Geological Disposal Facility Voidage Study
UK

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) are tasked with delivering a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) as the safe, secure and long-term solution for managing the UK’s most hazardous radioactive waste.  The GDF will isolate nuclear waste underground at depths between 200 to 1000m below ground (or seabed).

Geo-Design, as part of an SME group, provided specialist advisory services to NWS on rock mechanics and rock engineering input to develop the understanding of rock behaviour and response to excavation in a variety of geological environments.

Sector: Energy – civils, nuclear.

• Rock mechanics
  Communication of rock engineering principals that govern the failure of rock and its deformation into engineered void spaces.
• Conceptual modelling
  Development of updated conceptual models of potential post-closure rock movements into engineered void spaces, and review of established mechanical evolution conceptual models with regards to long term management of a GDF in a variety of geological environments.