properties of the site rock and the depth of the excavation, and the recognition of a need to determine the actual ''failure envelope'' for any potential site rock in the laboratory and adjust the parametric relations appropriately. Analysis of five rock types indicated that none would experience elastic/brittle failure due to the thermal stresses induced by the introduction of a 5 kW heat source. However, the rock strengths and elastic properties are laboratory values and not in situ values

Direct laboratory observation of fluid distribution and its influence on acoustic properties of patchy saturated rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedev, M.; Clennell, B.; Pervukhina, M.; Shulakova, V.; Mueller, T.; Gurevich, B.

2009-04-01

samples (38 mm in diameter, approximately 60 mm long) were dried in oven under reduced pressure. In dynamic saturation experiments, samples were jacketed in the experimental cell, made from transparent for X-radiation material (PMMA). Distillate water was injected into the sample from the one side. Fluid distribution in such "dynamic" experiment: both spatial and time dependant was measured using X-ray Computer Tomograph (CT) with resolution 0.2 x 0.2 x 1 mm3. Velocities (Vp, and Vs) at ultrasonic frequency of 1 MHz, were measured in the direction perpendicular to initial direction of the fluid flow injection. Sample saturation was estimated from the CT results. In "quasi static" experiments samples were saturated during long period of time (over 2 weeks) to achieve uniform distribution of liquid inside the sample. Saturation was determined by measurement of the weight of water fraction. All experiments were performed at laboratory environments at temperature 25 C. Ultrasonic velocities and fluid saturations were measured simultaneously during water injection into sandstone core samples. The experimental results obtained on low-permeability samples show that at low saturation values the velocity-saturation dependence can be described by the Gassmann-Wood relationship. However, with increasing saturation a sharp increase of P-wave velocity is observed, eventually approaching the Gassmann-Hill relationship. We connect the characteristics of the transition behavior of the velocity-saturation relationships to the increasing size of the patches inside the rock sample. In particular, we show that for relatively large fluid injection rate this transition occurs at smaller degrees of saturation as compared with high injection rate. We model the experimental data using the so-called White model (Toms 2007) that assumes fluid patch distribution as a periodic assemblage of concentric spheres. We can observe reasonable agreement between experimental results and theoretical

Bulk rock elastic moduli at high pressures, derived from the mineral textures and from extrapolated laboratory data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullemeyer, K; Keppler, R; Lokajíček, T; Vasin, R N; Behrmann, J H

2015-01-01

The elastic anisotropy of bulk rock depends on the mineral textures, the crack fabric and external parameters like, e.g., confining pressure. The texture-related contribution to elastic anisotropy can be predicted from the mineral textures, the largely sample-dependent contribution of the other parameters must be determined experimentally. Laboratory measurements of the elastic wave velocities are mostly limited to pressures of the intermediate crust. We describe a method, how the elastic wave velocity trends and, by this means, the elastic constants can be extrapolated to the pressure conditions of the lower crust. The extrapolated elastic constants are compared to the texture-derived ones. Pronounced elastic anisotropy is evident for phyllosilicate minerals, hence, the approach is demonstrated for two phyllosilicate-rich gneisses with approximately identical volume fractions of the phyllosilicates but different texture types. (paper)

Do Bare Rocks Exist on the Moon?

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Carlton; Bandfield, Joshua; Greenhagen, Benjamin; Hayne, Paul; Leader, Frank; Paige, David

2017-01-01

Astronaut surface observations and close-up images at the Apollo and Chang'e 1 landing sites confirm that at least some lunar rocks have no discernable dust cover. However, ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) measurements as well as astronaut and LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) orbital observations and laboratory experiments possibly suggest that a fine fraction of dust is levitated and moves across and above the lunar surface. Over millions of years such dust might be expected to coat all exposed rock surfaces. This study uses thermal modeling, combined with Diviner (a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter experiment) orbital lunar eclipse temperature data, to further document the existence of bare rocks on the lunar surface.

Investigations of some rock stress measuring techniques and the stress field in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanssen, Tor Harald

1998-12-31

Rock stresses are important to the safe construction and operation of all man-made structures in rock, whether In mining, civil or petroleum engineering. The crucial issue is their relative magnitude and orientation. This thesis develops equipment and methods for further rock stress assessment and reevaluates existing overcoring rock stress measurements, and relates this information to the present geological setting. Both laboratory work and field work are involved. In the field, rock stresses are measured by the overcoring and the hydraulic fracturing technique. An observation technique for assessing likely high stresses is developed. The field data refer to several hydropower projects and to some offshore hydrocarbon fields. The principal sections are: (1) Tectonic setting in the western Fennoscandia, (2) Triaxial rock stress measurements by overcoring using the NTH cell (a strain gauge cell developed at the Norwegian technical university in Trondheim and based on the CSIR cell of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), (3) Laboratory testing of the NTH cell, (4) Quality ranking of stresses measured by the NTH cell, (4) Recalculated rock stresses and implications to the regional stress field, (5) Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements. 113 refs., 98 figs., 62 tabs.

Investigations of some rock stress measuring techniques and the stress field in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanssen, Tor Harald

1997-12-31

Rock stresses are important to the safe construction and operation of all man-made structures in rock, whether In mining, civil or petroleum engineering. The crucial issue is their relative magnitude and orientation. This thesis develops equipment and methods for further rock stress assessment and reevaluates existing overcoring rock stress measurements, and relates this information to the present geological setting. Both laboratory work and field work are involved. In the field, rock stresses are measured by the overcoring and the hydraulic fracturing technique. An observation technique for assessing likely high stresses is developed. The field data refer to several hydropower projects and to some offshore hydrocarbon fields. The principal sections are: (1) Tectonic setting in the western Fennoscandia, (2) Triaxial rock stress measurements by overcoring using the NTH cell (a strain gauge cell developed at the Norwegian technical university in Trondheim and based on the CSIR cell of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), (3) Laboratory testing of the NTH cell, (4) Quality ranking of stresses measured by the NTH cell, (4) Recalculated rock stresses and implications to the regional stress field, (5) Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements. 113 refs., 98 figs., 62 tabs.

Rock index properties for geoengineering in the Paradox Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Rourke, J.E.; Rey, P.H.; Alviti, E.; Capps, C.C.

1986-02-01

Previous researchers have investigated the use of a number of rapid index tests that can be used on core samples, or in situ, to determine rock properties needed for geoengineering design, or to predict construction performance in these rock types. Selected research is reviewed, and the correlations of index tests with laboratory tests of rock properties found by the earlier investigators are discussed. The selection and testing of rock core samples from the Gibson Dome No. 1 borehole in Paradox Basin are described. The samples consist primarily of non-salt rock above salt cycle 6, but include some samples of anhydrite and salt cycle 6. The index tests included the point load test, Schmidt hammer rebound test, and abrasion hardness test. Statistical methods were used to analyze the correlations of index test data with laboratory test data of rock properties for the same core. Complete statistical results and computer-generated graphics are presented; these results are discussed in relation to the work of earlier investigations for index testing of similar rock types. Generally, fair to good correlations were obtained for predicting unconfined compressive strength and Young's modulus for sandstone and siltstone, while poorer correlations were found for limestone. This may be due to the large variability of limestone properties compared to the small number of samples. Overall, the use of index tests to assess rock properties at Paradox Basin appears to be practial for some conceptual and preliminary design needs, and the technique should prove useful at any salt repository site. However, it is likely that specific correlations should be demonstrated separately for each site, and the data base for establishing the correlations should probably include at least several hundred data points for each type

Energy policies of IEA countries: Sweden - 2008 review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-05-15

Sweden is one of the leading IEA countries in the use of renewable energy and has a long tradition of ambitious and successful policies to improve energy efficiency. Compared to the other IEA countries, Sweden's CO2 emissions per capita and per unit of GDP are low, partly owing to efficient and low-carbon space heating, and virtually carbon-free electricity generation. The country also remains a forerunner in electricity market liberalisation. Still, even if Sweden has continued to make progress in most areas of its energy policy since the IEA last conducted an in-depth review in 2004, there is room for improvement. As Sweden plans to further increase the use of renewable energy, it is crucial that these supplies are produced and used in the most sustainable manner for the environment and the economy as a whole. With regard to CO2 emissions, more can be done in all sectors, but as transport is the largest polluter and its emissions are increasing, it is the logical focus for Sweden's efforts to reduce emissions further. This is a significant challenge. Nuclear provides almost half of the electricity in Sweden, at a low cost and without CO2 emissions. But the future of nuclear power in the national power mix is still uncertain. To provide clear guidance to the electricity sector, Sweden will need to resolve the ambiguity about the future of nuclear power in the country. This review analyses the energy challenges facing Sweden and provides critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to provide input to Swedish energy policy makers to help them identify a path towards a more sustainable energy future.

Gabbro as a host rock for a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlbom, K.; Leijon, B.; Smellie, J.; Liedholm, M.

1992-09-01

As an alternative to granitic rocks, gabbro and other basic rock types have been investigated with respect to their suitability to host a nuclear waste repository. The present report summarizes and examines existing geoscientific knowledge of relevance in assessing the potential merits of gabbro as a repository host rock. Implications in terms of site selection, repository construction and post-closure repository performance are also discussed. The objective of the study is to provide a basis for decisions as regards future consideration of the gabbro alternative. It is found that there are rather few gabbro bodies in Sweden, that are potentially of sufficient size to host a repository. Thus, gabbro offers little latitude as regards site selection. In comparison to siting a repository in granitic rocks, this is a major disadvantage, and it may in fact remove gabbro from further consideration. The potential advantages of gabbro refer to repository performance, and include low hydraulic conductivity and a chemical environment promoting efficient radionuclide retardation. However, results from field investigations show that groundwater flow in gabbro bodies is largely controlled by intersecting heterogeneities, in particular granitic dykes, that are significantly more conductive to water than the gabbro. In the far-field scale significant to repository performance, this may reduce or eliminate the potential effects of favourable hydraulic and chemical characteristics of the gabbro itself. In conclusion, there are apparent difficulties associated with siting a repository in gabbro, due to lack of sufficiently large gabbro bodies. On the basis of the present state of knowledge, no decisive differences can be demonstrated when comparing gabbro with granitic rocks, neither with respects to repository construction, nor as regards repository performance. (au)

An instructive comparison of Denmark and Sweden CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huffer, E.; Nifenecker, H.

2007-02-01

Denmark and Sweden are close neighbors, they have pretty much the same Climate, so that it is interesting to try to understand what makes them so different in their per capita GHG (Green House Gas) emissions from fuel combustion. Indeed, the CO 2 emissions of Denmark and Sweden are practically equal while the population of Sweden is much larger. Thus, the per capita CO 2 emissions of Denmark are 63 % larger than those of Sweden. Denmark resorts heavily to fossil fuels for its production of both its electric power and its industrial heat whereas Sweden resorts to other primary energy sources which are either renewable or do not emit CO 2 . True, Sweden is in a privileged situation for its access to hydro power and to biomass but Denmark could considerably reduce its CO 2 emissions if it were to call on nuclear power as Sweden has been doing. (A.L.B.)

Thermal conductivity of the rocks in the Bureau of Mines Standard Rock Suite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, M.T.; West, G.A.

1980-01-01

Thermal conductivities of eight rocks from the Bureau of Mines Standard Rock Suite were measured in air over the temperature range 373 to 533 0 K (100 to 260 0 C). The thermal conductivities of these rocks were measured to furnish standards for future comparisons with host rock from prospective nuclear waste repository sites. The thermal conductivity at a given temperature decreased by as much as 9% after a specimen had been heated to the maximum temperature (533 0 K), but additional heating cycles had no further effect. This decrease was smallest in the igneous rocks and largest in the sedimentary types. Variations due to orientation were within the precision of measurements (+- 5%). In most cases the thermal conductivities were linear with the reciprocal of the temperature and were within 14% of published data obtained by other methods. Measurements were made by a cut-bar comparison method in which the sample was sandwiched between two reference or metering bars made of Pyroceram 9606 glass-ceramic. The apparatus consisted of a Dynatech Model TCFCM-N20 comparative thermal conductivity analyzer controlled by a Hewlett Packard Model 3052A data acquisition system. A program was written to increment and cycle the temperature in steps between predetermined initial and maximum values. At each step the thermal conductivity was measured after steady-state conditions were established. The rocks furnished by the Bureau of Mines were quarried in large and fairly homogeneous lots for use by researchers at various laboratories. To investigate any anisotropy, cores were taken from each rock cube perpendicular to each of the cube faces. Samples 2 in. in diameter and approx. 0.75 in. thick were prepared from the cores and were dried in a vacuum oven for at least one month prior to taking measurements

Child Care in Sweden. Fact Sheets on Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Swedish Inst., Stockholm.

This fact sheet outlines Sweden's policies of government-supported child care and parental insurance provisions. Swedish families receive: (1) free maternity and child health care; (2) child allowances for each child of 9,000 krona per year through age 16; (3) up to 450 days of paid parental leave for the birth of a child, with 360 days paid at 90…

Natural radioactivity in selected waterworks and private wells in Sweden. A pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oestergren, I.; Falk, R.; Mjoenes, L.; Ek, B.M.

2003-01-01

Naturally occurring radioactive elements are present in all ground waters. Groundwater from rock aquifers can contain relatively high concentrations of natural radionuclides, especially in areas with uranium-rich granites and pegmatite. Sweden has relatively high levels of natural radioactive elements in the groundwater. In this investigation we have carried out measurements in order to estimate alpha- and beta-emitting natural radionuclides. The alphaemitting nuclides are primarily 238 U, 234 U, 226 Ra and 210 Po. The most important beta-emitting nuclides are 210 Pb and 228 Ra. In the European Drinking Water Directive, 98/83/EC, a reference value of 0.1 millisievert, mSv, per year for Total Indicative Dose, TID, from consumption of drinking water is given. TID includes all radionuclides in drinking water, both artificial and natural, with the exception of radon, radon progeny, 40 K and tritium. A first indication of that TID might exceed 0.1 mSv is that the gross alpha activity concentration exceeds 0.1 Bq/l or that the gross beta activity concentration exceeds 1 Bq/l. A new Swedish Drinking Water Ordinance implementing the new directive has come into force but will not be put into practice until December 2003 (SLV FS 2001:30). Sweden has had action levels for radon in drinking water since 1997 (SLV FS 1997:32). The action level for radon in water from public water supplies is 100 Bq/l. For private wells the recommended maximum level is 1,000 Bq/l. Sweden has about 2,100 public water supplies and 200,000 private drilled wells used permanently and another 100,000 used in summerhouses. Altogether about 1.2 million of the Swedish population rely on private water supplies. (orig.)

Measurements of colloid concentrations in the fracture zone, Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledin, A.; Dueker, A.; Karlsson, Stefan; Allard, B.

1995-06-01

The applicability of light scattering in combination with photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) for determination of concentration and size distribution of colloidal matter in a deep groundwater was tested in situ and on-line. Well-defined reference colloids of Fe 2 O 3 , Al(OH) 3 , SiO 2 , kaolinite, illite and a high molecular humic acid in aqueous media were used as model substances for calibration of the PCS instrument. The intensity of scattered light was found to be dependent on the composition of the colloids. The colloid concentration in the rather saline groundwater was below the detection limit for the PCS equipment used, which corresponds to a colloid concentration not higher than 0.5 mg/l and probably below 0.1 mg/l according to the measurements on-line and in situ at Aespoe and in comparison to the calibrations performed with reference colloids. The results clearly demonstrated that the stability, concentration and composition of a colloid-size suspended phase in the anoxic groundwater with high content of Fe(II), like the one in Aespoe, is extremely sensitive to exposure to atmospheric conditions during sample handling and preparation. Diffusion of air into the closed measuring cuvette was enough to alter the colloid content significantly within 6 hours. A particle fraction with the size distribution in the range 170-700 nm was formed within 45 min when air was allowed to diffuse into the aqueous phase from the air filled upper part of the cuvette. The corresponding time to generate a significant colloid precipitate was less than 1 min when a stream of air was bubbled through the water samples. The precipitated colloid phase consisted of a mixture of ferric (hydr)oxide and calcium carbonate in all three cases. 53 refs, 8 figs, 2 tabs

Identification and characterization of potential discharge areas for radionuclide transport by groundwater from a nuclear waste repository in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Berglund, Sten; Bosson, Emma; Selroos, Jan-Olof; Sassner, Mona

2013-05-01

This paper describes solute transport modeling carried out as a part of an assessment of the long-term radiological safety of a planned deep rock repository for spent nuclear fuel in Forsmark, Sweden. Specifically, it presents transport modeling performed to locate and describe discharge areas for groundwater potentially carrying radionuclides from the repository to the surface where man and the environment could be affected by the contamination. The modeling results show that topography to large extent determines the discharge locations. Present and future lake and wetland objects are central for the radionuclide transport and dose calculations in the safety assessment. Results of detailed transport modeling focusing on the regolith and the upper part of the rock indicate that the identification of discharge areas and objects considered in the safety assessment is robust in the sense that it does not change when a more detailed model representation is used.

Trends in Solar energy Driven Vertical Ground Source Heat Pump Systems in Sweden - An Analysis Based on the Swedish Well Database

Science.gov (United States)

Juhlin, K.; Gehlin, S.

2016-12-01

Sweden is a world leader in developing and using vertical ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology. GSHP systems extract passively stored solar energy in the ground and the Earth's natural geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is an admitted renewable energy source in Sweden since 2007 and is the third largest renewable energy source in the country today. The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) is the authority in Sweden that provides open access geological data of rock, soil and groundwater for the public. All wells drilled must be registered in the SGU Well Database and it is the well driller's duty to submit registration of drilled wells.Both active and passive geothermal energy systems are in use. Large GSHP systems, with at least 20 boreholes, are active geothermal energy systems. Energy is stored in the ground which allows both comfort heating and cooling to be extracted. Active systems are therefore relevant for larger properties and industrial buildings. Since 1978 more than 600 000 wells (water wells, GSHP boreholes etc) have been registered in the Well Database, with around 20 000 new registrations per year. Of these wells an estimated 320 000 wells are registered as GSHP boreholes. The vast majority of these boreholes are single boreholes for single-family houses. The number of properties with registered vertical borehole GSHP installations amounts to approximately 243 000. Of these sites between 300-350 are large GSHP systems with at least 20 boreholes. While the increase in number of new registrations for smaller homes and households has slowed down after the rapid development in the 80's and 90's, the larger installations for commercial and industrial buildings have increased in numbers over the last ten years. This poster uses data from the SGU Well Database to quantify and analyze the trends in vertical GSHP systems reported between 1978-2015 in Sweden, with special focus on large systems. From the new aggregated data, conclusions can be drawn about

Rock Moved by Mars Lander Arm

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

The robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander slid a rock out of the way during the mission's 117th Martian day (Sept. 22, 2008) to gain access to soil that had been underneath the rock.The lander's Surface Stereo Imager took the two images for this stereo view later the same day, showing the rock, called 'Headless,' after the arm pushed it about 40 centimeters (16 inches) from its previous location. 'The rock ended up exactly where we intended it to,' said Matt Robinson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, robotic arm flight software lead for the Phoenix team. The arm had enlarged the trench near Headless two days earlier in preparation for sliding the rock into the trench. The trench was dug to about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) deep. The ground surface between the rock's prior position and the lip of the trench had a slope of about 3 degrees downward toward the trench. Headless is about the size and shape of a VHS videotape. The Phoenix science team sought to move the rock in order to study the soil and the depth to subsurface ice underneath where the rock had been. This image was taken at about 12:30 p.m., local solar time on Mars. The view is to the north northeast of the lander. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by JPL, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Status and use of PSA in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knochenhauer, M.

1996-05-01

The performance and use of PSA:s in Sweden goes back about two decades. During all of this time, the field of PSA has been developing intensively, both internationally and within Sweden. The latest years have been characterised by an increased use of PSA models and results, and by major extensions of existing PSA models. The aim of this document is to describe PSA in Sweden with respect to development, scope and maturity, as well as to the contents of the analyses and the use of results. PSA activities will be described from the point of view of both the authorities and the utilities. The report gives an overview of the development within the area of PSA in Sweden both its history and current trends. The aim has been to include a reasonable amount of detail, both on the methods and results in PSA:s performed and on the numerous supporting research programs dealing with various aspects of PSA. 39 refs 39 refs

Status and use of PSA in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knochenhauer, M

1996-05-01

The performance and use of PSA:s in Sweden goes back about two decades. During all of this time, the field of PSA has been developing intensively, both internationally and within Sweden. The latest years have been characterised by an increased use of PSA models and results, and by major extensions of existing PSA models. The aim of this document is to describe PSA in Sweden with respect to development, scope and maturity, as well as to the contents of the analyses and the use of results. PSA activities will be described from the point of view of both the authorities and the utilities. The report gives an overview of the development within the area of PSA in Sweden both its history and current trends. The aim has been to include a reasonable amount of detail, both on the methods and results in PSA:s performed and on the numerous supporting research programs dealing with various aspects of PSA. 39 refs 39 refs.

Paleohydrogeological events recorded by stable isotopes, fluid inclusions and trace elements in fracture minerals in crystalline rock, Simpevarp area, SE Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, Henrik; Tullborg, Eva-Lena

2009-01-01

Fracture minerals calcite, pyrite, gypsum, barite and quartz, formed during several events have been analysed for δ 13 C, δ 18 O, δ 34 S, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, trace element chemistry and fluid inclusions in order to gain knowledge of the paleohydrogeological evolution of the Simpevarp area, south-eastern Sweden. This area is dominated by Proterozoic crystalline rocks and is currently being investigated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB) in order to find a suitable location for a deep-seated repository for spent nuclear fuel. Knowledge of the paleohydrogeological evolution is essential to understand the stability or evolution of the groundwater system over a time scale relevant to the performance assessment for a spent nuclear fuel repository. The ages of the minerals analysed range from the Proterozoic to possibly the Quaternary. The Proterozoic calcite and pyrite show inorganic and hydrothermal-magmatic stable isotope signatures and were probably formed during a long time period as indicated by the large span in temperatures (c. 200-360 deg. C) and salinities (0-24 wt.% eq. CaCl 2 ), obtained from fluid inclusion analyses. The Paleozoic minerals were formed from organically influenced brine-type fluids at temperatures of 80-145 deg. C. The isotopic results indicate that low temperature calcite and pyrite may have formed during different events ranging in time possibly from the end of the Paleozoic until the Quaternary. Formation conditions ranging from fresh to brackish and saline waters have been distinguished based on calcite crystal morphologies. The combination of δ 18 O and crystal morphologies show that the fresh-saline water interface has changed considerably over time, and water similar to the present meteoric water and brackish seawater at the site, have most probably earlier been residing in the bedrock. Organic influence and closed system in situ microbial activity causing disequilibrium are indicated by extremely low δ 13 C (down

Evaluation of seismic stability of nuclear power plants on weathered soft rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogata, Nobuhide; Nishi, Koichi; Honsho, Shizumitsu

1991-01-01

Soft rocks such as weathered rocks or low cemented sedimentary rocks spread all over the country. If it is possible to construct nuclear power plants on such soft rocks, there will be more available sites for nuclear power plants. The investigation on the following research items was carried out. (1) Geological survey and the application of test methods on soft rocks. (2) Methods and application of laboratory and in-situ tests on soft rocks. (3) Response analysis of a reactor building and foundation ground during earthquake. (4) Stability analysis of soft rock ground as the foundation of a nuclear power plant regarding both earthquake and long-term settlement. From the results of the investigation, it became evident that the seismic stability of a nuclear power plant on weathered soft rocks can be assured enough. (author)

Relative scale and the strength and deformability of rock masses

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Richard A.

1996-09-01

The strength and deformation of rocks depend strongly on the degree of fracturing, which can be assessed in the field and related systematically to these properties. Appropriate Mohr envelopes obtained from the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) classification system and the Hoek-Brown criterion for outcrops and other large-scale exposures of fractured rocks show that rock-mass cohesive strength, tensile strength, and unconfined compressive strength can be reduced by as much as a factor often relative to values for the unfractured material. The rock-mass deformation modulus is also reduced relative to Young's modulus. A "cook-book" example illustrates the use of RMR in field applications. The smaller values of rock-mass strength and deformability imply that there is a particular scale of observation whose identification is critical to applying laboratory measurements and associated failure criteria to geologic structures.

Determination of rock fragmentation based on a photographic technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dehgan Banadaki, M.M.; Majdi, A.; Raessi Gahrooei, D.

2002-01-01

The paper represents a physical blasting model in laboratory scale along with a photographic approach to describe the distribution of blasted rock materials. For this purpose, based on wobble probability distribution function, eight samples each weighted 100 kg,were obtained. Four pictures from four different section of each sample were taken. Then, pictures were converted into graphic files with characterizing boundary of each piece of rocks in the samples. Error caused due to perspective were eliminated. Volume of each piece of the blasted rock materials and hence the required sieve size, each piece of rock to pass through, were calculated. Finally, original blasted rock size distribution was compared with that obtained from the photographic method. The paper concludes with presenting an approach to convert the results of photographic technique into size distribution obtained by seine analysis with sufficient verification

Longwave thermal infrared spectral variability in individual rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balick, Lee K [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Gillespie, Alan [UN. WASHINGTON; French, Andrew [USDA-ARS; Danilina, Iryna [UN. WASHINGTON

2008-01-01

A hyperspectral imaging spectrometer measuring in the longwave thermal infrared (7.6-11.6 {micro}m) with a spatial resolution less than 4 mm was used in the field to observe the variability of emissivity spectra within individual rocks. The rocks were obtained commercially, were on the order of 20 cm in size and were selected to have distinct spectral features: they include alabaster (gypsum), soapstone (steatite with talc), obsidian (volcanic glass), norite (plagioclase and orthopyroxene), and 'jasper' (silica with iron oxides). The advantages of using an imaging spectrometer to spectrally characterize these rocks are apparent. Large spectral variations were observed within individual rocks that may be attributed to roughness, surface geometry, and compositional variation. Non-imaging spectrometers would normally miss these variations as would small samples used in laboratory measurements, spatially averaged spectra can miss the optimum spectra for identification materials and spatially localized components of the rock can be obscured.

Training and Accreditation for Radon Professionals in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soderman, A. L.

2003-01-01

Radon training courses and seminars of different kinds have been arranged in Sweden since the early 1980s. A commercial educational company initiated the first regular training courses in 1987. Up to 1990 about 400 persons had attended courses in radon measurement and radon mitigation methods. In 1991 the first in a series of courses focussed on radon from the ground and production of radon risk maps organised. From 1991 it has been possible to obtain accreditation for measurements of indoor radon in Sweden and from 1997 also for measurements of radon in water. Even if accreditation s is voluntary, in Sweden accredited laboratories perform most measurements, both for indoor air and water. A condition for accreditation in to have passed the examination following the training courses at SSI, SO far, three major companies have obtained accreditation for measurement of indoor radon and four have been accredited for measurements of radon in water. Education on radon is also given at universities and institutes of technology. A two-day course is included in the education for environmental health officers. A number of training courses aimed at real state agents have been organised by SSI through the years. During the autumn of 2001 altogether 400 authorised real estate agents attended a series of regional half-day courses. In 1995 SSI arranged an international training course, Radon Indoor Risk and Remedial Actions, in Stockholm for the European commission. About 40 scientists from all over Europe attended the course, which much appreciated by the participants. Today SSI's Radon Training Programme comprises five different courses, a Basic radon Course and four continuation courses: Radon measurements, Radon remedial measures, Radon in water and Radon investigation and risk map production. The courses are arranged twice a year, in spring and autumn, except the Radon risk map production course, which is arranged about every second year. Altogether, between 1991 and 2003

Rock-brine chemical interactions. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-02-01

The results of experimental interaction of powdered volcanic rock with aqueous solutions are presented at temperatures from 200 to 400/sup 0/C, 500 to 1000 bars fluid pressure, with reaction durations of approximately 30 days under controlled laboratory conditions. The aim of this research is to develop data on the kinetics and equilibria of rock solution interactions that will provide insight into the complex geochemical processes attending geothermal reservoir development, stimulation, and reinjection. The research was done in the Stanford Hydrothermal Lab using gold cell equipment of the Dickson design. This equipment inverts the solution rock mixture several times a minute to ensure thorough mixing. Solution samples were periodically withdrawn without interruption of the experimental conditions. The data from these experiments suggests a path dependent series of reactions by which geothermal fluids might evolve from meteoric or magmatic sources.

Determining the Accuracy of Paleomagnetic Remanence and High-Resolution Chronostratigraphy for Sedimentary Rocks using Rock Magnetics

Science.gov (United States)

Kodama, K. P.

2017-12-01

The talk will consider two broad topics in rock magnetism and paleomagnetism: the accuracy of paleomagnetic remanence and the use of rock magnetics to measure geologic time in sedimentary sequences. The accuracy of the inclination recorded by sedimentary rocks is crucial to paleogeographic reconstructions. Laboratory compaction experiments show that inclination shallows on the order of 10˚-15˚. Corrections to the inclination can be made using the effects of compaction on the directional distribution of secular variation recorded by sediments or the anisotropy of the magnetic grains carrying the ancient remanence. A summary of all the compaction correction studies as of 2012 shows that 85% of sedimentary rocks studied have enjoyed some amount of inclination shallowing. Future work should also consider the effect of grain-scale strain on paleomagnetic remanence. High resolution chronostratigraphy can be assigned to a sedimentary sequence using rock magnetics to detect astronomically-forced climate cycles. The power of the technique is relatively quick, non-destructive measurements, the objective identification of the cycles compared to facies interpretations, and the sensitivity of rock magnetics to subtle changes in sedimentary source. An example of this technique comes from using rock magnetics to identify astronomically-forced climate cycles in three globally distributed occurrences of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion. The Shuram excursion may record the oxidation of the world ocean in the Ediacaran, just before the Cambrian explosion of metazoans. Using rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy, the excursion is shown to have the same duration (8-9 Myr) in southern California, south China and south Australia. Magnetostratigraphy of the rocks carrying the excursion in California and Australia shows a reversed to normal geomagnetic field polarity transition at the excursion's nadir, thus supporting the synchroneity of the excursion globally. Both results point to a

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Degueldre, Claude; Cloet, Veerle

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

The problem of extracting oil from bituminous rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liatifov, A.I.; Bagirov, M.K.; Shirinov, S.G.; Sokov, U.I.; Zhirnov, E.I.

1982-01-01

Results are given from experimental laboratory research on flushing bituminous sandstones using diesel or oil alkaline by-products as the flushing agent and a sodium silicate solution as the desensitization initiator for the rock.

Characterization of rock samples and mineralogical controls on leachates

Science.gov (United States)

Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Cravotta, Charles A.; Galeone, Daniel G.; Jackson, John C.; Dulong, Frank T.; Hornberger, Roger J.; Brady, Keith B.C.

2009-01-01

Rocks associated with coal beds typically include shale, sandstone, and (or) limestone. In addition to common rock-forming minerals, all of these rock types may contain sulfide and sulfate minerals, various carbonate minerals, and organic material. These different minerals have inherently different solubility characteristics, as well as different acid-generating or acid-neutralizing potentials. The abundance and composition of sulfur- and carbonate-bearing minerals are of particular interest in interpreting the leaching column data because (1) pyrite and carbonate minerals are the primary controls on the acid-base account of a sample, (2) these minerals incorporate trace metals that can be released during weathering, and (3) these minerals readily react during weathering due to mineral dissolution and oxidation of iron.Rock samples were collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP) from five different sites to assess the draft standardized leaching column method (ADTI-WP2) for the prediction of weathering rates and water quality at coal mines. Samples were sent to USGS laboratories for mineralogical characterization and to ActLabs for chemical analysis. The samples represent a variety of rock types (shales, sandstones, and coal refuse) that are typical of coal overburden in the eastern United States. These particular samples were chosen for testing the weathering protocols because they represent a range of geochemical and lithologic characteristics, sulfur contents, and acid-base accounting characteristics (Hornberger et al., 2003). The rocks contain variable amounts of pyrite and carbonate minerals and vary in texture.This chapter includes bulk rock chemical data and detailed mineralogical and textural data for unweathered starting materials used in the interlaboratory validation study, and for two samples used in the early phases of leaching column tests (Wadesville Sandstone, Leechburg Coal Refuse). We also characterize some of the

Aespoe HRL - Geoscientific evaluation 1997/2. Results from pre-investigation and detailed site characterization. Summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhen, I.; Baeckbom, G.; Stanfors, R.; Wikberg, P.

1997-05-01

The work at Aespoe Hard rock laboratory provides an important scientific and technical basis for implementing and operating a future deep repository in Sweden. A milestone has now been reached with the completion of the pre investigation and construction phases at Aespoe HRL. The present data base at Aespoe HRL is one of the most comprehensive data bases in the world for crystalline rock properties, containing data from a large number of investigation methods from the surface down to 1700 m below ground level. Site characterization in conjunction with construction work has basically confirmed the pre-construction models. The site characterization has been a realistic 'dress rehearsal' that is invaluable for planning and execution of surface and underground characterization of sites for the deep repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden

Comparison of Crack Initiation, Propagation and Coalescence Behavior of Concrete and Rock Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Zengin, Enes; Abiddin Erguler, Zeynal

2017-04-01

There are many previously studies carried out to identify crack initiation, propagation and coalescence behavior of different type of rocks. Most of these studies aimed to understand and predict the probable instabilities on different engineering structures such as mining galleries or tunnels. For this purpose, in these studies relatively smaller natural rock and synthetic rock-like models were prepared and then the required laboratory tests were performed to obtain their strength parameters. By using results provided from these models, researchers predicted the rock mass behavior under different conditions. However, in the most of these studies, rock materials and models were considered as contains none or very few discontinuities and structural flaws. It is well known that rock masses naturally are extremely complex with respect to their discontinuities conditions and thus it is sometimes very difficult to understand and model their physical and mechanical behavior. In addition, some vuggy rock materials such as basalts and limestones also contain voids and gaps having various geometric properties. Providing that the failure behavior of these type of rocks controlled by the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence formed from their natural voids and gaps, the effect of these voids and gaps over failure behavior of rocks should be investigated. Intact rocks are generally preferred due to relatively easy side of their homogeneous characteristics in numerical modelling phases. However, it is very hard to extract intact samples from vuggy rocks because of their complex pore sizes and distributions. In this study, the feasibility of concrete samples to model and mimic the failure behavior vuggy rocks was investigated. For this purpose, concrete samples were prepared at a mixture of %65 cement dust and %35 water and their physical and mechanical properties were determined by laboratory experiments. The obtained physical and mechanical properties were used to

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Evaluation of scaling records for TASA access tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ittner, Henrik

2009-01-01

This report presents the result of a project accomplished during the summer 2009. It introduces a method to estimate the magnitude, mass distribution and cause of scaled blocks by tunnel mapping and evaluation of scaling data records. These issues are important for understanding the impact of the excavation method on the surrounding rock mass during excavation of the planned underground repository for spent nuclear fuel. The project includes mapping of the 3120 m drill and blast excavated part of the TASA access tunnel in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL). In addition it includes development of a method for evaluation of the collected material together with scaling data records from the Site Characterization Database (SICADA). An interview has also been held with Erik Gabrielsson, who has been in charge of tunnel maintenance at Aespoe for many years. The mapping focused on to identify size and cause of areas with significant overbreaks in the tunnel roof. By distributing documented scaled volume in a tunnel section on several mapped overbreak areas in the same section it is possible to reconstruct the size of scaled blocks. The observed overbreak areas have been categorized in five different area types, depending on the cause of scaling: two geologically induced, one blast induced, one induced from a combination of geology and blasting and one unable to place in any category. For the calculated mass distribution the number of observations is declining with increasing block mass. 11% of the total blocks exceeding 400 Kg and 75% of the scaled blocks weights under 200 Kg. Most of the blocks are however lighter with 34% weighting 50 Kg or less. There is a relation between the mapped area type and the size distribution among the mapped overbreak areas. For example the areas caused by the end of blasting rounds are more frequently appearing then the other types but most of them are small in relation to the others The impression achieved from the tunnel mapping is

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Evaluation of scaling records for TASA access tunnel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ittner, Henrik (Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden))

2009-07-01

This report presents the result of a project accomplished during the summer 2009. It introduces a method to estimate the magnitude, mass distribution and cause of scaled blocks by tunnel mapping and evaluation of scaling data records. These issues are important for understanding the impact of the excavation method on the surrounding rock mass during excavation of the planned underground repository for spent nuclear fuel. The project includes mapping of the 3120 m drill and blast excavated part of the TASA access tunnel in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL). In addition it includes development of a method for evaluation of the collected material together with scaling data records from the Site Characterization Database (SICADA). An interview has also been held with Erik Gabrielsson, who has been in charge of tunnel maintenance at Aespoe for many years. The mapping focused on to identify size and cause of areas with significant overbreaks in the tunnel roof. By distributing documented scaled volume in a tunnel section on several mapped overbreak areas in the same section it is possible to reconstruct the size of scaled blocks. The observed overbreak areas have been categorized in five different area types, depending on the cause of scaling: two geologically induced, one blast induced, one induced from a combination of geology and blasting and one unable to place in any category. For the calculated mass distribution the number of observations is declining with increasing block mass. 11% of the total blocks exceeding 400 Kg and 75% of the scaled blocks weights under 200 Kg. Most of the blocks are however lighter with 34% weighting 50 Kg or less. There is a relation between the mapped area type and the size distribution among the mapped overbreak areas. For example the areas caused by the end of blasting rounds are more frequently appearing then the other types but most of them are small in relation to the others The impression achieved from the tunnel mapping is

The Rock that Hit New York

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meade, Roger Allen [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Keksis, August Lawrence [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-10-03

On January 12, 1975, a rock seemed to fall from the sky over New York State’s Schoharie County hitting the tractor of a local farmer, who was “preparing his fields for spring planting.” As the farmer later described the event to a reporter from the UFO INVESTIGATOR, the object glanced off the tractor, fell to the ground, and melted its way through a patch of ice that was two and one half inches thick. The farmer, Leonard Tillapaugh, called the county sheriff, Harvey Stoddard, who recovered the rock, noting that it “was still warm.” Why and how a sample of the rock came to Los Alamos is not known. However, it captivated a wide Laboratory audience, was subjected to rigorous testing and evaluation. Los Alamos used the scientific method in the manner promoted by Hynek. Did Los Alamos solve the mystery of the rock’s origin? Not definitively. Although the exact origin could not be determined, it was shown conclusively that the rock was not from outer space. With that said, the saga of Rock that hit New York came to an end. Nothing more was said or written about it. The principals involved have long since passed from the scene. The NICAP ceased operations in 1980. And, the rock, itself, has disappeared.

Energy in Sweden. Facts and figures 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-12-01

Energy in Sweden. Facts and Figures 2005 contains the tabular data for most of the diagrams in the main publication. These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and Figures is available at www.stem.se in pdf- and excel file formats. With effect from the 2001 edition, statistics are of preliminary character for the two preceding years (2003 and 2004). Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data has been used. Further information about the statistics can be found in Energy in Sweden, chapter 8 Energy Facts

Energy in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-11-01

Energy in Sweden is published annually by the Swedish Energy Agency. Energy in Sweden 2004, together with its statistics supplement, Energy in Sweden: Facts and Figures 2004, is intended to provide decision-makers, journalists and the public with a single source of easily available information on conditions and developments in the energy sector. In recent years, Swedish energy and environmental policy has been increasingly concentrated on establishing or improving the long-term conditions for efficient energy markets and efficient use of energy. Restructuring of the Swedish electricity market, greater internationalisation and the effects of the energy system on the wider environment and on climate are important factors that influence the direction of energy policy and so also development of the energy markets. The line that was started by the 2002 Energy Policy Agreement, under the name of Working Together for a Reliable, Efficient and Environmentally Aware Energy Supply (Bill no. 2001/02:143), continues. The shift in taxation policy to encourage the move towards a sustainable energy system and reduced environmental impact continues, as exemplified by the introduction of the electricity certificate system on 1st May 2003. The negotiations that were started in 2003 with a view to progressive shut-down of nuclear power generation were broken off in October 2004 without having reached agreement with the nuclear power companies. As soon as the breakdown of the negotiations was announced, the Government, together with the Left Party and the Centre Party, stated that Barsebaeck 2 will be closed in 2005. Sweden's climate policy is based on the Climate Strategy Act (Bill no. 2001/02:55), which was adopted by Parliament in March 2002. It is expected that trading in emission rights, in accordance with the EU Emissions Trading Directive, will start in January 2005, with publication of national emission rights allocations on 30th September 2004. One of the more important

Analysis of Fan Waves in a Laboratory Model Simulating the Propagation of Shear Ruptures in Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasov, B. G.; Sadovskii, V. M.; Sadovskaya, O. V.

2017-12-01

The fan-shaped mechanism of rotational motion transmission in a system of elastically bonded slabs on flat surface, simulating the propagation of shear ruptures in super brittle rocks, is analyzed. Such ruptures appear in the Earth's crust at seismogenic depths. They propagate due to the nucleation of oblique tensile microcracks, leading to the formation of a fan domino-structure in the rupture head. A laboratory physical model was created which demonstrates the process of fan-structure wave propagation. Equations of the dynamics of rotational motion of slabs as a mechanical system with a finite number of degrees of freedom are obtained. Based on the Merson method of solving the Cauchy problem for systems of ordinary differential equations, the computational algorithm taking into account contact interaction of slabs is developed. Within the framework of a simplified mathematical model of dynamic behavior of a fan-shaped system in the approximation of a continuous medium, the approximate estimates of the length of a fan depending on the velocity of its motion are obtained. It is shown that in the absence of friction a fan can move with any velocity that does not exceed the critical value, which depends on the size, the moment of inertia of slabs, the initial angle and the elasticity coefficient of bonds. In the presence of friction a fan stops. On the basis of discrete and continuous models, the main qualitative features of the behavior of a fan-structure moving under the action of applied tangential forces, whose values in a laboratory physical model are regulated by a change in the inclination angle of the rupture plane, are analyzed. Comparison of computations and laboratory measurements and observations shows good correspondence between the results.

General equilibrium effects of increasing carbon taxes in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, G.W.; Kristroem, B.

1997-01-01

Sweden was one of the first countries to introduce carbon taxes, and is currently evaluating further carbon taxes. The authors were asked to advise a government commission charged with undertaking the official Swedish evaluation. We did so by constructing and simulating a computable general equilibrium model of Sweden. In this report, the carbon tax debate in Sweden is first reviewed, then our model is described and the main results presented. The conclusion from the cost-benefit analysis is clear, the benefits of increasing the carbon tax in Sweden are a tiny fraction of the costs that consumers must pay in the form of higher prices and reduced incomes. Although we do not put much credence in the gross benefit numbers, they do serve to highlight the basis of our conclusion that carbon tax increases are not currently justifiable in Sweden. 35 refs., 13 tabs

General equilibrium effects of increasing carbon taxes in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, G W [South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Economics, College of Business Administration; Kristroem, B [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden). Dept. of Forest Economics

1997-09-01

Sweden was one of the first countries to introduce carbon taxes, and is currently evaluating further carbon taxes. The authors were asked to advise a government commission charged with undertaking the official Swedish evaluation. We did so by constructing and simulating a computable general equilibrium model of Sweden. In this report, the carbon tax debate in Sweden is first reviewed, then our model is described and the main results presented. The conclusion from the cost-benefit analysis is clear, the benefits of increasing the carbon tax in Sweden are a tiny fraction of the costs that consumers must pay in the form of higher prices and reduced incomes. Although we do not put much credence in the gross benefit numbers, they do serve to highlight the basis of our conclusion that carbon tax increases are not currently justifiable in Sweden. 35 refs., 13 tabs.

Analysis of compressive fracture in rock using statistical techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blair, S.C.

1994-12-01

Fracture of rock in compression is analyzed using a field-theory model, and the processes of crack coalescence and fracture formation and the effect of grain-scale heterogeneities on macroscopic behavior of rock are studied. The model is based on observations of fracture in laboratory compression tests, and incorporates assumptions developed using fracture mechanics analysis of rock fracture. The model represents grains as discrete sites, and uses superposition of continuum and crack-interaction stresses to create cracks at these sites. The sites are also used to introduce local heterogeneity. Clusters of cracked sites can be analyzed using percolation theory. Stress-strain curves for simulated uniaxial tests were analyzed by studying the location of cracked sites, and partitioning of strain energy for selected intervals. Results show that the model implicitly predicts both development of shear-type fracture surfaces and a strength-vs-size relation that are similar to those observed for real rocks. Results of a parameter-sensitivity analysis indicate that heterogeneity in the local stresses, attributed to the shape and loading of individual grains, has a first-order effect on strength, and that increasing local stress heterogeneity lowers compressive strength following an inverse power law. Peak strength decreased with increasing lattice size and decreasing mean site strength, and was independent of site-strength distribution. A model for rock fracture based on a nearest-neighbor algorithm for stress redistribution is also presented and used to simulate laboratory compression tests, with promising results.

Recent advances in analysis and prediction of Rock Falls, Rock Slides, and Rock Avalanches using 3D point clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Abellan, A.; Carrea, D.; Jaboyedoff, M.; Riquelme, A.; Tomas, R.; Royan, M. J.; Vilaplana, J. M.; Gauvin, N.

2014-12-01

The acquisition of dense terrain information using well-established 3D techniques (e.g. LiDAR, photogrammetry) and the use of new mobile platforms (e.g. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) together with the increasingly efficient post-processing workflows for image treatment (e.g. Structure From Motion) are opening up new possibilities for analysing, modeling and predicting rock slope failures. Examples of applications at different scales ranging from the monitoring of small changes at unprecedented level of detail (e.g. sub millimeter-scale deformation under lab-scale conditions) to the detection of slope deformation at regional scale. In this communication we will show the main accomplishments of the Swiss National Foundation project "Characterizing and analysing 3D temporal slope evolution" carried out at Risk Analysis group (Univ. of Lausanne) in close collaboration with the RISKNAT and INTERES groups (Univ. of Barcelona and Univ. of Alicante, respectively). We have recently developed a series of innovative approaches for rock slope analysis using 3D point clouds, some examples include: the development of semi-automatic methodologies for the identification and extraction of rock-slope features such as discontinuities, type of material, rockfalls occurrence and deformation. Moreover, we have been improving our knowledge in progressive rupture characterization thanks to several algorithms, some examples include the computing of 3D deformation, the use of filtering techniques on permanently based TLS, the use of rock slope failure analogies at different scales (laboratory simulations, monitoring at glacier's front, etc.), the modelling of the influence of external forces such as precipitation on the acceleration of the deformation rate, etc. We have also been interested on the analysis of rock slope deformation prior to the occurrence of fragmental rockfalls and the interaction of this deformation with the spatial location of future events. In spite of these recent advances

Cult sites in northern Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Brink

1990-01-01

Full Text Available The pagan cult in northern Sweden, i.e, Norrland, has for some decades been a neglected chapter in our history, a situation which unfortunately applies to Sweden as a whole, at least where onomastics are concerned. The aim is thus to deliver an overview of the evidence that we have of pre-Christian religious activities in these northern parts — in this aspect, onomastic material is nearly almost all we have got — and some general remarks about the conversion to the new Christian religion. The area of investigation is what in the (Swedish medieval period was known as Norrland. In other words, the part of Sweden considered here is modern Central Norrland. With our state of knowledge of today it is not so easy to pick out the place-names that have denoted some kind of pagan cult activity. The place-name material can be divided into: 1. Theoforic place-names 2. place-names denoting the site of a pagan cult, which do not however contain theoforic elements 3. place-names with a possible pagan cultic element.

Deformation mechanisms and evolution of the microstructure of gouge in the Main Fault in Opalinus Clay in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (CH)

Science.gov (United States)

Laurich, Ben; Urai, Janos L.; Vollmer, Christian; Nussbaum, Christophe

2018-01-01

We studied gouge from an upper-crustal, low-offset reverse fault in slightly overconsolidated claystone in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland). The laboratory is designed to evaluate the suitability of the Opalinus Clay formation (OPA) to host a repository for radioactive waste. The gouge occurs in thin bands and lenses in the fault zone; it is darker in color and less fissile than the surrounding rock. It shows a matrix-based, P-foliated microfabric bordered and truncated by micrometer-thin shear zones consisting of aligned clay grains, as shown with broad-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (BIB-SEM) and optical microscopy. Selected area electron diffraction based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows evidence for randomly oriented nanometer-sized clay particles in the gouge matrix, surrounding larger elongated phyllosilicates with a strict P foliation. For the first time for the OPA, we report the occurrence of amorphous SiO2 grains within the gouge. Gouge has lower SEM-visible porosity and almost no calcite grains compared to the undeformed OPA. We present two hypotheses to explain the origin of gouge in the Main Fault: (i) authigenic generation consisting of fluid-mediated removal of calcite from the deforming OPA during shearing and (ii) clay smear consisting of mechanical smearing of calcite-poor (yet to be identified) source layers into the fault zone. Based on our data we prefer the first or a combination of both, but more work is needed to resolve this. Microstructures indicate a range of deformation mechanisms including solution-precipitation processes and a gouge that is weaker than the OPA because of the lower fraction of hard grains. For gouge, we infer a more rate-dependent frictional rheology than suggested from laboratory experiments on the undeformed OPA.

Development of nuclear power in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokolowski, E.

1994-01-01

The history and development of nuclear energetics in Sweden has been described. Up to now 12 units (9 BWR and 3 PWR nuclear reactors) with total 70 TWh electric power is being working in Sweden. If the same power will be installed as a coal-fired units the emissions of 65 million tons of CO 2 , 240,000 tons of SO 2 and 140 tons of NO x would be expected. 1 tab

Proceedings of the scientific visit on crystalline rock repository development.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariner, Paul E.; Hardin, Ernest L.; Miksova, Jitka [RAWRA, Czech Republic

2013-02-01

A scientific visit on Crystalline Rock Repository Development was held in the Czech Republic on September 24-27, 2012. The visit was hosted by the Czech Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA), co-hosted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The purpose of the visit was to promote technical information exchange between participants from countries engaged in the investigation and exploration of crystalline rock for the eventual construction of nuclear waste repositories. The visit was designed especially for participants of countries that have recently commenced (or recommenced) national repository programmes in crystalline host rock formations. Discussion topics included repository programme development, site screening and selection, site characterization, disposal concepts in crystalline host rock, regulatory frameworks, and safety assessment methodology. Interest was surveyed in establishing a %E2%80%9Cclub,%E2%80%9D the mission of which would be to identify and address the various technical challenges that confront the disposal of radioactive waste in crystalline rock environments. The idea of a second scientific visit to be held one year later in another host country received popular support. The visit concluded with a trip to the countryside south of Prague where participants were treated to a tour of the laboratory and underground facilities of the Josef Regional Underground Research Centre.

The influence of microwave irradiation on rocks for microwave-assisted underground excavation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferri Hassani

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Demand is growing for explosive-free rock breakage systems for civil and mining engineering, and space industry applications. This paper highlights the work being undertaken in the Geomechanics Laboratory of McGill University to make a real application of microwave-assisted mechanical rock breakage to full-face tunneling machines and drilling. Comprehensive laboratory tests investigated the effect of microwave radiation on temperature profiles and strength reduction in hard rocks (norite, granite, and basalt for a range of exposure times and microwave power levels. The heating rate on the surface of the rock specimens linearly decreased with distance between the sample and the microwave antenna, regardless of microwave power level and exposure time. Tensile and uniaxial compressive strengths were reduced with increasing exposure time and power level. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs highlighted fracture development in treated basalt. It was concluded that the microwave power level has a strong positive influence on the amount of heat damage induced to the rock surface. Numerical simulations of electric field intensity and wave propagation conducted with COMSOL Multiphysics® software generated temperature profiles that were in close agreement with experimental results.

Rock-block characterization on regional to local scales for two SKB sites in Forsmark - Uppland and Laxemar - eastern Smaaland, south-eastern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckholmen, Monica; Tiren, Sven A.

2010-11-01

Digital elevation data in 500m, 50m and 10m grids were used for rock-block interpretations at regional, semi-regional and local scales of areas around the two SKB sites, Forsmark and Laxemar, objects for the site-investigation programme. Both areas are interpreted to be close to the surface of the sub- Cambrian peneplain and varying altitude and attitude may testify to blockfaulting in the distorted peneplain. Topographic breaks and changes in the gradient also reveal possible zones of weakness that may conduct water. Rock blocks were constructed for Uppland at 1:750 000, northern Uppland at 1:450 000 and the local Forsmark area at 1:150 000, three sets were constructed for eastern Smaaland at 1:500 000, and one for the semi-regional area at 1:250 000 and one for the local Laxemar area at 1:75 000. The orientation of rock-block boundaries and the size of the rock blocks were treated statistically. The rock blocks/polygons were analysed for their mean, minimum and maximum elevation and the range. The values were displayed by maps. The topography in especially eastern Smaaland is dominated by a clear gradient, the land rising from the sea in the east. Efforts were therefore made to remove an estimated gradient to assess the residual features and the same analyses were then made for mean, maximum, minimum and range values. In many cases the results were enhanced and the two types of presentations are complementary to each other. The rock-block interpretations were compared to bedrock and general correlation between major structures where identified. However, the distribution of rocks on a regional map often demonstrates the plastic deformation in a wider zone. Earthquake epicentres were combined with the rock-block maps and assuming that interpreted rock-block boundaries are fairly steep, there is good agreement between the location of epicentres and rock-block boundaries. In some cases it can be seen how seismic disturbance migrated along a structure. Many

Rock-block characterization on regional to local scales for two SKB sites in Forsmark - Uppland and Laxemar - eastern Smaaland, south-eastern Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckholmen, Monica; Tiren, Sven A. (GEOSIGMA AB (Sweden))

2010-11-15

Digital elevation data in 500m, 50m and 10m grids were used for rock-block interpretations at regional, semi-regional and local scales of areas around the two SKB sites, Forsmark and Laxemar, objects for the site-investigation programme. Both areas are interpreted to be close to the surface of the sub- Cambrian peneplain and varying altitude and attitude may testify to blockfaulting in the distorted peneplain. Topographic breaks and changes in the gradient also reveal possible zones of weakness that may conduct water. Rock blocks were constructed for Uppland at 1:750 000, northern Uppland at 1:450 000 and the local Forsmark area at 1:150 000, three sets were constructed for eastern Smaaland at 1:500 000, and one for the semi-regional area at 1:250 000 and one for the local Laxemar area at 1:75 000. The orientation of rock-block boundaries and the size of the rock blocks were treated statistically. The rock blocks/polygons were analysed for their mean, minimum and maximum elevation and the range. The values were displayed by maps. The topography in especially eastern Smaaland is dominated by a clear gradient, the land rising from the sea in the east. Efforts were therefore made to remove an estimated gradient to assess the residual features and the same analyses were then made for mean, maximum, minimum and range values. In many cases the results were enhanced and the two types of presentations are complementary to each other. The rock-block interpretations were compared to bedrock and general correlation between major structures where identified. However, the distribution of rocks on a regional map often demonstrates the plastic deformation in a wider zone. Earthquake epicentres were combined with the rock-block maps and assuming that interpreted rock-block boundaries are fairly steep, there is good agreement between the location of epicentres and rock-block boundaries. In some cases it can be seen how seismic disturbance migrated along a structure. Many

A central spent fuel storage in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafsson, B.; Hagberth, R.

1978-01-01

A planned central spent fuel storage facility in Sweden is described. The nuclear power program and quantities of spent fuel generated in Sweden is discussed. A general description of the facility is given with emphasis on the lay-out of the buildings, transport casks and fuel handling. Finally a possible design of a Swedish transportation system is discussed. (author)

Rock Mass Behavior Under Hydropower Embankment Dams: A Two-Dimensional Numerical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bondarchuk, A.; Ask, M. V. S.; Dahlström, L.-O.; Nordlund, E.

2012-09-01

Sweden has more than 190 large hydropower dams, of which about 50 are pure embankment dams and over 100 are concrete/embankment dams. This paper presents results from conceptual analyses of the response of typical Swedish rock mass to the construction of a hydropower embankment dam and its first stages of operation. The aim is to identify locations and magnitudes of displacements that are occurring in the rock foundation and grout curtain after construction of the dam, the first filling of its water reservoir, and after one seasonal variation of the water table. Coupled hydro-mechanical analysis was conducted using the two-dimensional distinct element program UDEC. Series of the simulations have been performed and the results show that the first filling of the reservoir and variation of water table induce largest magnitudes of displacement, with the greatest values obtained from the two models with high differential horizontal stresses and smallest spacing of sub-vertical fractures. These results may help identifying the condition of the dam foundation and contribute to the development of proper maintenance measures, which guarantee the safety and functionality of the dam. Additionally, newly developed dams may use these results for the estimation of the possible response of the rock foundation to the construction.

Geomechanical properties of rocks from the Altnabreac area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEwen, T.J.; Horseman, S.T.; Lai, S.F.

1980-06-01

Laboratory test results are presented for core samples of Strath Halladale Granite and Moine metasediments from the Altnabreac Research Site in Caithness, Scotland. Properties measured include indirect tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength, shear strength under triaxial confinement, stress-strain parameters, density and porosity. Strength data are interpreted using Hoek and Brown's (1980) empirical failure criterion which is found to provide an adequate fit to the failure envelopes. The rocks at the site have been classified using Deere and Millers' (1966) engineering classification system for intact rocks. (author)

Practices and developments in the management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hultgren, Aa.

1983-06-01

In the Swedish nuclear power program ten reactors are in operation and two more under construction. About 100000 m 3 of low and intermediate level radioactive waste will be produced from the operation of these reactors until the year 2010 and about 150000 m 3 from their decommissioning. All burnable radioactive wastes are sent to the Studsvik incineration plant for incineration. Spent resins are incorporated into cement or bitumen. The volume of non-combustible solid waste is reduced by compaction where possible. At the Studsvik research centre a substantial program for improved management of accumulated and future radioactive waste is at the beginning of its implementation. This includes advanced treatment and intermediate storage in a rock cavity. An R and D program on volume reduction of spent resins has reached the point of process verification and equipment design. All low and intermediate radioactive waste will be disposed in a rock cavity planned for commissioning by 1988. The paper reviews actual management experience and development efforts for low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Sweden. Contribution to the Seminar on the Management of Radioactive Waste, Taipei, Taiwan, 25-26 June, 1983. (Author)

Determining the specific electric resistance of rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persad' ko, V.Ia.

1982-01-01

Data are presented on perfecting the method of laboratory determination of the specific electric resistance of a rock formation. The average error in determining the specific electric resistance of the core at various locations is no more than two percent with low resistance values (2-5 ohms).

Swedish programme for disposal of radioactive waste - geological aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeckblom, G.; Karlsson, Fred

1990-01-01

Spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes of different types are generated in the course of electrical production. These wastes, which already exist and will continue to exist irrespective of the future for nuclear power in Sweden, are potential hazards if not properly managed. SKB in close co-operation with Swedish and international scientists and engineers have demonstrated the need to construct and operate a waste management system that will ensure very high safety for a long period of time. SKB has further demonstrated that with presently available technology it is possible to construct a final repository for long-lived wastes in Sweden that meets very high standards with respect to safety and radiation protection. SKB has also presented a programme for the research, development and other measures that are required to achieve an optimized disposal site system in Sweden. This programme is comprehensive and the strong support of national and international experts. Examples of research projects discussed in the present paper are: (a) efforts to describe the major zones in the rock mass, (b) characterization of low-conductive rock masses, (c) studies of post-glacial faulting and (d) the importance of natural analogues. The rationale for one of the most important projects in progress - the Hard Rock Laboratory - is also presented. (authors)

Geological constraints for muon tomography: The world beyond standard rock

Science.gov (United States)

Lechmann, Alessandro; Mair, David; Ariga, Akitaka; Ariga, Tomoko; Ereditato, Antonio; Käser, Samuel; Nishiyama, Ryuichi; Scampoli, Paola; Vladymyrov, Mykhailo; Schlunegger, Fritz

2017-04-01

In present day muon tomography practice, one often encounters an experimental setup in which muons propagate several tens to a few hundreds of meters through a material to the detector. The goal of such an undertaking is usually centred on an attempt to make inferences from the measured muon flux to an anticipated subsurface structure. This can either be an underground interface geometry or a spatial material distribution. Inferences in this direction have until now mostly been done, thereby using the so called "standard rock" approximation. This includes a set of empirically determined parameters from several rocks found in the vicinity of physicist's laboratories. While this approach is reasonable to account for the effects of the tens of meters of soil/rock around a particle accelerator, we show, that for material thicknesses beyond that dimension, the elementary composition of the material (average atomic weight and atomic number) has a noticeable effect on the measured muon flux. Accordingly, the consecutive use of this approximation could potentially lead into a serious model bias, which in turn, might invalidate any tomographic inference, that base on this standard rock approximation. The parameters for standard rock are naturally close to a granitic (SiO2-rich) composition and thus can be safely used in such environments. As geophysical surveys are not restricted to any particular lithology, we investigated the effect of alternative rock compositions (carbonatic, basaltic and even ultramafic) and consequentially prefer to replace the standard rock approach with a dedicated geological investigation. Structural field data and laboratory measurements of density (He-Pycnometer) and composition (XRD) can be merged into an integrative geological model that can be used as an a priori constraint for the rock parameters of interest (density & composition) in the geophysical inversion. Modelling results show that when facing a non-granitic lithology the measured muon

Progress report on nuclear data activities in Sweden for 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conde, H.

1981-04-01

The report contains information from laboratories in Sweden about measurements and compilations which are relevant to obtain nuclear data for research and development in different applied fields of nuclear physics. The report also contains short information about changes of existing experimental facilities. Reports relevant to the nuclear energy field are given of neutron cross section measurements and studies of the fission process. Reports are also given of nuclear structure and decay data measurements especially fission product nuclear data measurements of importance for the research on reactor safety and nuclear waste handling. Charged particle and photonuclear cross section measurements with applications in e.g. activation analysis and the production of radioisotopes for medical use are reported as well.(author)

Laboratory Rock Testing and Hydrologic Calculations to Support the Underground Technology Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chitty, Daniel

1998-01-01

.... The testing and data analysis will support definition of the mechanical properties of the rock as functions of porosity, as well as assignment of porosity values for the various in situ layers...

Matrix diffusion studies by electrical conductivity methods. Comparison between laboratory and in-situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Y.; Neretnieks, I.

1998-01-01

Traditional laboratory diffusion experiments in rock material are time consuming, and quite small samples are generally used. Electrical conductivity measurements, on the other hand, provide a fast means for examining transport properties in rock and allow measurements on larger samples as well. Laboratory measurements using electrical conductivity give results that compare well to those from traditional diffusion experiments. The measurement of the electrical resistivity in the rock surrounding a borehole is a standard method for the detection of water conducting fractures. If these data could be correlated to matrix diffusion properties, in-situ diffusion data from large areas could be obtained. This would be valuable because it would make it possible to obtain data very early in future investigations of potentially suitable sites for a repository. This study compares laboratory electrical conductivity measurements with in-situ resistivity measurements from a borehole at Aespoe. The laboratory samples consist mainly of Aespoe diorite and fine-grained granite and the rock surrounding the borehole of Aespoe diorite, Smaaland granite and fine-grained granite. The comparison shows good agreement between laboratory measurements and in-situ data

Mobility of Knowledge as a Recognition Challenge: Experiences from Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Per; Fejes, Andreas

2010-01-01

This article focuses on the tensions between mobility, knowledge and recognition, and what the impact of migration could be on lifelong education and society. This is discussed with the case of Sweden as the starting point. The main issue in Sweden concerning migration is the admission of refugees. Sweden has had a relatively open policy…

Acquisition and preparation of specimens of rock for large-scale testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watkins, D.J.

1981-01-01

The techniques used for acquisition and preparation of large specimens of rock for laboratory testing depend upon the location of the specimen, the type of rock and the equipment available at the sampling site. Examples are presented to illustrate sampling and preparation techniques used for two large cylindrical samples of granitic material, one pervasively fractured and one containing a single fracture

SITE-94. Development of a geological and a structural model of Aespoe, southeastern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiren, S.A.; Beckholmen, M.; Askling, P.; Voss, C.

1996-12-01

The objective of the present study is to construct three-dimensional geological and structural models to be used within the SKI SITE-94 project as a base for modelling hydrogeological, hydrochemical, and rock mechanical bedrock conditions, mass transport and layout of a hypothetical repository. The basic input data in the SITE-94 geological and structural models are restricted to geological and structural readings and geophysical measurements made prior to building the Hard Rock Laboratory. 114 refs, 82 figs, 28 tabs

Energy in Sweden. Facts and figures 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-12-01

Energy in Sweden 2004: Facts and Figures contains the tabular data for most of the diagrams in the main publication. These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and Figures is available at www.stem.se in pdf- and excel file formats. Since the year 2001 statistics for the period 1983-1998 are revised compared to data for previous editions. With effect from the 2001 edition, statistics are of preliminary character for the two preceding years. Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data has been used. Further information about the statistics can be found in Energy in Sweden, chapter 8 Energy Facts.

Characterizing the influence of stress-induced microcracks on the laboratory strength and fracture development in brittle rocks using a finite-discrete element method-micro discrete fracture network FDEM-μDFN approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pooya Hamdi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneity is an inherent component of rock and may be present in different forms including mineral heterogeneity, geometrical heterogeneity, weak grain boundaries and micro-defects. Microcracks are usually observed in crystalline rocks in two forms: natural and stress-induced; the amount of stress-induced microcracking increases with depth and in-situ stress. Laboratory results indicate that the physical properties of rocks such as strength, deformability, P-wave velocity and permeability are influenced by increase in microcrack intensity. In this study, the finite-discrete element method (FDEM is used to model microcrack heterogeneity by introducing into a model sample sets of microcracks using the proposed micro discrete fracture network (μDFN approach. The characteristics of the microcracks required to create μDFN models are obtained through image analyses of thin sections of Lac du Bonnet granite adopted from published literature. A suite of two-dimensional laboratory tests including uniaxial, triaxial compression and Brazilian tests is simulated and the results are compared with laboratory data. The FDEM-μDFN models indicate that micro-heterogeneity has a profound influence on both the mechanical behavior and resultant fracture pattern. An increase in the microcrack intensity leads to a reduction in the strength of the sample and changes the character of the rock strength envelope. Spalling and axial splitting dominate the failure mode at low confinement while shear failure is the dominant failure mode at high confinement. Numerical results from simulated compression tests show that microcracking reduces the cohesive component of strength alone, and the frictional strength component remains unaffected. Results from simulated Brazilian tests show that the tensile strength is influenced by the presence of microcracks, with a reduction in tensile strength as microcrack intensity increases. The importance of microcrack heterogeneity in

Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus for Geophysical Studies in Fractured Rock

KAUST Repository

Garcia, A. V.

2018-05-12

The study of fractured rock masses in the laboratory remains challenging because of the large specimen sizes and bulky loading systems that are required. This article presents the design, structural analysis, and operation of a compact and self-reacting true triaxial device for fractured rock. The frame subjects a 50 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm fractured rock specimen to a maximum stress of 3 MPa along three independent axes. Concurrent measurements include long-wavelength P-wave propagation, passive acoustic emission monitoring, deformations, and thermal measurements. The device can accommodate diverse research, from rock mass properties and geophysical fractured rock characterizations, to coupled hydro-chemo-thermo-mechanical processes, drilling, and grouting. Preliminary wave propagation data gathered under isotropic and anisotropic stress conditions for an assembly of 4,000 rock blocks demonstrate the system’s versatility and provide unprecedented information related to long-wavelength propagation in fractured rock under various stress anisotropies.

Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus for Geophysical Studies in Fractured Rock

KAUST Repository

Garcia, A. V.; Rached, R. M.; Santamarina, Carlos

2018-01-01

The study of fractured rock masses in the laboratory remains challenging because of the large specimen sizes and bulky loading systems that are required. This article presents the design, structural analysis, and operation of a compact and self-reacting true triaxial device for fractured rock. The frame subjects a 50 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm fractured rock specimen to a maximum stress of 3 MPa along three independent axes. Concurrent measurements include long-wavelength P-wave propagation, passive acoustic emission monitoring, deformations, and thermal measurements. The device can accommodate diverse research, from rock mass properties and geophysical fractured rock characterizations, to coupled hydro-chemo-thermo-mechanical processes, drilling, and grouting. Preliminary wave propagation data gathered under isotropic and anisotropic stress conditions for an assembly of 4,000 rock blocks demonstrate the system’s versatility and provide unprecedented information related to long-wavelength propagation in fractured rock under various stress anisotropies.

Loading-unloading pressure-volume curves for rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephens, D.R.; Lilley, E.M.

1970-01-01

The stress-strain codes (SOC and TENSOR) used to calculate phenomenology of nuclear explosion for the Plowshare Program require inter alia the pressure-volume relationships of the earth media. In this paper we describe a rapid and accurate method to obtain pressure-volume data to 40 kb at 25 deg. C for rocks. These experimental results may also be related to the in situ elastic properties of the rock and to other laboratory measurement of properties, such as ultrasonic experiments with pressure and Hugoniot determinations. Qualitative features of the pressure-volume curves can be related to the initial porosity of the rock. A porous rock is usually quite compressible at low pressures. If the porosity is in the form of narrow cracks, the cracks are closed at a pressure of about 3 to 6 kb, after which the rock is much less compressible. If the porosity is in the form of spherical pores, it is not necessarily removed even at pressures of 40 kb, depending on the strength of the rock, and the compressibility is higher at all pressures than for a similar rock containing no porosity. Data for water-saturated samples show the phase transformation due to free water at about 10 and 22 kb. However, the presence of 'nonliquid' water, which is loosely contained within the lattice of clay or zeolitic minerals or adsorbed on particle surfaces, is also observed. (author)

Loading-unloading pressure-volume curves for rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephens, D R; Lilley, E M [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA (United States)

1970-05-01

The stress-strain codes (SOC and TENSOR) used to calculate phenomenology of nuclear explosion for the Plowshare Program require inter alia the pressure-volume relationships of the earth media. In this paper we describe a rapid and accurate method to obtain pressure-volume data to 40 kb at 25 deg. C for rocks. These experimental results may also be related to the in situ elastic properties of the rock and to other laboratory measurement of properties, such as ultrasonic experiments with pressure and Hugoniot determinations. Qualitative features of the pressure-volume curves can be related to the initial porosity of the rock. A porous rock is usually quite compressible at low pressures. If the porosity is in the form of narrow cracks, the cracks are closed at a pressure of about 3 to 6 kb, after which the rock is much less compressible. If the porosity is in the form of spherical pores, it is not necessarily removed even at pressures of 40 kb, depending on the strength of the rock, and the compressibility is higher at all pressures than for a similar rock containing no porosity. Data for water-saturated samples show the phase transformation due to free water at about 10 and 22 kb. However, the presence of 'nonliquid' water, which is loosely contained within the lattice of clay or zeolitic minerals or adsorbed on particle surfaces, is also observed. (author)

Rock melting technology and geothermal drilling

Science.gov (United States)

Rowley, J. C.

1974-01-01

National awareness of the potential future shortages in energy resources has heightened interest in exploration and utilization of a variety of geothermal energy (GTE) reservoirs. The status of conventional drilling of GTE wells is reviewed briefly and problem areas which lead to higher drilling costs are identified and R and D directions toward solution are suggested. In the immediate future, an expanded program of drilling in GTE formations can benefit from improvements in drilling equipment and technology normally associated with oil or gas wells. Over a longer time period, the new rock-melting drill bits being developed as a part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Subterrene Program offer new solutions to a number of problems which frequently hamper GTE drilling, including the most basic problem - high temperature. Two of the most favorable characteristics of rock-melting penetrators are their ability to operate effectively in hot rock and produce glass linings around the hole as an integral part of the drilling process. The technical advantages to be gained by use of rock-melting penetrators are discussed in relation to the basic needs for GTE wells.

Laboratory tools to quantify biogenic dissolution of rocks and minerals: a model rock biofilm growing in percolation columns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franz eSeiffert

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Sub-aerial biofilms (SAB are ubiquitous, self-sufficient microbial ecosystems found on mineral surfaces at all altitudes and latitudes. SABs, which are the principal causes of weathering on exposed terrestrial surfaces, are characterised by patchy growth dominated by associations of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and heterotrophic bacteria. A recently developed in vitro system to study colonisation of rocks exposed to air included two key SAB participants - the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola (CBS 123872 and the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133. Both partners are genetically tractable and we used them here to study weathering of granite, K-feldspar and plagioclase. Small fragments of the various rocks or minerals (1 to 6 mm were packed into flow-through columns and incubated with 0.1% glucose and 10 µM thiamine-hydrochloride (90 µL.min-1 to compare weathering with and without biofilms. Dissolution of the minerals was followed by: analysing (i the degradation products in the effluent from the columns via Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy and (ii by studying polished sections of the incubated mineral fragment/grains using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. K. petricola/N. punctiforme stimulated release of Ca, Na, Mg and Mn. Analyses of the polished sections confirmed depletion of Ca, Na and K near the surface of the fragments. The abrupt decrease in Ca concentration observed in peripheral areas of plagioclase fragments favoured a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Percolation columns in combination with a model biofilm can thus be used to study weathering in closed systems. Columns can easily be filled with different minerals and biofilms, the effluent as well as grains can be collected after long-term exposure under axenic conditions and easily analysed.

Laboratory tools to quantify biogenic dissolution of rocks and minerals: a model rock biofilm growing in percolation columns

Science.gov (United States)

Seiffert, Franz; Bandow, Nicole; Kalbe, Ute; Milke, Ralf; Gorbushina, Anna

2016-04-01

Sub-aerial biofilms (SAB) are ubiquitous, self-sufficient microbial ecosystems found on mineral surfaces at all altitudes and latitudes. SABs, which are the principal causes of weathering on exposed terrestrial surfaces, are characterised by patchy growth dominated by associations of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and heterotrophic bacteria. A recently developed in vitro system to study colonisation of rocks exposed to air included two key SAB participants - the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola (CBS 123872) and the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133. Both partners are genetically tractable and we used them here to study weathering of granite, K-feldspar and plagioclase. Small fragments of the various rocks or minerals (1 to 6 mm) were packed into flow-through columns and incubated with 0.1% glucose and 10 µM thiamine-hydrochloride (90 µL.min-1) to compare weathering with and without biofilms. Dissolution of the minerals was followed by: analysing (i) the degradation products in the effluent from the columns via Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy and (ii) by studying polished sections of the incubated mineral fragment/grains using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. K. petricola/N. punctiforme stimulated release of Ca, Na, Mg and Mn. Analyses of the polished sections confirmed depletion of Ca, Na and K near the surface of the fragments. The abrupt decrease in Ca concentration observed in peripheral areas of plagioclase fragments favoured a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Percolation columns in combination with a model biofilm can thus be used to study weathering in closed systems. Columns can easily be filled with different minerals and biofilms, the effluent as well as grains can be collected after long-term exposure under axenic conditions and easily analysed.

Study on flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks (Contact research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, Michito; Kumamoto, Sou; Maekawa, Keisuke

2007-03-01

It is important for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal to evaluate groundwater flow and mass transport in deep underground accurately. Though it is considered that the mass transport in sedimentary rock occurs in pores between grains mainly, fractures of sedimentary rock can be main paths. The objective of this study is to establish a conceptual model for flow and mass transport in fractured soft sedimentary rock. In previous study, a series of laboratory hydraulic and tracer tests and numerical analyses were carried out using sedimentary rock specimens obtained from Koetoi and Wakkanai formation. Single natural fractured cores and rock block specimen were used for the tests and analyses. The results indicated that the matrix diffusion played an important role for mass transport in the fractured soft sedimentary rocks. In this study, the following two tasks were carried out: (1) laboratory hydraulic and tracer experiments of rock cores of Koetoi and Wakkanai formation obtained at HDB-9, HDB-10 and HDB-11 boreholes and a rock block specimen, Wakkanai formation, obtained at an outcrop in the Horonobe area, (2) a numerical study on the conceptual model of flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks. Non-sorbing tracer experiments using naturally fractured cores and rock block specimens were carried out. Pottasium iodide was used as a tracer. The obtained breakthrough curves were interpreted and fitted by using a numerical simulator, and mass transport parameters, such as longitudinal dispersivity, matrix diffusion coefficient, transport aperture, were obtained. Mass transport simulations using a fracture network model, a continuum model and a double porosity model were performed to study the applicability of continuum model and double porosity model for transport in fractured sedimentary rock. (author)

Aespoe HRL - Geoscientific evaluation 1997/2. Results from pre-investigation and detailed site characterization. Summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rhen, I. [VBB Viak, Goeteborg (Sweden); Baeckbom, G. [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)] [eds.; Gustafsson, Gunnar [VBB Viak, Goeteborg (Sweden) and Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden); Stanfors, R. [RS Consulting, Lund (Sweden); Wikberg, P. [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)

1997-05-01

The work at Aespoe Hard rock laboratory provides an important scientific and technical basis for implementing and operating a future deep repository in Sweden. A milestone has now been reached with the completion of the pre investigation and construction phases at Aespoe HRL. The present data base at Aespoe HRL is one of the most comprehensive data bases in the world for crystalline rock properties, containing data from a large number of investigation methods from the surface down to 1700 m below ground level. Site characterization in conjunction with construction work has basically confirmed the pre-construction models. The site characterization has been a realistic `dress rehearsal` that is invaluable for planning and execution of surface and underground characterization of sites for the deep repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. 502 refs, 114 figs, 30 tabs.

Policies promoting Biofuels in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holmgren, Kristina [IVL Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Goeteborg (Sweden); Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Div. of Heat and Power Technology., Goeteborg (Sweden)

2012-07-01

This report was written as part of a course in Environmental Economics and Policy Instruments at the University of Gothenburg. It aims at summarizing the policy instruments introduced to directly affect the production and use of biofuels in Sweden. Since Sweden is part of the EU also EU policies were included. There are additional policy instruments which affect the production and utilization of biofuels in a more indirect way that are not presented here. The economic analysis in this paper is limited and could be developed from the information presented in order to draw further conclusions on necessary changes in order to reach set targets.