Need of geotechnical investigations for civil design of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities

An adequate assessment of the site geologic and geotechnical conditions is one of the most important aspects in safety evaluation of a Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility (NFCF). Evaluation of safety of either a new or an existing NFCF requires, among other things, that its founding strata has been adequately examined, explored, and investigated so that it is as fully understood as possible. Foundation explorations should be directed towards obtaining only such information as may be important to an evaluation of Safety of the NFCF Civil structures of NFCF generally impose heavy loads on the foundation systems. Safe design of foundation aims at providing sound foundation systems for the structures so that they can fulfil their functional requirements towards the objective of nuclear safety. This paper aims at discussing various geotechnical tests and there importance in the safe evaluation and design of civil structures of NFCF in India. (author)