Evaluation of excavation damaged zones (EDZs) in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL)

幌延深地層研究センターにおける掘削損傷領域の評価

畑 浩二*; 丹生屋 純夫*; 青柳 和平  ; 宮良 信勝*

Hata, Koji*; Niunoya, Sumio*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Miyara, Nobukatsu*

山岳トンネルや地下備蓄基地などの地下空洞の掘削時には、応力再配分の影響により空洞周辺岩盤に損傷が生じる。このような領域では、亀裂や不連続面が発生することから、発生に伴う振動(アコースティックエミッション、AE)が生じる。本研究では、長期的な立坑周辺岩盤のモニタリングのために、光ファイバー式のAEセンサー,間隙水圧計を1つのボーリング孔に設置できるプローブを開発した。計測の結果、立坑掘削に伴ってAEの発生数が顕著となり、さらに立坑壁面から1.5mの範囲で2から4桁の透水係数の増大を確認した。さらに、数値解析の結果、間隙水圧変化と割れ目の発達領域を適切に再現できた。これらの結果を踏まえ、立坑周辺の掘削損傷領域の概念モデルを構築した。なお、この成果は、高レベル放射性廃棄物処分時の安全評価の信頼性の向上に資するものである。

Excavation of underground caverns, such as mountain tunnels and energy-storage caverns, may cause the damages to the surrounding rock as a result of the stress redistribution. In this influenced zone, new cracks and discontinuities are created or propagate in the rock mass. Therefore, it is effective to measure and evaluate the acoustic emission (AE) events generated by the rocks, which is a small elastic vibration, and permeability change. The authors have developed a long-term measurement device that incorporates an optical AE (O-AE) sensor, an optical pore pressure sensor, and an optical temperature sensor in a single multi-optical measurement probe (MOP). Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting R&D activities to enhance the reliability of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) deep geological disposal technology. In a high-level radioactive disposal project, one of the challenges is the development of methods for long-term monitoring of rock mass behavior. Therefore, in January 2014, the long-term measurements of the hydro-mechanical behavior of the rock mass were launched using the developed MOP in the vicinity of 350 m below the surface at the Horonobe Underground Research Center. The measurement results show that AEs occur frequently up to 1.5 m from the wall during excavation. In addition, hydraulic conductivity increased by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. Elastoplastic analysis revealed that the hydraulic behavior of the rock mass affected the pore pressure fluctuations and caused micro-fractures. Based on this, a conceptual model is developed to represent the excavation damaged zone (EDZ), which contributes to the safe geological disposal of radioactive waste.