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Journal Articles

Evaluation of temporal changes in fracture transmissivity in an excavation damaged zone after backfilling a gallery excavated in mudstone

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi

Environmental Earth Sciences, 83(3), p.98_1 - 98_15, 2024/02

The long-term geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste relies on predictions of future changes in a disposal facility's hydro-mechanical characteristics to assess potential leakage through fractures in the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) after backfilling the facility. This study evaluated the transmissivity of EDZ fractures using in situ hydraulic tests around the area of a full-scale, experimental, engineered barrier system in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Hokkaido, Japan. After their installation, the buffer blocks swelled, altering the stresses within the EDZ fractures. The effects of these changing stresses on the fractures' transmissivity were assessed over a period of 4 years. The transmissivity continuously decreased in this period to about 41% of its value measured prior to the swelling. Using the Barton-Bandis normal-stress-dependent fracture-closure model, the decrease in transmissivity is quantitatively attributed to closure of the EDZ fractures, which was caused by the swelling pressure increasing up to 0.88 MPa. Evidence of fracture closure came from seismic tomography surveying, which revealed a slight increase in seismic velocity in the study area with increasing swelling pressure. The results show that EDZ fractures were closed by swelling of the full-scale buffer material. They also demonstrate the applicability of the Barton-Bandis model to preliminary estimation of the long-term transmissivity of EDZ fractures in facilities for the geological disposal of radioactive waste.

Journal Articles

Resin-injection testing and measurement of the shear displacement and aperture of excavation-damaged-zone fractures; A Case study of mudstone at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi; Chen, Y.*; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 55(4), p.1855 - 1869, 2022/04

 Times Cited Count:3 Percentile:52.76(Engineering, Geological)

Safety assessments related to the long-term migration of radionuclides in high-level radioactive waste disposal repositories need to consider the evolution of permeability associated with excavation-damaged-zone (EDZ) fractures. We observed EDZ fractures preserved by resin injection around a gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in Japan with the aim of assessing the sensitivity of aperture to shear displacement (i.e., dilation angle) in EDZ fractures. To date, shear displacement along EDZ fractures has not been quantified despite its importance for estimating the evolution of fracture aperture around excavations after the repository is backfilled. Enlarged photographs of EDZ fractures fixed by resin were examined to obtain reliable and accurate measurements of the shear displacement and aperture of EDZ fractures without additional disturbance. Measured shear displacement and fracture aperture are poorly correlated, meaning that fracture aperture is insensitive to shear displacement after fracture formation. This insensitivity is closely reproduced by a previously reported empirical relationship and is attributed to the relatively high levels of normal stress acting on fracture surfaces at 350 m depth, which suppress shear-induced dilatation. Considering this insensitivity between fracture aperture and shear displacement, shear-induced dilation of EDZ fractures is estimated to be negligible even if the fractures are shear-displaced after the repository is backfilled, so long as the normal stress acting on fracture surfaces does not reduce substantially. The applied resin injection and fracture observations constitute a useful tool for helping to assess the likelihood of shear-induced dilation after the repository is backfilled.

Journal Articles

Oxidation of anatase TiO$$_{2}$$(001) surface using supersonic seeded oxygen molecular beam

Katsube, Daiki*; Ono, Shinya*; Takayanagi, Shuhei*; Ojima, Shoki*; Maeda, Motoyasu*; Origuchi, Naoki*; Ogawa, Arata*; Ikeda, Natsuki*; Aoyagi, Yoshihide*; Kabutoya, Yuito*; et al.

Langmuir, 37(42), p.12313 - 12317, 2021/10

 Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:7.13(Chemistry, Multidisciplinary)

We investigated the oxidation of oxygen vacancies at the surface of anatase TiO$$_{2}$$(001) using supersonic seeded molecular beam (SSMB) of oxygen. The oxygen vacancies at the top-surface and sub-surface could be eliminated by the supply of oxygen using an SSMB. These results indicate that the interstitial vacancies can be mostly assigned to oxygen vacancies, which can be effectively eliminated by using an oxygen SSMB. Oxygen vacancies are present on the surface of anatase TiO$$_{2}$$(001) when it is untreated before transfer to a vacuum chamber. These vacancies, which are stable in the as-grown condition, could also be effectively eliminated using the oxygen SSMB.

Journal Articles

High-spin states in $$^{35}$$S

Go, Shintaro*; Ideguchi, Eiji*; Yokoyama, Rin*; Aoi, Nori*; Azaiez, F.*; Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Kimura, Atsushi; Kisamori, Keiichi*; Kobayashi, Motoki*; et al.

Physical Review C, 103(3), p.034327_1 - 034327_8, 2021/03

 Times Cited Count:4 Percentile:58.42(Physics, Nuclear)

JAEA Reports

Poro-elastic parameter acquisition test using siliceous mudstone (Wakkanai formation)

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:8.25MB
JAEA-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.

JAEA Reports

Synthesis report on the R&D for the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Project carried out during fiscal years 2015-2019

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.

JAEA Reports

Visualization of fractures in an excavation damaged zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, 2 (Joint research)

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.

Journal Articles

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.

Journal Articles

A Method for estimating the highest potential hydraulic conductivity in the excavation damaged zone in mudstone

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 52(2), p.385 - 401, 2019/02

 Times Cited Count:14 Percentile:66.1(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.

Journal Articles

Evolution of the excavation damaged zone around a modelled disposal pit; Case study at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Ishii, Eiichi; Nakayama, Masashi; Kimura, Shun

Proceedings of 13th SEGJ International Symposium (USB Flash Drive), 5 Pages, 2018/11

The construction of underground facilities induces fractures in the rock mass around the underground voids due to the resultant stress redistribution. This has particular implications for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal projects, where fracture development creates an excavation damaged zone (EDZ) that increases the hydraulic conductivity of the surrounding rock mass and can provide a pathway for the migration of radionuclides from the storage facilities. It is therefore important to understand the long-term evolution of the EDZ and perform a comprehensive HLW disposal risk assessment. An in situ engineered barrier system experiment was conducted in the 350 m gallery at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan, to observe the near-field coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) process in situ and validate coupled THMC models. Here we investigate the evolution of the EDZ around the gallery and model a test pit that was excavated below the floor of the gallery using a series of seismic tomography surveys. There was a significant decrease in the seismic velocity field around the test pit due to its excavation, which became slightly more pronounced over time after the excavation. These seismic results, coupled with hydraulic tests and pore pressure measurements around the pit, indicate that fracture development and the decrease in saturation around the test pit resulted in a decrease in the seismic velocity field after the excavation of the test pit. Furthermore, the increase in saturation around the test pit is a key reason for the increase in the seismic velocity field after the heater test.

Journal Articles

Temporal trend in excavation disturbed zone around a modeled disposal pit in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Ishii, Eiichi; Matsuzaki, Yoshiteru

Shigen, Sozai Koenshu (Internet), 5(1), 7 Pages, 2018/03

no abstracts in English

JAEA Reports

Visualization of fractures in an Excavation Damaged Zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (Joint research)

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Chen, Y.*; Sakurai, Akitaka; Ishii, Eiichi; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

JAEA-Research 2017-014, 49 Pages, 2018/01

JAEA-Research-2017-014.pdf:16.29MB

In this research, we performed the resin injection experiment at the 350 m gallery of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in order to identify the three dimensional distribution of fractures induced around the gallery owing to excavation. To this end, the low viscosity resin mixed with a fluorescent substance was developed and applied to the in situ resin injection experiment. As a result, the resin was successfully penetrated into the fractures around the gallery without disturbing their situation and then fixed within them. After the experiment, the rock cores around the injection borehole were drilled for the observation. The observation under ultraviolet light revealed that the extent of the development of fractures was about 0.9 m into the borehole wall. In addition, the aperture of the fractures distributed within 0.3 m from the gallery wall was ranged 1 to 2 mm, and that distributed from 0.3 to 0.9 m was less than 1 mm. On the other hand, in the borehole televiewer (BTV) survey, only one fracture within 0.2 m from the wall could be detected owing to the resolution of the survey system. Thus, it is expected that the BTV survey underestimate the extent of the development of fractures.

Journal Articles

Study on analysis methodology of AE signal wave at great depth excavation

Niunoya, Sumio*; Hata, Koji*; Uyama, Masao*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Wakasugi, Keiichiro

Dai-45-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (CD-ROM), p.226 - 231, 2018/01

The objective of this research is to investigate the long-term hydro-mechanical behavior of rock mass around the shaft in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The long-term monitoring has been carried out by optical AE sensors, optical water pressure sensors, and optical temperature sensors below 350m depth of the shaft in the Horonobe URL. From the first analytical results, it was too hard to discriminate the uncleared AE wave by using the resonant characteristic. Thus, at this time, we tried to reanalysis by using the half width of spectrum, we could discriminate it correctly as AE from the breaking of rock.

Journal Articles

The Development of extra high head pump for cutoff grout drainage in a deep vertical shaft

Shirase, Mitsuyasu*; Abe, Akimasa*; Nago, Makito*; Ishii, Eiichi; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Wakasugi, Shinichi*

Doboku Gakkai Heisei-29-Nendo Zenkoku Taikai Dai-72-Kai Nenji Gakujutsu Koenkai Koen Gaiyoshu (DVD-ROM), p.1795 - 1796, 2017/09

JAEA has executed the underground facility construction operation from February 2011 to June 2014, while carrying out the maintenance and research project until 2018. This report is about the extra high head pump which was able to drain the high specific gravity grout drainage, which develops during grouting operation at this facility, directly from 250m underground to the surface.

Journal Articles

Analytical study on the Excavation Damaged Zone in the 350 m gallery at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi

Shigen, Sozai Koenshu (Internet), 4(2), 7 Pages, 2017/09

no abstracts in English

JAEA Reports

Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project; Synthesis of Phase II (Construction Phase) investigations to a depth of 350m

Sato, Toshinori; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Ishii, Eiichi; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Fujita, Tomoo*; Tanai, Kenji; Nakayama, Masashi; Takeda, Masaki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2016-025, 313 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Research-2016-025.pdf:45.1MB

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 through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formations at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. This report summarizes the results of the Phase II investigations carried out from April 2005 to June 2014 to a depth of 350m. Integration of work from different disciplines into a "geosynthesis" ensures that the Phase II goals have been successfully achieved and identifies key issues that need to made to be addressed in the Phase II investigations Efforts are made to summarize as many lessons learnt from the Phase II investigations and other technical achievements as possible to form a "knowledge base" that will reinforce the technical basis for both implementation and the formulation of safety regulations.

Journal Articles

Field observations and failure analysis of an excavation damaged zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

Journal of MMIJ, 133(2), p.25 - 33, 2017/02

In the construction of a deep underground facility, the hydromechanical properties of the rock mass around an underground opening are changed significantly due to stress redistribution. This zone is called an excavation damaged zone (EDZ). In high-level radioactive waste disposal, EDZs can provide a shortcut for the escape of radionuclides to the surface environment. Therefore, it is important to develop a method for predicting the detailed characteristics of EDZs. For prediction of the EDZ in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory of Japan, we conducted borehole televiewer surveys, rock core analyses, and repeated hydraulic conductivity measurements. We observed that niche excavation resulted in the formation of extension fractures within 0.2 to 1.0 m into the niche wall, i.e., the extent of the EDZ is within 0.2 to 1.0 m into the niche wall. These results are largely consistent with the results of a finite element analysis implemented with the failure criteria considering failure mode. The hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ was increased by 3 to 5 orders of magnitude compared with the outer zone. The hydraulic conductivity in and around the EDZ has not changed significantly in the two years following excavation of the niche. These results show that short-term unloading due to excavation of the niche created a highly permeable EDZ.

Journal Articles

Hydrogeomechanical properties of excavation damaged zones along galleries in different depths of the Horonobe underground research laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi

Dai-14-Kai Iwa No Rikigaku Kokunai Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 6 Pages, 2017/01

The objective of this research is to investigate the hydro-mechanical properties of excavation damaged zones (EDZs) along the galleries excavated in 250 m and 350 m depths. We conducted hydraulic tests, BTV observations and core analyses. As a result, in the 250 m gallery, the extent of the EDZ was 1.0 m into the gallery wall. The hydraulic conductivity was increased by 2 to 3 orders of magnitudes compared with that of intact rock. On the other hand, in the 350 m gallery, the extent of the EDZ was 0.4 m into the gallery wall; the hydraulic conductivity was increased by 5 orders of magnitudes compared with that of intact rock. We investaged the difference of the characteristics of the EDZs on the basis of competence factor and ductility index. As a result, it was estimated that an extent of an EDZ decreases with decrease of competence factor; a hydraulic conductivity in an EDZ increases with decrease of ductility index.

Journal Articles

Nitrogen hot trap design and manufactures for lithium test loop in IFMIF/EVEDA project

Wakai, Eiichi; Watanabe, Kazuyoshi*; Ito, Yuzuru*; Suzuki, Akihiro*; Terai, Takayuki*; Yagi, Juro*; Kondo, Hiroo; Kanemura, Takuji; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Hirakawa, Yasushi; et al.

Plasma and Fusion Research (Internet), 11, p.2405112_1 - 2405112_4, 2016/11

BB2015-1982.pdf:2.03MB

Journal Articles

A Study of excavation damaged zone induced around the modeled disposal pit in Horonobe Underground Research Center

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi; Nakayama, Masashi; Fujita, Tomoo

Nihon Zairyo Gakkai Dai-65-Ki Tsujo Sokai, Gakujutsu Koenkai Rombunshu (USB Flash Drive), p.19 - 20, 2016/05

no abstracts in English

46 (Records 1-20 displayed on this page)