Seven-year history of vertical hydraulic diffusivity related to excavation around an underground facility

Miyakawa, Kazuya   ; Nohara, Tsuyoshi   ; Tokiwa, Tetsuya; Yamazaki, Masanori*

A large amount of groundwater drain induced by an excavation of an underground facility will influence parameters of site formations such as permeability. In this study, a spectral analysis was applied to long-term records of atmospheric response of pore pressure in order to obtain time history of rock permeability change at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in Japan. This study revealed that the excavation of the URL has influenced aquifers around the URL, and has reduced the vertical hydraulic diffusivity in the aquifers. At the point of ca. 130 m distant away from the URL, the hydraulic diffusivity has decreased in approximately 70% after 5 years from start of excavation of the URL. At the point of ca. 860 m distant away from the URL, the vertical hydraulic diffusivity has decreased in approximately 26% even though pore pressure has not changed remarkably. These results indicate that groundwater consequently becomes difficult to flow, and then safe-side estimation with respect to geological disposal system was obtained. This study confirmed that long-term history of permeability change can be monitored by using long-period records of pore pressure and atmospheric pressure. During the development of a geological disposal system, which takes several tens of years, the vertical permeability can be monitored continuously from the start of the excavation through the post-closure of the repository.