Borehole Sealing for Underground Waste Storage

Abstract

Rock drilling is involved in field investigations in the search for suitable sites for nuclear waste repositories. The boreholes have to be sealed with some low-permeable, ductile, and chemically stable plugs. Compacted bentonite clay confined in perforated metal pipes has been tried and laboratory as well as field tests show the merits of the technique, which should be applicable to holes of practically any length in many types of rock.