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Foundation Floor Geological Mapping of a Nuclear Reactor

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Abstract

Foundation floor mapping is essential for very important structures to provide permanent data set for geological interpretations. Prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) is being constructing at Kalpakkam, India. Nuclear Island Connected Building (NICB) is the main nuclear safety related structure of (PFBR), and is resting on a raft of 101.5 m × 93 m size at about 20 m below the existing ground level. Geological floor mapping was prepared after the excavation. 2 m × 2 m grids were used for sampling study and mapping of the walls and floor. The floor region of this raft foundation was seen to contain certain weathered zone with fractures of thickness of in the order of 2 m. No evidences of faulting/shearing were observed on the surface of the floor area. The entire floor area was made up of compact and sound rock mass. However, there were some isolated patches of soft weathered/altered rock and small fractures in the rock. The structural features observed during the mapping exercise indicated the need for consolidation grouting so that the entire floor area function as single rock mass. This foundation geological map will assist in making better interpretation of post-construction foundation instrumentation data.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help rendered Department of Geology, Anna University, and Chennai, India for the geological characterisation of charnockite rock of the excavated area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reactor Engineering Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, India

    C. Harikumar, C. Sivathanu Pillai & S. C. Chetal

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  1. C. Harikumar
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  2. C. Sivathanu Pillai
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  3. S. C. Chetal
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Correspondence to C. Harikumar.

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Harikumar, C., Sivathanu Pillai, C. & Chetal, S.C. Foundation Floor Geological Mapping of a Nuclear Reactor. Geotech Geol Eng 28, 503–511 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-010-9319-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-010-9319-3

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