구조물 보수 부위의 손상, 재 박리 등의 2차 피해가 이어지며, 보수 부위의 새로운 거동 평가 기법 에 대한 연구의 필요성이 대두되고 있다. 현재 구조물 보수 부위의 거동을 알기 위해서 주로 인력 중 심의 구조물 외관 검사를 진행하고 있으나, 단편적인 검사 결과를 얻게 되어 지속적이고 세밀한 점검 이 어려운 실정이다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 탄소나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트를 활용해 압축과 같 은 외부 응력에 대한 탄소나노튜브 함량별 전기적 변화를 분석하였으며, 균열이 발생한 콘크리트 구조 물을 보수 후 응력을 가해 거동에 따른 전기적 변화를 평가하였다. 압축 시험 결과, 응력에 따른 탄소 나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트의 전기 저항이 감소하며, 탄소나노튜브 함량이 낮을수록 응력에 대한 저항 감소 폭이 넓게 나타나며 민감도가 증가하였다. 균열 보수 시험 결과, 보수 부위에 응력이 가해 졌을 때 전기 저항이 감소해 앞서 진행된 실험 결과와 동일한 경향을 보였으며, 또한 응력이 가해지지 않을 때 초기 저항으로 회복하는 경향을 보여 구조물 보수 부위 거동에 대한 평가가 가능한 것으로 검 증되었다. 이를 통해, 탄소나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트는 구조물에 적용이 가능하며, 구조물 보수 후에도 가해지는 응력에 대한 지속적인 감지가 가능해 보수 부위 거동 평가가 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

During the operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP), the generation of radioactive waste, including dry active waste (DAW), concentrates, spent resin, and filters, mandates the implementation of appropriate disposal methods to adhere to Korea’s waste acceptance criteria (WAC). In this context, this study investigates the potential use of polymer concrete (PC) as a high-integrity container (HIC) material for solidifying and packaging these waste materials. PC is a versatile composite material comprising binding polymers, aggregates, and additives, known for its exceptional strength and chemical stability. A comprehensive analysis of PC’s long-term integrity was conducted in this study. First, its compressive strength, which is crucial for ensuring the structural stability of HICs over extended periods, was evaluated. Subsequently, the resilience of PC was tested under various stress conditions, including biological, radiological, thermal, and chemical stressors. The findings of this study indicate that PC exhibits remarkable long-term properties, demonstrating exceptional stability even when subjected to diverse stressors. The results therefore underscore the potential viability of PC as a reliable material for constructing high-integrity containers, thus contributing to the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste in NPPs.

Licensing for the application of the Polymer Concrete High Integrity Container (PC-HIC) to nuclear power plants has been completed or is in progress. Approval for the expanded application to all domestic nuclear power plants has been completed to utilize the 860 L PC-HICs for the 2nd stage surface repository, and the regulatory body is reviewing the license application to use the 510 L PCHICs for the 1st stage underground repository in the representative nuclear power plants. The 860 L PC-HICs, which have been licensed for all domestic nuclear power plants, will be used for safe storage management and disposal of low-dose dried concentrate waste and spent resin, and a total of 100 units is expected to be supplied to representative nuclear power plants that have been licensed first. The 510 L PC-HICs are planned to be used for underground disposal of high-dose spent resin and dried concentrate waste. Prior to the application of PC-HICs to nuclear power plants and disposal to the repository, it is necessary to establish realistic and reasonable requirements through close consultations between waste generator and disposal operators to ensure the suitability for disposal of PC-HIC packages and to carry out disposal delivery and acceptance work. Since the Polymer Concrete High Integrity Container (PC-HIC) has long-term integrity of more than 300 years and the barrier does not temporarily collapse, spent resin and dried concentrate waste, which are radioactive wastes to be solidified, can be disposed of much more safely in PC-HIC packages than solidified types. Acceptance criteria for the PC-HIC packages should be prepared fully reflecting the advantages of PC-HIC, and quality assurance methods for physical/chemical/radiological characterization results based on the Waste Certification Program (WCP) should be supported. In addition, infrastructure should be secured for safe transportation, handling, and storage of the PC-HIC packages. In this paper, we have tried to find a reasonable acceptance criteria, quality assurance method, and infrastructure level according to the dose and disposal conditions of PC-HIC packages.

High Integrity Container (HIC) made of polymer concrete was developed for the efficient treatment and safe disposal of radioactive spent resin and concentrate waste in consideration of the disposal requirements of domestic disposal sites. Permission for application of Polymer Concrete High Integrity Container (PC-HIC) to the domestic nuclear power plants (NPPs) has been completed or is under examination by the regulatory agency. In the case of 860 L PC-HIC for very-low-level-waste (VLLW) or low low-level-waste (LLW), the application of four representative NPPs has been approved, and the license for extended application to the rest NPPs is also almost completed. A licensing review is also underway to apply 510 L PC-HIC for intermediate and low-level-waste (ILLW) to representative nuclear power plants. In order to handle and efficiently store and manage PC-HICs and high-dose PCHIC packages, a gripper device that can be remotely operated and has excellent safety is essential, and the introduction of NPPs is urgent. The conventional gripper device developed by the PC-HIC manufacturer for lifting test to evaluate the structural integrity of PC-HIC requires a rather wide storage interval due to its design features, and does not have a passive safety design to handle heavy materials safely. In addition, work convenience needs to be reinforced for safety management of high radiation work. Therefore, we developed a conceptual design for a gripper device with a new concept to minimize the work space by reflecting on-site opinions on the handling and storage management conditions of radioactive waste in NPPs, and to enhances work safety with the passive safety design by the weight of the package and the function of checking the normal seating of the device and the normal operation of the grip by the detector/indicator, and to greatly improves the work efficiency and convenience with the wireless power supply function by rechargeable battery and the remote control function by camera and wireless monitoring & control system. Through design review by experts in mechanical system, power supply and instrumentation & control fields and further investigations on the usage conditions of PC-HICs, it is planned to facilitate preparations for the application of PC-HIC to domestic NPPs by securing the technical basis for a gripper device that can be used safely and efficiently and seeking ways to introduce it in a timely manner.

During the normal operation boron concentrates and spent resins are generated. The boron concentrates are treated by concentrated waste drying system (CWDS) and results in fine powder form. The solidification or application of high integrity container (HIC) is required for the disposal of the dried boron concentrates. The spent resin is stored in storage tank after the water treatment. The spent resin also requires solidification or application of HIC to satisfy the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) in Korea. The solidification process requires periodic validation. The repeated validation and complicated process hesitates the practical application. The application of HIC offers various advantages, including flexible free standing water requirement, higher waste loading compared to solidification, and simple process. The polymer concrete (PC), which is a primary component for PC-HIC exhibits good material stability. The expected transportation mechanism of nuclide in the PC-HIC are 1) diffusion by concentration, 2) permeation by pressure, and 3) capillary suction when considering the disposal condition. Since the PC-HIC effectively prevents the intrusion of neighboring water and volume of free standing water is lower than 1%, it seems that diffusion by concentration is the primary transportation mechanism. In this study, the property of PC is investigated based on Cl ion diffusion test to evaluate the material reliability. The results indicate that PC exhibits superior stability compared to ordinary portland cement. In addition, the reliable life time of PC is estimated base on the element transportation phenomena.

The Korea Nuclear Safety Act defines a high integrity container (HIC) as “a radioactive waste packaging container that can maintain its integrity for more than 300 years under the general underground environment and disposal conditions in Korea”, and detailed technical standards are not described. The US Nuclear Safety Commission’s “Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch Technical Position on Waste Form” describes the detailed requirements for solidification and HIC. The main contents of the US NRC technical position include limiting the free standing water, minimum design life, demonstrating mechanical, thermal and radiation stability, etc. In this study, the stability evaluation was performed to understand the mechanical strength with respect to horizontal and vertical loads. The basic property of polymer concrete was carefully evaluated, including compressive strength, structural fatigue resistance, etc. The long term creep test, loading of 40% of compressive strength, indicates that the polymer concrete exhibits good long term mechanical integrity.

PURPOSES : Given that large-scale repair works of expressway bridge pavements have high maintenance cost and long traffic blocking time, the thin overlay method that maintains the existing pavement is attracting attention. In this study, because the bridge thin overlay has not been introduced in Korea yet, the basic physical properties of the epoxy thin overlay, which is mainly used for the bridge thin overlay, were investigated, and the skid resistance and bond performance were analyzed. METHODS : Basic physical property tests were performed on each of the epoxy binders, aggregates, and mixtures used in epoxy thin overlay. They were also compared and reviewed against foreign standards. The epoxy binders were tested for viscosity, gel time, and thermal compatibility. The aggregates were tested in terms of water absorption, specific gravity, and gradation. The compressive and flexural strengths of the mixtures were investigated. The epoxy thin overlay has the possibility of detachment of aggregates, so the skid resistance was tested according to the paving phase. In addition, to investigate the bond performance, which is the most important performance of the epoxy thin overlay, the bond strength test was performed by varying the moisture condition and treatment condition of the existing layer surface. RESULTS : The basic physical properties of the materials used in the epoxy thin overlays satisfied foreign standards except for the gradation of aggregates. The skid resistance did not satisfy the standard when the epoxy was exposed, whereas the skid resistance did satisfy the standard when the aggregates were exposed, even after the abrasion test. The bond strength of the epoxy thin overlay satisfied the standard in all cases. The bond strength was the highest when the relative humidity of the existing layer surface was 60%. CONCLUSIONS : The materials of epoxy thin overlay that could be obtained in Korea satisfied the basic physical property standards except for aggregate gradation. Given that the aggregate gradation could be adjusted, it can be concluded that the epoxy thin overlay could be introduced in Korea. In addition, it was confirmed that the skid resistance and bond strength of the epoxy thin overlay were high enough to be used in general road conditions. It was determined that the existing layer surface should maintain an optimal relative humidity of approximately 60% because the moisture condition affects the bond strength.

현무암 섬유를 함유한 BFRP 시트와 복합섬유 패널로 보강한 정사각형 단면 철근콘크리트 기둥에 대한 반복하중 실험을 수행하여 지진 거동을 검토하였다. 30%가량의 상당한 수준의 축하중비 조건 하에서 전단 손상이 발생하였음에도 불구하고, 보강 실험체에서 변위연성도 및 에너지 소산능력의 증가를 확인하였다. 실험체의 파괴 모드는 휨-전단 고연성 파괴로 분류 되며, 철근콘크리트 구조물에서 자주 관찰되는 파괴 모드이다. 하지만 이러한 파괴에 이르는 정사각형 단면 철근콘크리트 기둥에 BFRP을 포함한 복합재료 보강이 미치는 영향에 대한 연구가 현재까지 광범위하게 이루어지지는 않았다. 복합재료로 보강한 철근콘크리트 기둥의 휨-전단 거동을 보다 깊이 이해하는데 본 연구의 결과가 기여할 것으로 기대한다.

FRP 보강이 RC 기둥의 내진성능에 미치는 효과를 평가하고자 다양한 실험 연구가 수행되어 왔다. 그 중 많은 연구가 휨지배를 받는 원형 단면 RC 기둥의 거동에 초점을 맞추었다. 단면 형태가 FRP 보강에 의한 구속효과에 영향을 주기 때문에, 단면 형태에 따라 보강효과 및 최종손상 양상이 다를 수 있다. 또한, 기존 RC 기둥 중 일부는 현재의 구조기준을 만족하지 못하는 설계로 인하여 취성적인 파괴 모드인 전단 파괴가 발생할 것으로 여겨진다. 이 두 가지 조건을 고려하여, 현무암 섬유를 함유한 FRP 시트와 복합섬유 패널로 보강한 정사각형 단면을 가진 짧은 RC 기둥의 전단 거동을 살펴보기 위하여 반복하중 실험을 수행하였다. 실험 결과에서 전체적인 전단 거동의 개선을 확인하였으며, 이러한 경향은 모서리 부분에서 심각한 손상이 발생할 때까지 유효하였다.

최근 국내에서 토목 및 건축구조물의 노후화 및 성능저하에 따른 사회적인 우려가 발생하고 있다. 일반적으로 노후 구조물의 보수보강 방법으로는 외부 부착공법이 가장 많이 사용되고 있으며 시공 용이성을 위하여 GFRP나 CFRP Sheet나 Plate를 활용한 부착 보강방법이 활발히 적용되고 있다. 그러나 이들 방법은 온도에 취약하며 탄소섬유의 경우 경제성이 낮다는 우려가 발생한다. 본 연구에서는 친환경적이고 내열성이 상대적으로 우수한 현무암 섬유(BFRP)를 활용하여 온도변화 및 콘크리트 표면 내 균열발생에 따른 BFRP-콘크리트의 인장 부착성능 및 파괴 패턴을 실험적으로 평가하였다. 그 결과 구조물의 온도가 상승함에 따라 BFRP-콘크리트 계면의 부착성능은 약 30%정도 감소하는 것으로 나타났으며 내열성 수지를 사용한 보강재의 경우 일반 함침용 에폭시 수지보다 부착성능이 다소 우수한 것으로 평가되었다. 콘크리트 표면 내 균열 발생된 경우 균열의 폭이 증가함에 따라 부착 성능은 약 20%씩 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 하지만 균열보수제로 보강 후 계면에서의 부착성능의 경우, 보강 전 대비 약 30% 정도의 개선효과를 나타내었다.

PURPOSES: In this study, the effects of adding a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) to the concrete mixture on the strength of the concrete and abrasion resistance were analyzed, and whether the property of concrete can be improved by the internal curing effect of SAP was evaluated. METHODS: In this study, a total of eight different mixes were tested. The amounts of SAP added were 0%, 0.6%, 1.2% while that of silica fume were 0% and 6% based on the weight of the binder. The compressive test, rapid chloride penetration resistance test, and abrasion test were performed to verify the internal curing effects of SAP. RESULTS : The compressive test showed that SAP concrete had greater compressive strength than ordinary concrete. Comparison of the compressive strengths of dry and wet cured specimens of each mixture showed that SAP concrete had a smaller difference compared with ordinary concrete. The rapid chloride resistance test showed that SAP did not increase chloride penetration resistance. However, since this experiment only considered wet curing, further investigation of dry curing is necessary. The abrasion resistance test showed that for the case of concrete cured under dry conditions without spraying the curing compound, the abrasion resistance of the SAP concrete improved by approximately 49% at 14 days and 27% at 28 days of curing compared with ordinary concrete. CONCLUSIONS : The effect of SAP on the strength and abrasion resistance of concrete was analyzed. The results showed that the internal curing effect of SAP improved concrete strength and abrasion resistance. The internal curing effect maintains the overall internal humidity in concrete by supplying water held by the SAP to the dried cement paste.