Durability of a reinforced concrete designed for the construction of an intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility

The National Atomic Energy Commission of the Argentine Republic is developing a nuclear waste disposal management programme that contemplates the design and construction of a facility for the final disposal of intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The repository is based on the use of multiple, independent and redundant barriers. The major components are made in reinforced concrete so, the durability of these structures is an important aspect for the facility integrity. This work presents an investigation performed on a reinforced concrete specifically designed for this purpose, to predict the service life of the intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facility from data obtained with several techniques. Results obtained with corrosion sensors embedded in a concrete prototype are also included. The information obtained will be used for the final design of the facility in order to guarantee a service life more or equal than the foreseen durability for this type of facilities.

► The concrete studied induce a rebars corrosion rates lower than 1 μm/year.
► The carbonation rate is adequate to comply with the foreseen specifications.
► The use of pre-rusted reinforced bars increases the corrosion rate.
► The cycle of temperature on the electrochemical parameter measured is remarkable.