Diego Mas Ivars
Research and Safety Assessment
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co
A final repository for spent nuclear fuel is a project of unique character. The engineering design is subject to strict requirements and the safety assessment encompasses the next million years. Complex behaviour and coupled processes as well as long term phenomena have to be considered. This encompasses phenomena such us glaciation cycles, permafrost, earthquake, and thermal loading. These phenomena can induce pore pressure changes, deformation and fracturing of the rock mass and, as a consequence, changes in fracture network connectivity and flow and thermal conductivity. Numerical modelling of long term THM coupled processes is therefore a key aspect for the long-term safety assessment of spent nuclear facilities. In this session, we would like to discuss the latest advances in this research area.