Multi–sensory Monitoring and Non–destructive Testing of New Materials for Concrete Engineered Barrier Systems

Abstract

The crucial part of nuclear waste storage is the construction of sealing structures made of reliable, safe and well–understood materials. We present an extended analysis of long-term multi–sensory monitoring and non–destructive testing (NDT) inspection of two laboratory specimens aiming at potential materials for sealing structures for nuclear waste repositories. Specimens with a volume of 340 litres made from newly developed alkali–activated materials (AAM) and established salt concrete (SC) were analysed using embedded acoustic emission and wireless radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors, ultrasonic echo imaging, active thermography, and X–ray computed tomography. The monitoring analysis showed lower heat of reaction and 50% less acoustic emission events in AAM compared to SC. However, due to the surface effects of the AAM material, the number of acoustic emission events increased significantly after approximately two months of monitoring. Subsequently performed NDT inspections reliably located embedded sensors and confirmed the absence of major cracks or impurities. The presented laboratory results show the feasibility and potential of comprehensive NDT monitoring and inspection to characterise cementitious and alternative materials as well as the need for multi–parameter long–term monitoring. Thus, our study demonstrates that tailored NDT investigations will help to develop safe sealing structures for nuclear waste repositories.