Uncertainty in Groundwater Flow Simulations Caused by Multiple Modeling Approaches, at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory, Japan

2013 ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Atsushi Sawada ◽  
Hiromitsu Saegusa ◽  
Yuji Ijiri
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Flow Simulations ◽  
Modeling Approaches ◽  
Underground Research Laboratory

Technical Know-How for Modeling of Geological Environment: Part 1—Overview and Groundwater Flow Modeling

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromitsu Saegusa ◽  
Shinji Takeuchi ◽  
Keisuke Maekawa ◽  
Hideaki Osawa ◽  
Takeshi Semba
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Site Characterization ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Geological Environment ◽  
Flow Modeling ◽  
Know How ◽  
Underground Research Laboratory

It is important for site characterization projects to manage the decision-making process with transparency and traceability and to transfer the technical know-how accumulated during the research and development to the implementing phase and to future generations. The modeling for a geological environment is to be used to synthesize investigation results. Evaluation of the impact of uncertainties in the model is important to identify and prioritize key issues for further investigations. Therefore, a plan for site characterization should be made based on the results of the modeling. The aim of this study is to support for the planning of initial surface-based site characterization based on the technical know-how accumulated from the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project and the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project. These projects are broad scientific studies of the deep geological environment that are a basis for research and development for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes. In this study, the work-flow of the groundwater flow modeling, which is one of the geological environment models, and is to be used for setting the area for the geological environment modeling and for groundwater flow characterization, and the related decision-making process using literature data have been summarized.

Hydrogeological Characterization on Surface-Based Investigation Phase in the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project, in Japan

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromitsu Saegusa ◽  
Hironori Onoe ◽  
Shinji Takeuchi ◽  
Ryuji Takeuchi ◽  
Takuya Ohyama
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Geological Environment ◽  
Hydrogeological Model ◽  
Central Japan ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Flow Simulations ◽  
Underground Research Laboratory ◽  
Operation Phase

The Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project is being carried out by Japan Atomic Energy Agency in the Cretaceous Toki granite in the Tono area, central Japan. The MIU project is a purpose-built generic underground research laboratory project that is planned for a broad scientific study of the deep geological environment as a basis of research and development for geological disposal of nuclear wastes. One of the main goals of the MIU project is to establish comprehensive techniques for investigation, analysis, and assessment of the deep geological environment. The MIU project has three overlapping phases: Surface-based Investigation (Phase I), Construction (Phase II) and Operation (Phase III). Hydrogeological investigations using a stepwise process in Phase I have been carried out in order to obtain information on important properties such as, location of water conducting features, hydraulic conductivity and so on. Hydrogeological modeling and groundwater flow simulations in Phase I have been carried out in order to synthesize these investigation results, to evaluate the uncertainty of the hydrogeological model and to identify the main issues for further investigations. Using the stepwise hydrogeological characterization approach and combining the investigation with modeling and simulation, understanding of the hydrogeological environment has been progressively improved.

Low Alkaline Cement Used in the Construction of a Gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masashi Nakayama ◽  
Haruo Sato ◽  
Yutaka Sugita ◽  
Seiji Ito ◽  
Masashi Minamide ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fly Ash ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Concrete Lining ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Tunnel Support ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
High Level ◽  
Underground Research Laboratory

In Japan, any high level radioactive waste (HLW) repository is to be constructed at over 300 m depth below surface. Tunnel support is used for safety during the construction and operation, and shotcrete and concrete lining are used as the tunnel support. Concrete is a composite material comprised of aggregate, cement and various admixtures. Low alkaline cement has been developed for the long term stability of the barrier systems whose performance could be negatively affected by highly alkaline conditions arising due to cement used in a repository. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed a low alkaline cement, named as HFSC (Highly Fly-ash Contained Silicafume Cement), containing over 60 wt% of silica-fume (SF) and fly-ash (FA). HFSC was used experimentally as the shotcrete material in construction of part of the 140m deep gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The objective of this experiment was to assess the performance of HFSC shotcrete in terms of mechanics, workability, durability, and so on. HFSC used in this experiment is composed of 40 wt% OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement), 20 wt% SF, and 40 wt% FA. This composition was determined based on mechanical testing of various mixes of the above components. Because of the low OPC content, the strength of HFSC tends to be lower than that of OPC. The total length of tunnel using HFSC shotcrete is about 73 m and about 500 m3 of HFSC was used. The workability of HFSC shotcrete was confirmed in this experimental construction.

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