Experimental Investigation of Concrete Packages for Radioactive Waste Management: Permeability and Influence of Junctions

Stéphane Poyet (1) , Xavier Bourbon (2)

1 LECBA - Laboratoire d'Etude du Comportement des Bétons et des Argiles
2 ANDRA - Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs

We studied the feasibility of a concrete package for radioactive waste management in a joint program involving Andra (the French agency for radioactive waste management) and CEA (the French atomic energy commission). The package's long-term durability and radionuclides' containment were the major concerns. The presence of junctions between the prefabricated body and the poured-in-place lids was identified as a major weakness. The first objective of this study was to characterize the permeability of the selected concrete and of the package itself (that is to say accounting for the junctions influence). We used special specimens including a junction, and tested three different surface preparation methods. The second objective was to assess the influence of the manufacturing conditions (laboratory and industrial) on permeability.

Mots clés: Concrete; Radioactive waste package; Permeability; Junctions; Surface preparation

Domaines: Génie civil nucléaire; Matériaux; Génie civil

Stéphane Poyet, Xavier Bourbon. Experimental Investigation of Concrete Packages for Radioactive Waste Management: Permeability and Influence of Junctions. Transport in Porous Media, 2012, 95, pp.55 - 70. ⟨10.1007/s11242-012-0032-y⟩. ⟨cea-03293609⟩