Visualization of fractures induced around the gallery wall in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

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.

In situ stress measurements at the 350m pumping station in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Niunoya, Sumio*

JAEA-Data/Code 2015-010, 190 Pages, 2015/10

JAEA-Data-Code-2015-010.pdf:18.7MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2015-010-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:127.68MB

The objective of this report is to investigate the three dimensional stress state in the 350m pumping station at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. For the measurement, four boreholes were drilled; three 20.0m long boreholes and one 6.0m long borehole. Hydraulic fracturing was applied as a stress measurement method. For the analysis, shut-in pressure of a transverse fractures, reopening pressure of longitudinal fractures and stress condition causing borehole breakouts were integrated into the equation; then stress state was calculated by inversion technique. As a result, considering the stress condition causing breakouts, the value of the maximum principal stress was 12 MPa, two times larger than overburden pressure. Furthermore, the ratio between maximum to minimum principal stress was 6. On the other hand, without considering the stress condition causing breakout, the maximum principal stress was 6 MPa; almost same as overburden pressure; the ratio between maximum to minimum principal stress was 2.7, thus the result was almost coincide with the result of surface-based investigation. The orientation of the maximum principal stress was N30W, dipping 45 from vertical axis.

In situ stress measurement at the 250m Niche off the South Shaft No.1 in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Niunoya, Sumio*

JAEA-Data/Code 2015-011, 182 Pages, 2015/09

JAEA-Data-Code-2015-011.pdf:33.41MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2015-011-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:41.95MB

The objective of this report is to investigate the three dimensional stress state in the 250 m Niche off the South Shaft No.1 at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. For the measurement, three 20.0m long boreholes were drilled. Hydraulic fracturing was applied as a stress measurement method. For the analysis, shut-in pressure of a transverse fractures, reopening pressure of longitudinal fractures and stress condition causing borehole breakouts were integrated into the equation; then stress state was calculated by inversion technique. As a result of the in situ stress state measurement around the experimental area, the orientation of the maximum principal stress is estimated to be between E-W and ENE-WSW, dipping almost horizontal direction. This result agrees well with the estimated orientation of the main principal stress, the location of the borehole wall breakouts in 10-E250-M01 and the orientation of the generated crack in 10-E250-M03. The value of the maximum principal stress was 3.97 MPa.