Back-Analysis of Rock Mass Strength at a Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring Data and 3D Numerical Modelling

Ferenc Deák, Matthew A. Perras, István Szűcs and Ákos Török ()
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Ferenc Deák: Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
Matthew A. Perras: Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
István Szűcs: Department of Environmental Engineering, Institute of Smart Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Ákos Török: Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: In this study, a new method was examined that used acoustic emission (AE) monitoring data, in combination with a primary Boundary Element stress analysis, to back-calculate rock mass strength. The presented AE data came from the National Radioactive Waste Repository (NRWR) for low- and intermediate-level waste (LLW/ILW). AE monitoring is able to detect the pre-peak, peak, and post-peak stress changes in rock mass. The presented method used AE monitoring data to back-calculate parameters, such as uniaxial compressive strength and the rock mass deformation modulus. The AE initiation threshold was used to develop an objective function that considered the stress in the rock mass and the rock mass strength. The findings of this research propose that most AE events can be related to the crack initiation threshold, and in space, most of them are located at points away from the excavated walls. In the vicinity of the excavation damage zones around the cavities, the stress conditions beyond the crack damage boundary of the rock mass occur in many areas, leading to significant irreversible deformations. This novel method was demonstrated to aid in the prediction of rock mass strength and is a valuable, non-invasive method for improving the spatial prediction of rock mass parameters, which will lead to safer underground storage facilities.

Keywords: radioactive waste; granite; acoustic emission; spalling; crack initiation; hypocenter; rock mass strength; differential stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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