Rock Mechanics for Underground Nuclear Waste Disposal in France

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses rock mechanics for underground nuclear waste disposal in France. Disposal of nuclear waste raises a series of scientific and philosophical questions, which require a truly pluridisciplinary approach. The behavior of the medium, where a highly active nuclear waste-disposal site is placed, is complex and depends on the type of material chosen. The mechanical consequences of thermal expansion are particularly pronounced in salt because the coefficient of thermal expansion is high. The risks of signs of failure in the far field in the salt formation, and the overburden, must be examined with all the more care since salt is very vulnerable to water circulation. The coefficient of thermal conduction of salt is high, which allows quicker dissipation of the heat released by the radioactive waste deposited. The phenomena of thermal conduction can bring about problems of heating the medium in the far field and especially near the surface.