Download or read book PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION SIMULATION TOOLS TO EVALUATE CEMENTITIOUS BARRIERS AND MATERIALS USED IN NUCLEAR APPLICATION - 8388 written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The US DOE has initiated a multidisciplinary cross cutting project to develop a reasonable and credible set of tools to predict the structural, hydraulic and chemical performance of cement barriers used in nuclear applications over extended time frames (e.g.,> 100 years for operating facilities and> 1000 years for waste management). A partnership that combines DOE, NRC, academia, private sector, and international expertise has been formed to accomplish the project objectives by integrating existing information and realizing advancements where necessary. The set of simulation tools and data developed under this project will be used to evaluate and predict the behavior of cementitious barriers used in near surface engineered waste disposal systems, e.g., waste forms, containment structures, entombments and environmental remediation, including decontamination and decommissioning (D & D) activities. The simulation tools will also support analysis of structural concrete components of nuclear facilities (spent fuel pools, dry spent fuel storage units, and recycling facilities, e.g., fuel fabrication, separations processes). Simulation parameters will be obtained from prior literature and will be experimentally measured under this project, as necessary, to demonstrate application of the simulation tools for three prototype applications (waste form in concrete vault, high level waste tank grouting, and spent fuel pool). Test methods and data needs to support use of the simulation tools for future applications will be defined. This is a national issue that affects all waste disposal sites that use cementitious waste forms and structures, decontamination and decommissioning activities, service life determination of existing structures, and design of future public and private nuclear facilities. The problem is difficult because it requires projecting conditions and responses over extremely long times. Current performance assessment analyses show that engineered barriers are typically the primary control to prevent the release of radionuclides from nuclear facilities into the environment. In the absence of an adequate predictive tool, assessments cannot fully incorporate the effectiveness of the concrete barriers, and the inventory of radionuclides (especially the long-lived radionuclides) that may be safely disposed of in shallow land disposal and the predicted service life of operating nuclear facilities. This project is 5 year effort focused on reducing uncertainties associated with current methodologies for assessing cementitious barrier performance and increasing the consistency and transparency of the assessment process. The results of this project will enable improved risk-informed, performance-based decision making, and supports several of the strategic initiatives in the DOE-EM Engineering & Technology Roadmap.