Performance assessment of a bentonite-sand mixture for nuclear waste isolation at the potential Akkuyu Nuclear Waste Disposal Site, southern Turkey

AKGÜN H., Ada M., Kockar M. K.

ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES, vol.73, no.10, pp.6101-6116, 2015 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 73 Issue: 10
  • Publication Date: 2015
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s12665-014-3837-x
  • Journal Name: ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.6101-6116
  • Keywords: Bentonite-sand mixture, Geotechnical assessment, Hydraulic conductivity, Compaction, Nuclear waste disposal, Seal design, HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY, SWELLING CHARACTERISTICS, CLAY, PERMEABILITY, COMPACTION, LINERS
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: No

Abstract

This study assesses the geotechnical performance of a compacted bentonite-sand mixture with a bentonite content ranging from 15 to 30 % by weight to be used as a material component in a waste sealing system. Geotechnical laboratory tests such as compaction, falling head permeability, swelling, unconfined compression and shear strength tests were conducted to select an optimum mixture which eventually led to a recommendation to select an optimum bentonite-sand mixture possessing a bentonite content of 30 % for the isolation of underground waste disposal facilities. Bentonite-sand seal design was performed for the optimum seal selected as a function of the axial stress applied to the seal and seal length-to-radius ratio.