Description
Any cracks in the liner are not considered to be relevant to long-term safety since the backfill is, in any case, a more important transport barrier. Cracks in the backfill could form a significant transport path if there is flowing porewater and advective radionuclide transport, reducing the effectiveness of this barrier. The low hydraulic conductivity of the host rock will lead to a diffusion dominated system in which cracks are not relevant.
OPA Category
Category as used in the OPA assessment
ILW backfill and liner
OPA Number
Number as used in the OPA assessment
1.07
Waste Relevance
Classes of waste to which this FEP is relevant
ILW
NEA V1 IFEP Reference(s)
Related IFEPs from the NEA V1 IFEP list from 1999
2.1.06, 2.1.08