Selected studies within the BENIPA Project

BENIPA is a research project, within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Union. The overall objective of BENIPA is to assess the state of the art in the treatment of bentonite barriers in Integrated Performance Assessment, evaluating the capacity and consistency of methods and data available. This poster illustrates part of the work performed in BENIPA regarding the following four type of analysis: a) Reactive transport calculations through the buffer, highlighting the coupling between bentonite minerals and cementitious degradation products; b) The mechanical effects of corrosion products in the near field, showing how the expansion of a carbon steel canister corrosion products may lead to the development of stresses; c) A benchmark calculation case for repositories in argillaceous rock, where poor sealing scenarios are investigated; d) The migration of radionuclides through the bentonite buffer for repositories in both granite and clay. (authors)