| AREVA > SOGEFIBRE Home > Business > Containers |
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| SOGEFIBRE PROPOSES TWO KIND OF CONTAINERS |
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| The design and dimensions of the containers may be adapted to suit a client's specific requirements, including: |
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overall dimensions, |
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wall thickness, |
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lid dimensions, and |
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closure and plugging system. |
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| Containment and strength |
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| Fiber-reinforced concrete has excellent
radionuclide containment properties and resists aging caused
by the elements and other external forces. This is due to: |
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careful selection of constituents and development of appropriate formulas; |
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use of Fibraflex, a metal fiber with strong corrosion-resistance properties, to improve concrete mechanical properties and minimize microcracking; and |
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use of ISO 9002-certified manufacturing processes. |
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| Tests simulating actual disposal conditions have shown minimal corrosion of Sogefibre container walls from water infiltration over a period of 300 years. |
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| Durability |
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| The container walls must provide the necessary mechanical strength as well as radionuclide containment throughout long-term storage and final disposal. |
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| A very conservative design basis was used to determine the wall thickness of the Sogefibre container for its 300-year service life, after which time radioactivity levels in the waste will have become negligible. |
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| In France |
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ANDRA, the French national radioactive waste management agency, validated the design in actual disposal conditions at the Centre de l'Aube. The containment properties of the containers are such that simplified engineered structures may be used for their disposal. |
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| In the United States |
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the "Multi-use Container" developed under a Sogefibre license has been certified as a "High Integrity Container" by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The durability of the container has been demonstrated in actual disposal conditions in the United States. |
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| > Photos of cylindrical containers |
| > Photos of cubical containers |
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