Reliability of geotechnical, environmental, and radiological instrumentation in nuclear waste repository studies

The task reported herein examines the reliability of instrumentation which may be used at future waste repository sites. Using studies of instrument reliability and failure mechanisms and on-site observations of instruments under actual operating conditions, this report assesses the status of instrument reliability in specific areas of waste repository instrumentation and identifies needed improvements. Visits to Department of Energy (DOE) waste repository experimental sites have yielded first-hand observations of problems, and progress made by DOE experimenters in solving some of these problems. This report can aid in the development of regulatory guidance for conditions of application or on acceptable limits of instrument operation