| Summary: | Andra is in charge of studying the feasibility of a disposal facility for longlived high-level nuclear waste (LL-HLW) in a deep geological environment. With this aim, dedicated experiments have been carried out for several years at the Meuse/Haute Marne Underground Research Laboratory excavated in a 500 m deep argillaceous rock formation. These experiments include determining the feasibility of the excavation of disposal cells for LL-HLW, consisting of 40 meter long, 70 cm in diameter, horizontal cased micro tunnels. The hydro mechanical impact of the excavation of such openings on the rock mass behaviour is continuously monitored as well as their mean term mechanical behaviour. Since LL-HLW produce heat, the impact of temperature on the surrounding rock mass and on the micro tunnel steel casing will also be studied. Specific instrumentation has been developed to study this impact. The first step of the microtunnel excavation tests, carried out in 2009, has led to improving the excavation method and the drilling machine. These improvements will be tested in the next step of the excavation tests planned for 2010. The THM experiment dedicated to studying the behaviour of the rock mass under thermal solicitation started early 2010. The behaviour of a steel casing in contact with the rock mass and under thermal solicitation will be studied in an experiment scheduled to start in September 2010.
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