Tunnel and Underground SpaceISSN:1225-1275(Print) 2287-1748(Online)한국암반공학회

Bentonite buffer material is an important component of engineered barrier designed for the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Under certain groundwater conditions, erosion or piping phenomena of the material can happen, which may compromise the overall safety of the whole engineered barrier system. Previous domestic researches related to it have been conducted at a laboratory scale so that those are subject to some limitations, despite their valuable results. Therefore, KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) has planned the BEPT (Bentonite Erosion and Piping Test) to extend and validate the previous works at a field conditions. Prior to detailed experimental design, case studies that had been conducted by leading countries in disposal research were collected and analyzed. The analyses included suitable site conditions and system design, which were incorporated into the detailed design of BEPT. This technical report aims to introduce the previous researches and the current status of the ongoing BEPT experiment.

This study aims to develop a wireless communication system for long-term monitoring of high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. Conventional wired sensors can lead to a deterioration in buffer quality and management difficulties due to the use of cables for power supply and data transmission. This study proposes the adoption of a wireless communication system and compares the received signal strengths within bentonite using modules such as WiFi, ZigBee, and LoRa. Increases in dry density of bentonite and distance between transceivers led to reduced received signal strength. Additionally, using the low-frequency band exhibited less signal attenuation. Based on these findings, a conceptual design for a wireless network-based THM integrated sensor system was proposed. Results of this study can be used as foundational data for long-term monitoring of disposal facility.

Due to the revitalization of urban development, the number of cases of excavating tunnels adjacent to existing subways is increasing. This may affect the structure and track of the existing subway, resulting in reduced stability and usability. In this study, we verified the adequacy of the proximity evaluation range to ensure the stability of new tunnels and existing subways when excavating adjacent to tunnels, and proposed a quantitative correction rate considering various conditions. Conditions for applying the correction rate considered rock grade, geologically weak section, structurally weak section, and structural deterioration section. It is hoped that a more accurate proximity evaluation will be performed by applying a quantitative correction rate that considers rock and geological conditions, structure status, etc. to the proximity evaluation standard.

In South Korea, following the 2016 Gyeongju and 2017 Pohang earthquakes, the need for earthquake disaster prevention has been increasing. Reliable techniques for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis and ground motion models are required for quantifying earthquake damage. Recently, there has been growing demand for deep underground facilities, necessitating accurate quantification techniques for earthquake damage in deep underground. In this study, ground motion models within rock were proposed using ground motion data measured at borehole seismic stations. A regression analysis, a type of empirical technique, was applied to 17 periods selected in a range from 0.01 to 10 s of spectral accelerations to develop the ground motion models. Residual analysis was performed to evaluate and improve the prediction performance of the ground motion model, with correction factors added to the model equation. When applying the proposed model, the group means of residuals approached zero, and the standard deviation of total residuals, similar to existing models proposed in other countries, confirmed the reliability of the proposed model.

In various underground research projects such as energy storage and development and radioactive waste disposal targeting deep underground, the characteristics of permeable rock fractures that serve as major pathway of groundwater flow in deep rock aquifer are considered as an important evaluation factor in the design, construction, and operation of research facilities. In Korea, there is little research and database on the location and hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures and the pattern of groundwater flow patterns that may occur between fractures in deep rock boreholes. In this paper, the hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures in deep rock aquifer were evaluated through the analysis of geothermal gradient and pumping test data. First, the deep geothermal distribution was identified through temperature logging, and the geothermal gradient was obtained through linear regression analysis using temperature data by depth. In addition, the hydraulic characteristics of the fractured rock were analyzed using outflow temperature obtained from pumping tests. Ultimately, the potential location and hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures, as well as groundwater flow within the boreholes, were evaluated by integrating and analyzing the geophysical logging and hydraulic testing data. The process and results of the evaluation of deep permeable rock fractures proposed in this study are expected to serve as foundational data for the successful implementation of underground research projects targeting deep rock aquifers.

In site characterization of high-level radioactive waste, discontinuity(joint) distribution and rock mass classification, which are key evaluation parameters in the rock engineering field, were evaluated using deep boreholes in the Wonju granite and Chuncheon granite, which belong to Mesozoic Jurassic era. To evaluate joint distribution characteristics, fracture zones and joint surfaces extracted from ATV data were used, and major joint sets were evaluated along with joint frequency according to depth, dip direction, and dip. Both the Wonju and Chuncheon granites that were studied showed a tendency for the frequency of joints to increase linearly with depth, and joints with high angles were relatively widely distributed. In addition, relatively large amounts of weathering tended to occur even in deep depth due to groundwater inflow through high-angle joints. RQD values remained consistently low ​​even at considerable depth. Meanwhile, joint groups with low angles showed different joint characteristics from joint sets with high angles. Rock mass classification was performed based on RMR system, and along with rock mass classification for 50 m intervals where uniaxial compressive strength was performed, continuous rock mass classification according to depth was performed using velocity log data and geostatistical techniques. The Wonju granite exhibited a superior rock mass class compared to the Chuncheon granite. In the 50 m interval and continuous rock mass classification, the shallow part of the Wonju granite showed a higher class than the deep part, and the deep part of the Chuncheon granite showed a higher class than the shallow part.

The Generalized Hoek-Brown (GHB) criterion is a nonlinear failure criterion specialized for rock engineering applications and has recently seen increased usage. However, the GHB criterion expresses the relationship between minimum and maximum principal stresses at failure, and when GSI≠100, it has disadvantage of being difficult to express as an explicit relationship between the normal and shear stresses acting on the failure plane, i.e., as a Mohr failure envelope. This disadvantage makes it challenging to apply the GHB criterion in numerical analysis techniques such as limit equilibrium analysis, upper-bound limit analysis, and the critical plane approach. Consequently, recent studies have attempted to express the GHB Mohr failure envelope as an approximate analytical formula, and there is still a need for continued interest in related research. This study presents improved formulations for the approximate GHB Mohr failure envelope, offering higher accuracy in predicting shear strength compared to existing formulas. The improved formulation process employs a method to enhance the approximation accuracy of the tangential friction angle and utilizes the tangent line equation of the nonlinear GHB failure envelope to improve the accuracy of shear strength approximation. In the latter part of this paper, the advantages and limitations of the proposed approximate GHB failure envelopes in terms of shear strength prediction accuracy and calculation time are discussed.

In order to successfully select a site for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, it is important to perform the stepwise approach along with the systematic selection and survey of evaluation parameters of geological environmental characteristics suitable for the domestic geological environment. In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of hydraulic conductivity, which is considered the most important evaluation parameter in the field of hydrogeology, targeting a deep-depth rock aquifer where actual disposal facilities are expected to be located. In particular, for the first time in Korea, we obtained in-situ pressure-flow data by directly conducting hydraulic tests in boreholes at depths ranging from 500 m to 750 m in various rock types distributed in Korea (granite/volcanic rock/gneiss/mudstone). And we derived hydraulic conductivity values by rock types and depth using verified analytical methods. For this purpose, precision hydraulic testing equipment developed in-house through this study was used, and detailed investigation procedures based on standard test methods were applied to field tests. As a result of the analysis, the average hydraulic conductivity value was found to be in the range of 10^-9 m/s in all granite/volcanic rock/gneiss areas. In the mudstone area, an average hydraulic conductivity value of 10^-11 m/s was derived, which was about 100 times (2 orders of magnitude) lower than that of the fractured rock aquifers. Moreover, permeability tended to slightly decrease with depth in fractured rock aquifers (granite and volcanic rock areas) containing many rock fractures. The gneiss area tended to have large local differences in permeability according to the composition of the stratum and the development of fracture zones rather than depth. In mudstone areas with weak fracture development, there was no significant variation in rock permeability according to depth. The hydraulic conductivity results by various rock types and depth presented in this study are expected to be utilized in building a foundational database for the site selection, design, and construction of disposal facilities in Korea.

In selecting a disposal site for high-level radioactive waste, the hydrogeological research of the site is very important, and the hydraulic conductivity and the storage coefficient are key parameters. In this study, the hydraulic conductivity obtained by two different types of field hydraulic test equipment and methods was compared and analyzed for the deep granite rockmass in the Wonju area to understand the hydraulic characteristics of the deep granite rockmass. One was to perform the lugeon test, constant pressure injection test, and slug test at a maximum depth of 602.0 m by using the auto pressure/flow injection system, and the calculated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 1.26E-9 to 4.16E-8 m/s. In the overall depth, the maximum and minimum differences of the hydraulic conductivity were found to be about 33 times, and in the same test section, the difference by test method or analysis method was 1.13 to 8.25 times. In the other, the hydraulic conductivity calculated by performing a constant pressure injection test and a pulse test at a maximum depth of 705.1 m using the deep borehole hydraulic testing system was found to be 1.60E-10 to 2.05E-8 m/s, and the maximum and minimum differences were found to be about 130 times. In the constant pressure injection test, the difference depending on the analysis method was found to be 1.02 to 2.8 times. The hydraulic conductivity calculated by the two test equipment and methods generally showed similar ranges as E-9 and E-8 m/s, and no clear trend was observed according to depth. It was found that the granite rockmass in the Wonju area where the field hydraulic test was conducted showed low or very low rockmass permeability, and although there are differences in the range of hydraulic conductivity and the depth of application that can be measured depending on the applied test equipment and test method, it is generally believed that reliable results were presented.

When planning gripper TBM, which is highly applicable to urban areas, the excavation characteristics are not considered. In addition the excavation stability and constructability are degraded by installing reinforcements in the adjacent construction site considering the relaxation load theory of the pre-existing NATM. In this study, a rationalization plan for the support was proposed considering the excavation characteristics of gripper TBM when planning reinforcements for adjacent pre-existing construction. The effect of excavation on the surrounding ground was analyzed by conducting three-dimensional stability analyses considering the construction stage for each excavation phase. In NATM, relaxation phenomenon is concentrated in tunnel face due to non-supporting time occurring simultaneously with excavation, but gripper TBM supports the ground around the tunnel face through the cutter head and skin plate, simultaneously causing ground relaxation behind the skin plate. Considering these excavation characteristics, problems in reinforcement planning for adjacent construction at the study site were pointed out. A performance improvement plan for a reasonable supporting system was proposed.