During normal and off-normal conditions, the concrete structures of dry storage system for spent nuclear fuel must maintain structural integrity. A stress-strain curve is the most important key factor for structural integrity evaluation. The ASTM C39 specifies the concrete specimen geometry for the static compression test. However, there is no standard specimen size for intermediate stain rate, and it is not easy to maintain consistency among all test results because the failure tendency is different from each other. In order to account for the strain rate effects on concrete, the dynamic increase factor (DIF) is conventionally addressed by dividing dynamic strength by static strength. However, the DIF value considers only the strength of concrete and does not describe the overall behavior of concrete, such as a stress-strain relation. The objective of this study is to propose proper specimen geometry for the concrete dynamic compression test by several parametric study. The static compression simulation results with the specimen specified in ASTM C39 showed the constant strain distribution in a cylindrical specimen. However, as the strain rate increases, the strain state in specimen showed a nonuniform with the same geometry of ASTM C39. The non-uniform strain state in the specimen deteriorates the consistency and accuracy of the compression test. Therefore, we presented the specimen shape and size to form a uniform strain state through radial direction by drilling a hole in the axial direction. We analyzed two specimens using ABAQUS with the concrete damaged plasticity model, one with a hole at the center and the other without the hole. As a result, the strain distribution became more uniform than the specimen without the hole. Based on the results, we proposed the specimen shape and size for the intermediate strain rate compression test.

Concrete structures of spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility should maintain their shielding ability and structural integrity during normal, off-normal and accident conditions. The concrete structures may deteriorate if the interim storage facility operates for more than several decades. Even if deterioration occurs, the concrete structures must maintain its unique functions (shielding and structural integrity). Therefore, it is necessary to establish an analysis methodology that can evaluate whether the deteriorated concrete structure maintains its integrity under not only normal or off-normal condition but also accident condition. In accident conditions such as tip over and aircraft collision, both static material properties and dynamic properties of the concrete are required to evaluate the structural integrity of the concrete structures. Unlike the calculated damage results for the static deformation of the concrete structure, it is very difficult to accurately estimate the damage values of the degraded concrete structures where an aircraft collides at a high strain rate. Therefore, the present authors have a plan to establish a database of the dynamic material properties of deteriorated concrete and implement to a Finite Element Analysis model. Prior to that, dynamic increase factors described in a few technical specifications were investigated. The dynamic increase factor represents the ratio of the dynamic to static strength and is normally reported as function of strain rate. In ACI-349, only the strain rate is used as a variable in the empirical formula obtained from the test results of specified concrete strengths of 28 to 42 MPa. The maximum value of dynamic increase factor is limited to 1.25 in the axial direction and 1.10 in the shear direction. On the other hand, in the case of the CEB model, static strength is included as variables in addition to the strain rate, and a constitutive equation in which the slope changes from the strain rate of 30 /s is proposed. As plotting the two dynamic increase factor models, in the case of ACI, it is drawn as a single line, but in the case of CEB, it is plotted as multiple lines depending on the static strength. The test methods and specimen sizes of the previously performed tests, which measured the concrete dynamic properties, were also investigated. When the strain rate is less than 10 /s, hydraulic or drop hammer machines were generally used and the length of the specimens was more than twice the diameter in most cases. However, in the case of Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar tests, the small size specimens are preferred to minimize the inertia effect, so the specimens were small and the length was less than twice the diameter. We will construct the dynamic properties DB with our planned deteriorate concrete specimen test, and also include the dynamic property data already built in the previous studies.

Currently, the development of evaluation technology for vibration and shock loads transmitted to spent nuclear fuel and structural integrity of spent nuclear fuel under normal conditions of transport is progressing in Korea by the present authors. Road transportation tests using surrogate spent nuclear fuel were performed in September, 2020 using a test model of KORAD-21 transportation cask and sea transportation tests were conducted from September 30 to October 4, 2021. In order to investigate amplification or attenuation characteristics, according to the load transfer path, a number of accelerometers were attached on a ship cargo hold, cradle, cask, canister, disk assembly, basket, and surrogate fuel assemblies and to investigate the durability of spent nuclear fuel rods, strain gages were attached on surrogate fuel assemblies. A ship named “JW STELLA” which has similar deadweight (5,000 ton) of existing spent nuclear fuel transportation ships was used for the sea transportation tests. The ship is propelled by 1,825 hp two main engines with two 4-bladed propellers. There are two major vibration sources in the ship. One is the vibration from waves and the other is the vibration from the engine and propeller system. The sensor locations on the ship were determined considering the vibration sources. The sea transportation test was performed for 5 days, the test data were measured successfully. The ship with the test model was departed from Changwon and sailed to Uljin, sailed west to Yeonggwang and then returned to Changwon. In addition to sailing on a designated test route, circulation test, braking/acceleration test, depth of water test, and rolling test were conducted. As a result of the preliminary data analysis of the sea test, power spectral densities and shock response spectrums were obtained according to the different test conditions. The vibratory loads caused by the wave mainly occurred in the frequency range of 0.1 to 0.3 Hz. The vibratory loads caused by the propeller occurred near the n/rev rotating frequencies, such as 5, 10, 20 Hz etc. However, those frequencies are far from the natural frequencies of local mode of the fuel rods, so it is considered that the vibratory loads from the wave and the propeller do not have a significant influence on the structural integrity of the fuel rods. Among all the test cases, maximum strain occurred at SG31 near the bottom nozzle on the test; the magnitude was 73.62 micro strain. Based on the analyzed road and sea transportation test data, a few input spectra for the shaker table test will be obtained and the shaker table test will be conducted in 2022. It is expected that the detailed vibration characteristics of the assembly which were difficult to identify from the test results can be investigated.