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Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Sugita, Yutaka
JAEA-Research 2020-004, 68 Pages, 2020/06
JAEA-Research-2020-004.pdf:6.4MB
JAEA-Research-2020-004-appendix1(DVD-ROM).zip:636.84MBJAEA-Research-2020-004-appendix2(DVD-ROM).zip:457.72MBJAEA-Research-2020-004-appendix3(DVD-ROM).zip:595.19MB
In construction and operational phase of a high-level radioactive waste disposal project, it is necessary to monitor on mechanical stability of underground facility for long term. In this research, we measured the displacement of the rock around the gallery and the stress acting on support materials. Furthermore, we investigated the durability of measurement sensor installed in the rock mass and the support material such as concreate lining and steel support. As a result, optical fiber sensor is appropriate for measurement of the displacement of rock mass around the gallery, while it is enough to apply the conventional electric sensor for the measurement of stress acting on the support material in the geological environment (soft rock and low inflow). The result of the measurement in the fault zone in 350 m gallery, show that the stresses acting on both shotcrete and steel arch lib exceeded the value which will cause the instability of the gallery. However, as, we found no crack on the surface of the shotcrete. By observation on the surface of shotcrete, thus, it was concluded that careful observation of shotcrete around that section in addition to the monitoring the measured stress was necessary to continue. In other measurement sections, there was no risk for the instability of the gallery as a result of the investigation of the measurement result.
Aoki, Tomoyuki*; Tani, Takuya*; Sakai, Kazuo*; Koga, Yoshihisa*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi
JAEA-Research 2020-002, 83 Pages, 2020/06
JAEA-Research-2020-002.pdf:8.25MBJAEA-Research-2020-002-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:6.63MB
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has conducted with the Horonobe Underground Research Project in Horonobe, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido for the purpose of research and development related to geological disposal technology for high-level radioactive wastes in sedimentary soft rocks. The geology around the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (HURL) is composed of the Koetoi diatomaceous mudstone layer and the Wakkanai siliceous layer, both of which contain a large amount of diatom fossils. Since these rocks exhibit relatively high porosity but low permeability, it is important to investigate the poro-elastic characteristics of the rock mass. For this objective, it is necessary to measure parameters based on the poro-elastic theory. However, there are few measurement results of the poro-elastic parameters for the geology around HURL, and the characteristics such as dependence on confining pressure are not clearly understood. One of the reasons is that the rocks show low permeability and the pressure control during testing is difficult. Therefore, a poro-elastic parameter measurement test was conducted on the siliceous mudstone of the Wakkanai formation to accumulate measurement results on the poro-elastic parameters and to examine the dependence of the parameters on confining pressure. As a result, some dependency of the poro-elastic parameters on confining pressure was observed. Among the measured or calculated poro-elastic parameters, the drained bulk modulus increased, while the Skempton's pressure coefficient, and the Biot-Wills coefficient in the elastic region decreased with the increase in confining pressure. The measurement results also inferred that the foliation observed in the rock specimens might impact a degree of dependency of those parameters on confining pressure.
Nakayama, Masashi; Saiga, Atsushi; Kimura, Shun; Mochizuki, Akihito; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ono, Hirokazu; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Takeda, Masaki; Hayano, Akira; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; et al.
JAEA-Research 2019-013, 276 Pages, 2020/03
JAEA-Research-2019-013.pdf:18.72MB
The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rock at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. The investigations will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). According to the research plan described in the 3rd Mid- and Long- term Plan of JAEA, "Near-field performance study", "Demonstration of repository design option", and "Verification of crustal-movement buffering capacity of sedimentary rocks" are important issues of the Horonobe URL Project, and schedule of future research and backfill plans of the project will be decided by the end of 2019 Fiscal Year. The present report summarizes the research and development activities of these 3 important issues carried out during 3rd Medium to Long-term Research Phase.
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Chen, Y.*; Ishii, Eiichi; Sakurai, Akitaka; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*
JAEA-Research 2019-011, 50 Pages, 2020/03
JAEA-Research-2019-011.pdf:3.48MB
In this research, we performed the resin injection experiment at the 350 m Gallery of Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in order to identify the distribution of fractures induced around the gallery owing to excavation. We also observed the rock cores obtained around the resin injection borehole under ultraviolet light. As a result, the extent of the development of EDZ fracture was 0.9 m from the gallery wall. In the depth within 0.4 m from the gallery wall, the density of the EDZ fracture is higher than the depth more than 0.4 m from the gallery wall. As a result of the analysis on the fracture aperture by image processing, the fractures with a large aperture (1.02 mm in maximum) were observed within 0.3 m from the gallery wall, while the maximum aperture was 0.19 mm in the depth more than 0.3 m from the gallery wall.
Niunoya, Sumio*; Hata, Koji*; Uyama, Masao*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tanai, Kenji
Dai-47-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (Internet), p.92 - 97, 2020/01
Since underground water at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory site includes the dissolved gas, it is important to understand the quantitative behavior of AE signal waveform clearly and to develop the criteria of sorting technique. In this report, we tried to perform two types of laboratory tests (Small pipe test and Flat-plate test) in order to obtain detail data of AE signal wave form under two-phase flow. As the result, we could understand that there exists the relationship between the pressure breathing and AE generation, and that the diameter of pipe did not affect the AE behavior.
Tsuji, Masakuni*; Okihara, Mistunobu*; Nakashima, Hitoshi*; Saito, Akira*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sato, Toshinori
Dai-47-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (Internet), p.266 - 271, 2020/01
As engineering technique for geological disposal, a lot of advancement development of the grout technology has been performed. But the design, construction method in consideration of the properties of matter acquisition and mechanism of the hardening that assumed a seawater condition bottom is non-establishment. As we carried out the knowledge under saline water, the basic properties acquisition, the penetration properties acquisition, a study revue based on such situation.
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Chen, Y.*; Ishii, Eiichi; Sakurai, Akitaka; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*
Proceedings of 5th ISRM Young Scholars' Symposium on Rock Mechanics and International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future (YSRM 2019 and REIF 2019) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/12
In the excavation of a repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal, it is important to understand the hydro-mechanical characteristics of the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) induced around the gallery because EDZ can lead to the migration pathway of radionuclides. Thus, we performed the resin injection experiment at the 350 m gallery of Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in Japan to investigate the characteristics of fractures induced around the gallery wall in excavation. In the experiment, we developed a low viscosity resin mixed with a fluorescent substance and injected to the borehole drilled about 1 m in length. After the experiment, we overcored around the injection borehole. The observation on the cut surface of the overcore under ultraviolet light revealed that the fractures were distributed within 0.8 m from the gallery wall. Fractures are interconnected each other in particular within 0.25 m from the niche wall. Furthermore, fractures with large aperture (about 1.0 mm) were developed in that region. These observed results will be fundamental information for understanding of the fracturing process in the EDZ.
Okazaki, Yasuyuki*; Hayashi, Hisashi*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Morimoto, Shingo*; Shinji, Masato*
Proceedings of 5th ISRM Young Scholars' Symposium on Rock Mechanics and International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future (YSRM 2019 and REIF 2019) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/12
In the design of tunnel support, the behavior of the rock mass around a tunnel and the stress acting on the tunnel support may be predicted using a numerical analysis. However, in such a numerical analysis, it is common to assume that each stratum comprises a homogeneous material, ignoring the heterogeneity of the geomechanical properties inherent to the rock mass. For this reason, it is not unusual for the results of the numerical analysis to differ from the actual behavior. We performed a tunnel excavation analysis considering the heterogeneity of the geomechanical properties in the rock mass to investigate the local increase in the tunnel support stress obtained in the 350 m gallery at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. The results revealed that, in order to predict the locally increased support stress in advance, it is necessary to carry out a tunneling excavation analysis considering the heterogeneity of the geomechanical properties. It was also revealed that the scale at which the geomechanical properties fluctuate is an important factor.
Miyakawa, Kazuya; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Akaki, Toshifumi*; Yamamoto, Hajime*
Proceedings of 5th ISRM Young Scholars' Symposium on Rock Mechanics and International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future (YSRM 2019 and REIF 2019) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/12
The construction and operation of geological repositories require excavation and ventilation of galleries, with significant groundwater drainage. Desaturation of rock around galleries is unavoidable and may affect hydraulic properties and redox conditions. This study used numerical modeling to assess the influence of dissolved gas on the degree of saturation of rock surrounding excavated galleries, focusing on siliceous mudstone rock in the 140 m, 250 m, and 350-m-deep galleries of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan. Based on previous 
electrical survey, the degree of saturation in the 250 m gallery was higher than that in the 140 m and 350 m galleries. In the Horonobe area, deep groundwater contains high concentrations of dissolved methane, and exsolution of this methane from pore water can affect desaturation. Simple numerical modeling, including simulation of multiphase flows, was undertaken for each gallery to confirm the effect of dissolved gas and rock permeability on desaturation. A sensitivity analysis was performed by varying dissolved gas contents and permeability. Results indicate that the dissolved gas content affects both the degree of saturation and its spatial extent, whereas rock permeability affects only the latter. Higher dissolved gas concentrations result in lower degrees of saturation with a greater spatial extent of desaturation, and higher permeability leads to greater extents of desaturation. It is therefore likely that gas content, rather than rock permeability, caused the observed variations in the saturation degree.
Tsuji, Masakuni*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Nakashima, Hitoshi*; Okihara, Mistunobu*; Sato, Toshinori
Proceedings of the Nordic Grouting Symposium 2019 (Internet), 15 Pages, 2019/09
This paper shows an overall result of the 3-year study on the characterisation of the colloidal silica grout (CSG) under saline groundwater, aiming to enhance the existing rock grouting technology, especially for the CSG under the saline groundwater. As a first step, we performed the survey of the latest grouting technology of CSG. We developed a feasible mixing methodology and have obtained the various CSG's properties impacted by the salty mixing water or submerged by saline water. Moreover, we proposed a theory for the grout penetration under saline water and performed the injection tests. In the second workshop in the final year, our overall findings in this study were recognised to attain some progress in the development of the grouting technology.
Martikainen, J.*; Tsuji, Masakuni*; Schatz, T.*; Nakashima, Hitoshi*; Okihara, Mistunobu*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sato, Toshinori
Proceedings of the Nordic Grouting Symposium 2019 (Internet), 13 Pages, 2019/09
This paper shows a result of the part of the study on characterisation of penetration of the colloidal silica grout (CSG) under saline groundwater, aiming to understand the impact of salinity on grout penetration by verifying the improved penetration theory with laboratory tests. This theory was proposed to add a time factor 
to the existing penetration theory of Funehag, especially under the saline groundwater conditions. A series of grout injection tests by the fracture test system were performed. The CSG of one European and Japanese were injected in the system, filled with the five different groundwater simulants. All no-flow tests were successful, resulting in the formation of relatively homogeneous gelled zones. Based on the analysis of acquired , it was found that as an alternative method, designing a longer gel time by multiplying the inverse value of can be proposed to attain the required penetration. Although the results were fruitful, further investigation is necessary to develop this penetration theory.
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Sugita, Yutaka; Tanai, Kenji
Shigen, Sozai Koenshu (Internet), 6(2), 7 Pages, 2019/09
no abstracts in English
Aoyagi, Kazuhei
JAEA-Review 2019-008, 20 Pages, 2019/07
JAEA-Review-2019-008.pdf:3.33MB
As part of the research and development program on the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the Horonobe Underground Research Center, a division of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), is implementing the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project (Horonobe URL Project) with the aim at investigating sedimentary rock formations. According to the research plan described in the 3rd Mid- and Long- term Plan of JAEA, "Near-field performance study", "Demonstration of repository design option", and "Verification of crustal-movement buffering capacity of sedimentary rocks" are the top priority issues of the Horonobe URL Project, and schedule of future research and backfill plans of the project will be decided by the end of 2019 Fiscal Year. The Horonobe URL Project is planned to extend over a period of about 20 years. The investigations will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface-based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). This report summarizes the investigation program for the 2019 fiscal year (2019/2020). In the 2019 fiscal year, investigations in "geoscientific research", including "development of techniques for investigating the geological environment", "development of engineering techniques for use in the deep underground environment" and "studies on the long-term stability of the geological environment", are continuously carried out. Investigations in "research and development on geological disposal technology", including "improving the reliability of disposal technologies" and "enhancement of safety assessment methodologies", are also continuously carried out.
Ogata, Sho*; Yasuhara, Hideaki*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Kishida, Kiyoshi*
Proceedings of 53rd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/06
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tokiwa, Tetsuya*; Sato, Toshinori; Hayano, Akira
Proceedings of 2019 Rock Dynamics Summit in Okinawa (USB Flash Drive), p.682 - 687, 2019/05
In high-level radioactive disposal projects, it is important to investigate the extent of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) for safety assessment because EDZ can provide a migration pathway for radionuclides from the facility. To investigate the quantitative differences between EDZs formed because of blasting and mechanical excavation, we studied the characteristics of fractures induced by excavation based on fracture mapping performed during shaft sinking (V- and E-Shafts). As a result, it was found that blasting excavation can lead to the formation of a large number of newly created fractures (EDZ fractures) compared with mechanical excavation. In addition, the seismic velocity (P-wave velocity) measured during blasting excavation (E-Shaft) was lower than that measured during mechanical excavation (V-Shaft). Furthermore, we found that the support pattern that reinforces forward rocks to be appropriate for limiting damage to the shaft wall.
Sato, Toshinori; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Aydan, 
mer*; Tomiyama, Jun*; Morita, Tatsuri*
Proceedings of 2019 Rock Dynamics Summit in Okinawa (USB Flash Drive), p.640 - 645, 2019/05
An earthquake with a moment magnitude of 4 occurred in June 20, 2018, which is also named as the 2018 June 20 Soya Region earth-quake. The strong motions induced by this earthquake were recorded by the accelerometers installed in the Horonobe URL as well as the Kik-Net and K-Net strong motions networks operated by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention of Japan. The authors explain the results of the analyses carried out on the ground amplification and frequency characteristics of the acceleration records at the Horonobe URL and those of the Kik-net strong motion station and the structural effect of the URL on the ground amplification and frequency characteristics. Furthermore, the authors discuss the implications of the results obtained from this study in practice and the safety of the nuclear waste disposal at depth.
Kubota, Kenji*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sugita, Yutaka
Proceedings of 2019 Rock Dynamics Summit in Okinawa (USB Flash Drive), p.729 - 733, 2019/05
During the excavation of shafts and galleries in the deep subsurface for disposing of high-level radioactive waste, an excavation disturbed zone (EdZ) or excavation damaged zone (EDZ) is developed around the shafts and galleries. Such zones could influence the transfer behavior of radioactive nuclides, and it is therefore important to understand the behavior of the EdZ or EDZ. We performed in situ experiments before, during, and after gallery excavation in galleries of 140 and 250 m in depth in an area of soft sedimentary rock in Japan. The results demonstrate that the extent of fractures induced by the gallery excavation related with EDZ was confined to about 0.45 m from the gallery wall in the 140 m gallery and to about 1 m from the gallery wall in the 250 m gallery. The extent of the unsaturated zone related with EdZ was about 1 m in the 140 m gallery, but an unsaturated zone did not appear in the 250 m gallery.
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 52(2), p.385 - 401, 2019/02
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：37.95(Engineering, Geological)Excavation of deep underground openings induces permeable fractures around the opening due to stress redistribution. Such a zone is called excavation damaged zone (EDZ). In a high-level radioactive waste disposal project, the EDZ might provide pathways for the migration of radionuclides around the facility. Thus, this study focused on the development of a method for estimating the highest potential hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ around a gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan. Borehole televiewer surveys, rock core observations, and hydraulic tests were undertaken to investigate the extent and magnitude of hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ around the gallery. The observed extent of the EDZ shows good agreement with the EDZ estimated from hydro-mechanical coupling analysis. The measured hydraulic conductivities of the EDZ are within the range of those based on the Mean Stress Index (MSI), which is defined as the ratio of the effective mean stress derived from numerical analyses to the tensile strength of intact rock. Given that the rock mass is relatively homogeneous and artificial damage (e.g., blasting-induced damage) can be neglected, as in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, the MSI model is likely to be applicable in estimating the highest potential hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ.
Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Tanai, Kenji
Dai-46-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (CD-ROM), p.142 - 147, 2019/01
This research presents the hydro-mechanical behavior of EDZ in shaft sinking in the Horonobe underground Research Laboratory on the basis of the results of in situ hydraulic tests, acoustic emission (AE) measurements, and hydro-mechanical coupling numerical analysis. The AE sources were distributed within 1.5 m into the shaft wall; and hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ is 2 to 4 orders of magnitudes higher than that in no fractured area. On the other hand, on the basis of the result of numerical analysis, the maximum extent of the EDZ is 1.5 m into the gallery wall. This result is almost consistent with the trend of acoustic emission measurement and hydraulic test.
Motoshima, Takayuki*; Koike, Masashi*; Hagihara, Takeshi*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei
Dai-46-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (CD-ROM), p.208 - 213, 2019/01
The short step construction method is the standard construction method for deep shaft excavation. However, considering the shaft construction in the sedimentary rock widely distributed in Japan, the support concrete stress can become excessive especially when there are bad conditions such as low rock strength, anisotropic initial stress, or high ground pressure. In this research, we introduced the dual support design to the short step construction method in order to reduce the support stress, and confirmed the validity by three dimensional numerical analysis. Validation analysis was conducted using the in-situ data in the Horonobe Underground Research Project conducted by Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
