Preclosure Seismic Design Methodology for a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain

The proposed geologic repository under development at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, will employ multiple shell metallic containers (waste packages) for the disposal of nuclear waste. The waste packages represent a primary engineered barrier for protection and containment of the radioactive waste, and the design of these containers must consider a variety of structural conditions to insure structural integrity. Some of the more challenging conditions for structural integrity involve severe impact loading due to hypothesized event sequences, such as drops or collisions during transport and placement. Due to interactions between the various components leading to complex structural response during an impact sequence, nonlinear explicit dynamic simulations and highly refined models are employed to qualify the design for these severe impact loads. This paper summarizes the Design by Analysis methodologies employed for qualification of waste package design under impact loading and provides several illustrative examples using these methods. Example evaluations include a collision of a waste package by the Transport and Emplacement Vehicle (TEV) and two scenarios due to seismic events, including WP impact within the TEV and impact by falling rock. The examples are intended to illustrate the stringent Design by Analysis methods employed and also highlight the scope of structural conditions included in the design basis for waste packages to be used for proposed nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain.

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Investigation of Optimal Seismic Design Methodology for Piping Systems Supported by Elasto-plastic Dampers

Journal of System Design and Dynamics ◽

10.1299/jsdd.4.348 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 348-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tomohiro ITO ◽

Masashi MICHIUE ◽

Katsuhisa FUJITA

Keyword(s):

Seismic Design ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Piping Systems

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Plans for characterization of the potential geologic repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts ◽

10.1016/0148-9062(92)92016-6 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 390

Keyword(s):

Yucca Mountain ◽

Geologic Repository

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Demonstration of Safety for Geologic Disposal

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-333-199 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 333 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Edward C. Taylor ◽

Lawrence D. Ramspott ◽

William M. Sprecher

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Waste ◽

Yucca Mountain ◽

Technological Advance ◽

Department Of Energy ◽

Nuclear Waste Management ◽

Geologic Repository ◽

Geologic Disposal ◽

High Level ◽

A Site ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTThe U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a nuclear waste management system that will accept high-level radioactive waste, transport it, store it, and ultimately emplace it in a deep geologic repository. The key activity now is determining whether Yucca Mountain, Nevada is suitable as a site for the repository. If so, the crucial technological advance will be the demonstration that disposal of nuclear waste will be safe for thousands of years after closure. This paper assesses the impact of regulatory developments, legal developments, and scientific developments on such a demonstration.

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A PERFORMANCE-BASED SEISMIC DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR STEEL BRIDGE SYSTEMS

Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami ◽

10.1142/s179343110900055x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 03 (03) ◽

pp. 175-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

TSUTOMU USAMI ◽

HANBIN GE

Keyword(s):

Seismic Design ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Evaluation Method ◽

Ultimate Strain ◽

Steel Bridge ◽

Performance Matrix ◽

Bridge Structures ◽

Performance Based Seismic Design ◽

Displacement Based ◽

A Performance

This paper outlines a performance-based seismic design methodology for steel bridge systems. Two kinds of menus are proposed. The first is the displacement-based evaluation method which compares the response displacement with the ultimate displacement, and the second is the strain-based evaluation method which compares the response strain and the ultimate strain. Moreover, the seismic required performance matrix for bridge structures and soundness matrix for members are presented and discussed.

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