Sensors and Monitoring to Assess Grout and Vault Behavior for Performance Assessment (NUREG/CR-7169)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: July 2013
Date Published: June 2014

Prepared by:
Kenneth A. Snyder¹
W. Jason Weiss²

¹National Institute of Standards and Technology
Engineering Laboratory
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8615

²Purdue University
School of Civil Engineering
550 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051

Mark Fuhrmann, NRC Project Manager

NRC Job Code: V-6281

Prepared for:
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

To support performance assessment (PA) of waste vaults and grout monoliths, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has performed a preliminary evaluation of the state-of-the-art of sensors, nondestructive evaluation methods, and any relevant geophysical techniques that may be used to quantify changes to the intended chemical (e.g. redox state) and structural properties (e.g. crack initiation, development and propagation) of large engineered waste isolation systems. If the vaults and monoliths remain intact, the system performance should be consistent with the successful performance anticipated from the PA. Events such as cracking, however, could lead to significant changes in the overall vault or monolith performance. Measurement techniques that could be used to detect the onset of cracks and to detect changes in the chemical composition of the matrix are summarized in the context of a monitoring program.