SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1996
STP16123S

Geostatistical Simulation of Rock Quality Designation (RQD) to Support Facilities Design at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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The conceptual design of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository facility includes shafts and ramps as access to the repository horizon, located 200 to 400 m below ground surface. Geostatistical simulation techniques are being employed to produce numerical models of selected material properties (rock characteristics) in their proper spatial positions. These numerical models will be used to evaluate behavior of various engineered features, the effects of construction and operating practices, and the waste-isolation performance of the overall repository system. The work presented here represents the first attempt to evaluate the spatial character of the rock strength index known as rock quality designation (RQD). Although it is likely that RQD reflects an intrinsic component of the rock matrix, this component becomes difficult to resolve given the frequency and orientation of data made available from vertical core records. The constraints of the two-dimensional study along the axis of an exploratory drift allow bounds to be placed upon the resulting interpretations, while the use of an indicator transformation allows focus to be placed on specific details that may be of interest to design engineers. The analytical process and subsequent development of material property models is anticipated to become one of the principal means of summarizing, integrating, and reconciling the diverse suite of earth-science data acquired through site characterization and of recasting the data in formats specifically designed for use in further modeling of various physical processes.

Author Information

Cromer, MV
Sandia National Laboratories/Spectra Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
Rautman, CA
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Zelinski, WP
Sandia National Laboratories/Spectra Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
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Details
Developed by Committee: D18
Pages: 218–235
DOI: 10.1520/STP16123S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5337-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-2414-1