Long-term interaction between liner and claystone around a storage cavern (2011)
This project included feasibility studies to analyze building a radioactive waste repository set deep within a claystone layer. Itasca was asked to estimate the potential damage and consequences that may occur in the claystone surrounding a disposal gallery.
Observational Method for Deep Excavation (2010)
The Observational Method (OM) is a standard practice to support/guide design of infrastructure in sensitive environments, in particular for large excavations in urban areas. The example presented here is one of several cases from the construction of a recent subway line in Rome.
Depressurizing an Underground Ore Body at the McArthur River Mine in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada (2008)
Pre‐mining depressurizing of a deep ore body at the McArthur River mine, the largest single producer of uranium in the world, was considered to decrease the risk associated with mining and increase the ground stability and the amount of ore that could be extracted. The challenge was to depressurize the high‐grade ore bodies without propagating a significant amount of drawdown to the surface where impacts on surface‐water resources and the associated aquatic habitat would be significant environmental issues. The objective was to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of depressurizing the ore body.
Analysis of MSE Retaining Wall (2008)
A section of retaining wall H on Trunk Highway 41 (TH41) south of the junction with TH212 in Chaska, Minnesota, "pushed out" following significant rainfall during construction. The rainfall event occurred prior to the pavement placement with the fill material exposed. The movement (horizontal displacement) of the wall that occurred after the rainfall event was permanent and visible.
Vibration influence in the agglomeration of compressed powders ()
For aluminous cement manufacturers, the raw materials are becoming scarcer due to the depletion or loss of natural resources. The extraction of the raw material, its conditioning and transport generate dust, which is largely not reused at present. KERNEOS Aluminate Technologies wishes to recycle these bauxite fines by compacting them with the ambition of creating a new recycling process for fine mineral particles. All the partners in the PARC project contributed to the development of a new compaction technology.
Mechanical behavior of CBF-K canisters stored at CSA under internal gas pressure ()
In order to update the acceptance criteria of reactive metals in the Aube repository center (“CSA”, France) for low and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste, Itasca teamed with EGIS to study the mechanical behavior of graveled (OG) [1] and concreted (OB) structures containing concrete or steel canisters.
Calibration of a Blasting Model for an Open Pit Mine in Chile ()
The purpose of the study was to provide technical support to the blasting area of an open pit mine. The problem analyzed is related to the non-conformity of the design berms observed in the mine and the need to understand the relative contribution of the structural condition of the rock mass and the design of the blasts to the final situation of the affected benches.