Abstract
Scoping calculations were performed in order to assess the influence of radiogenic heat on the performance of the rock mass around a nuclear fuel waste repository. The full coupling between the thermal, mechanical and hydrological processes involved was considered by using the finite element code, FRACON, developed through an extension of Biot's classical theory of soil consolidation. By considering the full THM coupling, several important safety features, which would otherwise be omitted in uncoupled analyses, were detected in the present study. In particular, it was shown that the heat-induced pore pressure increase around the repository has the potential to significantly increase the rate of groundwater flow, and affect the structural integrity of the rock mass.
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