Publications Details

KOMPASS: Compaction of crushed salt for the safe containment

Czaikowski, Oliver; Friedenberg, Larissa; Mueller-Hoeppe, Nina; Lerch, Christian; Eickemeier, Ralf; Laurich, Ben; Liu, Wenting; Zemke, Kornelia; Luedeling, Christoph; Popp, Till; Laros, James H.; Mills, Melissa M.; Reedlunn, Benjamin R.; Duesterloh, Uwe; Lerche, Svetlana; Zhao, Juan

In Germany, rock salt formations are a possible host rock taken into account for the safe disposal of heat-emitting radioactive waste. With respect to crushed salt will be used in the repository for backfilling of open cavitied (using dry material). With time, the crushed salt will be compacted by the convergence of the host rock and reaches porosities comparable with the rock salts. The compaction behaviour of crushed salt has been investigated within the last 40 years, however, its behaviour at low porosities and the resulting low permeabilities becomes relevant with the introduction of the approach of the containment providing rock zone. In the current state, the database and process understanding have some important gaps in knowledge referring the material behaviour, existing laboratory and numerical models, especially for the porosity range. The objective of this project was the development of methods and strategies for the reduction of deficits in the prediction of crushed salt compaction leading to an improvement of the prognosis quality. It includes the development of experimental methods for determining crushed salt properties in the range of low porosities, the enhancement of process understanding and the investigation and development of existing numerical models.