Exploratory shaft design for a high-level waste repository in salt

Abstract

Abstract The authors describe the exploratory shaft design for a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. The exploratory shaft facility in salt is one of three facilities—one each in basalt, tuff and salt—to be developed for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. The authors discuss design criteria for the shaft; the influence of the geotechnical conditions on shaft lining; the shaft construction process; the two types of shaft lining to be used; and determination of the loads on the shaft lining.