STUDIES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOST ROCK F OR REPOSITORIES

The Karlsruhe Research Center (FZK), together with several partners, c onducted a comparison of repository concepts in salt and in hard Rock (Geisha). The two repository media differ fundamentally in their therm al and mechanical properties. Changing the repository medium gives ris e to changes in functional relationships for several effects. The most important difference to be considered relates to the typical approach token to demonstrate safety: In hard rock, it is the demonstration of the functioning capability of the engineered and geotechnical barrier s which determines the viability of the concept, while it is the funct ioning capability of the geologic barriers in the case of rock salt.