Strategic choices in the Belgian supercontainer design and its treatment in a safety case
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Strategic choices in the Belgian supercontainer design and its treatment in a safety case. / Van Geet, Maarten; Weetjens, Eef.
Cementitious materials in safety cases for geological repositories for radioactive waste: role, evolution and interactions.. Paris, France, 2012. p. 159-164 (NEA/RWM report; No. NEA/RWM/R(2012)3).Research output: Contribution to report/book/conference proceedings › In-proceedings paper
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TY - GEN
T1 - Strategic choices in the Belgian supercontainer design and its treatment in a safety case
AU - Van Geet, Maarten
AU - Weetjens, Eef
N1 - Score = 3
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - In Belgium, geological disposal in plastic clay is the reference solution to the safe long-term management of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste. Boom Clay is currently considered the reference formation for hosting a geological repository. Up to 2004, the reference engineered barrier design for vitrified high-level waste and spent fuel consisted of galleries in which the waste was placed in a central steel disposal tube and the remaining space backfilled by bentonite blocks. In recent years there has been a re-evaluation of the reference design, and the Belgian waste management agency ONDRAF/NIRAS now opts for a design based on a carbon steel overpack surrounded by a concrete buffer made of Ordinary Portland Cement. The use of massive amounts of cementitious materials in the repository imposes a high alkaline environment which ensures passivation of the carbon steel overpack. Moreover, the use of Supercontainers as separate shielded entities should facilitate underground operations for the workforce. This paper further explains the drivers of this design option and the implications of this so-called Supercontainer design in terms of long-term radiological safety.
AB - In Belgium, geological disposal in plastic clay is the reference solution to the safe long-term management of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste. Boom Clay is currently considered the reference formation for hosting a geological repository. Up to 2004, the reference engineered barrier design for vitrified high-level waste and spent fuel consisted of galleries in which the waste was placed in a central steel disposal tube and the remaining space backfilled by bentonite blocks. In recent years there has been a re-evaluation of the reference design, and the Belgian waste management agency ONDRAF/NIRAS now opts for a design based on a carbon steel overpack surrounded by a concrete buffer made of Ordinary Portland Cement. The use of massive amounts of cementitious materials in the repository imposes a high alkaline environment which ensures passivation of the carbon steel overpack. Moreover, the use of Supercontainers as separate shielded entities should facilitate underground operations for the workforce. This paper further explains the drivers of this design option and the implications of this so-called Supercontainer design in terms of long-term radiological safety.
KW - safety concept
KW - safety functions
KW - repository design
KW - engineered barrier system
KW - cement
KW - concrete
KW - safety assessment
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_120884
UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/9033
M3 - In-proceedings paper
T3 - NEA/RWM report
SP - 159
EP - 164
BT - Cementitious materials in safety cases for geological repositories for radioactive waste: role, evolution and interactions.
CY - Paris, France
ER -
ID: 72495