ITC School - Meiringen, Switzerland - TIMODAZ Second Training Course: Impact of THMC processes on Performance Assessment

TIMODAZ Second Training Course: Impact of THMC processes on Performance Assessment

UPC, Barcelona, Spain, 13th - 15th January 2010

EU FP6 Programme TIMODAZ Logo

Online course registration is available here.

Training Course Objective and Structure

The TIMODAZ project within the EU FP6 programme is a four-year Specific Targeted Project (2006 – 2010) that investigates the thermal impact on the damaged zone (DZ) which evolves around a radioactive waste repository in clay host rocks. The DZ is defined here as the zone of the host rock with Thermo Hydro Mechanical and Chemical (THMC) modifications induced by the repository, with major changes in the transport properties of radionuclides. These transport properties are the low permeability of clays, a slow diffusive transport combined with the absence of preferential migration pathways for solutes and some sealing capacity. The priorities of the TIMODAZ project have been set on the study of the combined effect of the Excavation Disturbed Zone (EdZ) and the thermal impact on the host rocks around a radioactive waste repository and how to apply this in performance assessment. More information is given on the TIMODAZ website (www.timodaz.eu).

The second training course of the TIMODAZ project focuses on the impact of THMC processes on deep clay geological formations (soils and rocks) on performance assessment for heat-emitting high level radioactive wastes. The course lasts in total two days. There will be lectures given by tutors from the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI (the regulatory authority in Switzerland) and the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials ONDRAF/NIRAS (the agency concerned with radioactive waste and its management in Belgium) providing the regulatory framework. Furthermore, the current results of the laboratory experiments (including a lab visit), in-situ tests and modelling conducted during the TIMODAZ project are presented by tutors from Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL), the Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. A group exercise will be carried out to identify TIMODAZ results that can be used in the context of a safety case. Finally, a worked example of a waste management agency will be presented by Nagra

Course Location

The training course will take place in the 'Departamento de Ingeniería del Terreno, Edifici (building) D2 of the Campus Nord of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)' in Barcelona, Spain, Room 212, 2nd floor (see www.upc.es and for a map).

TIMODAZ 2010 Second Course Location
Location of Building D2 - click here for full size PDF of the above map 543 Kb

The Department is easily accessible by public transport. The nearest Metro stations are "Zona Universitaria" and "Palau Reial" on Line 3 (green). They are also shown on the map.

Who should attend ?

Young professionals as well as scientists working for universities, implementers and regulators entering the research areas of TIMODAZ with a geomechanics or performance assessment background. Scientists and students from outside the project are most welcome.

Course Programme

Wednesday, 13th January 2010
Morning	Travel / Arrival
1215 – 1345	LUNCH
1345 – 1415	Orientation Participants introduce themselves	P. Blaser, ITC, A. Gens, UPC / CIMNE, All
1415 – 1545	General context – Radioactive wastes – Geological disposal – Regulatory framework for the safety case	F. Altorfer, ENSI
1545 – 1615	Short introduction to group exercise of day 2 & announce constitution of working groups	All tutors
1615 – 1630	COFFEE
1630 – 1800	What is (in a) safety case?	M. Capouet, ONDRAF / NIRAS
2000 – …	COURSE DINNER in Barcelona
Thursday, 14th January 2010
0845 – 0945	Lab test results from TIMODAZ project	S. Salager, EPFL
0945 – 1045	Lab visit of UPC/CIMNE laboratories	E. Romero, UPC / CIMNE
1045 – 1100	COFFEE
1100 – 1200	In situ test results from TIMODAZ project	T. Vietor, Nagra
1200 – 1300	Modelling results from TIMODAZ project	B. Garitte, UPC/CIMNE
1300 – 1430	LUNCH
1430 – 1630	Group exercise: Two reference designs for radioactive waste repositories in deep geological clay formations (OPA/Bentonite & BC/Concrete) are provided and briefly explained (how the systems are supposed to fulfil their safety functions) Participants with a PA and geomechanics background will work together to: 1. identify TIMODAZ results (from morning presentations) that can be used in the context of a safety case and propose how to treat these: concepts (anisotropy, thermo-plasticity,...) supporting pheno evidence (self-sealing, upscaling,...) predictive capability of models ... 2. build a storyboard of the expected evolution of the disturbed zone up to (at least) the end of the thermal period	All tutors and participants
1630 – 1645	COFFEE
1645 – 1800	Group exercise continued	All tutors and participants
Friday, 15th January 2010
0845 – 1015	Presentations of exercise results by trainee groups	Presenters from Groups Tutors
1015 – 1030	COFFEE
1030 – 1145	How a waste management agency (implementer) does it	P. Marschall, Nagra
1145 – 1215	Summary & Feedback Discussion How participants plan to use what they have learned and maintain contacts and build upon the course	All
1215	End of course	All
1215 – 1345	LUNCH

Course Registration

Online course registration is available here.

Please note that the number of participants of this course is limited to 25.

Course Fee

(inclusive of 3 lunches with non-alcoholic beverages and coffee breaks): 100.- Euro / person
Option of a Course Dinner (including beverages & wine) is available for : 60.- Euro extra / person

Accommodation, Arrival and Departure

You should plan on arriving on Wednesday morning before lunch time (lunch can be organised). The course will finish on Friday, 15th January at 12:15 h with the possibility to have lunch in order to allow you to get home the same day.

Information on the airport is provided by the official website:
Barcelona Airport Website

Information about the city is available at the following website:
http://www.bcn.es/turisme/english/turisme/welcome.htm

Metro-bus information is provided by the Barcelona metropolitan public transportation website:
http://www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp

Although the meeting place is easily accessible by public transport from the centre of town, there are some hotels within walking distance (20 – 25 minutes) to the course venue. The organisation of the course does not arrange accommodation. Following are a few suggested hotels:

Hotel Husa Arenas (****)
Capitan Arenas, 20, 08034 Barcelona. Tel. +34.93.280.03.03 – Fax. +34.93.280.33.92
http://www.hotelhusaarenas.com/en/

Hotel Bonanova Park (**)
Capitá Arenas, 51, 0834 Barcelona. Tel. + 34 93 204 09 00 – Fax. + 34 93 204 50 14
http://www.hotelbonanovapark.com/

Hotel Pedralbes (***)
Fontcuberta, 4, 08034 Barcelona. Tel. +34.93.203.71.12 – Fax. +34.93.205.70.65
http://www.hotelhusapedralbes.com/en/

Information on other Barcelona hotels is available at http://www.barcelonahotels.es/ and in the usual booking websites. Early booking is advisable.

Contact

If you need any assistance please contact:

Gabi Vonlanthem
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ITC School of Underground Waste Storage and Disposal
Taefernstrasse 11, CH 5405 Baden-Daettwil, Switzerland
Tel. +41-56-4300838, Fax +41-56-4300839

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 February 2010 )

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