Modelling of rock mass response to glaciation at Finnsjön, Central Sweden

Abstract

Abstract An understanding of the response of the granitic bedrock of Fennoscandia to glaciation is of great importance to the final underground storage of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. Plans by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) call for a nuclear waste vault to be constructed at Finnsjon, in the Fennoscandian bedrock of central Sweden. SKB is conducting an integrated safety analysis that will pay particular attention to the glaciation scenario and related phenomena; the analysis will be applied to the Finnsjon site. The objective of the study discussed in this paper is to illustrate, quantitatively, possible rock mass responses to glaciation, with special emphasis on the future repository to be located at Finnsjon. The paper describes the strategy of modelling glaciological aspects of vault stability in Fennoscandia; describes the distinct element method used for the study; details the modelling approach and simulations for the Finnsjon site; and presents the results of analyses for the three models used in the study.