TIMODAZ: A successful international cooperation project to investigate thethermal impact on the EDZ around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    Between 2006 and 2010, the European Commission project TIMODAZ has investigated the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) effects on clay formations for geological disposal of radioactive waste, and specific attention was paid to investigating the thermal effect on the evolution of the damaged zone (DZ). Three types of potential host clay formations were investigated: the Boom Clay (Belgium), the Opalinus Clay (Switzerland) and the Callovo-Oxfordianargillite (France). Intensive experimental and numerical studies have been performed. Multi-scale approach was used in the course of the project. The results of the laboratory and in situ tests obtained allowed the parameters for numerical models at various scales to be derived and provided the basis for the simplified performance assessment models that are used to assess the long-term safety of a repository. This paper presents the main achievements obtained by TIMODAZ project and shows how a European scientific community investigates a problem of concern in a collaborative way and how the obtained main results are appliedto the performance assessment of a geological repository.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)231-242
    JournalJournal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
    Volume5
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Jun 2013

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