Prospects for coupled modelling

Clay-based buffer and tunnel backfill materials are important barriers in the KBS- 3 repository concept for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. Significant changes can be expected to occur to the properties and behaviour of buffer and backfill, especially during re-saturation and through the thermal period. Reactions will occur in response to thermal and chemical gradients, induced by the thermal output of the spent fuel and at interfaces between different barrier materials, such as cement/clay, steel/clay etc. Processes of ion exchange, mineral dissolution and precipitation, and swelling can lead to significant re-distribution of mass and evolution of physical properties so that reliable predictive modelling of future behaviour and properties must be made. This report evaluates the current status of modelling of buffer and backfill evolution and tries to assess the potential future capabilities in the short- to medium-term (5-10 years) in a number of technical areas: (1) Non-isothermal (T-H-M-C-B) modelling and the potential for cementation, (2) The consistency of models, (3) Swelling pressure, (4) Cement-bentonite interactions, (5) Iron-bentonite interactions, (6) Mechanical (shear) behavior, and (7) Bentonite erosion