Excavation cycle times recorded during sinking of a deep shaft in crystalline rock; A Case example at ventilation shaft of Mizunami URL, Japan

Sanada, Hiroyuki; Sato, Toshinori  ; Horiuchi, Yasuharu*; Mikake, Shinichiro ; Okihara, Mitsunobu*; Yahagi, Ryoji*; Kobayashi, Shinji*

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is implementing the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project to establish the scientific and technological basis for the geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste (HLW) in crystalline rocks. Excavation cycle times were recorded during the Ventilation Shaft sinking and compared with the planned excavation cycle times for evaluation of the baseline design plan. This included review of the cycle times in the design process and comparison with the actual construction results. The recorded results indicate that actual cycle times were twice as long as the design plan. This paper describes discussions on differences in cycle times between the design and actual times.