Numerical Investigation on Mechanical Behaviour of Natural Barrier in Geological Repository of High-Level Radioactive Waste

Abstract

It is commonly known that geological repository is regarded as the most practical way of permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Yet, there are some engineering problems needed to be solved before its practical application. In geological repository, one of the most important factors is the thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) behaviour of natural barrier. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of temperature on the deformation and the strength of host rocks, such as the soft sedimentary rock, with some element tests and the numerical simulations with a program of FEM named as SOFT based on a thermo-elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model.