Opalinus Clay is currently being assessed as the host rock for a deep geological repository for high-level and low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in Switzerland. Within this framework, the ‘Full-Scale Emplacement’ (FE) experiment was initiated at the Mont Terri rock laboratory close to the small town of St-Ursanne in Switzerland. The FE experiment simulates, as realistically as possible, the construction, waste emplacement, backfilling and early post-closure evolution of a spent fuel/vitrified high-level waste disposal tunnel according to the Swiss repository concept. The main aim of this multiple heater test is the investigation of repository-induced thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled effects on the host rock at this scale and the validation of existing coupled THM models. For this, several hundred sensors were installed in the rock, the tunnel lining, the bentonite buffer, the heaters and the plug. This paper is structured according to the implementation timeline of the FE experiment. It documents relevant details about the instrumentation, the tunnel construction, the production of the bentonite blocks and the highly compacted ‘granulated bentonite mixture’ (GBM), the development and construction of the prototype ‘backfilling machine’ (BFM) and its testing for horizontal GBM emplacement. Finally, the plug construction and the start of all 3 heaters (with a thermal output of 1350 Watt each) in February 2015 are briefly described. In this paper, measurement results representative of the different experimental steps are also presented. Tunnel construction aspects are discussed on the basis of tunnel wall displacements, permeability testing and relative humidity measurements around the tunnel. GBM densities achieved with the BFM in the different off-site mock-up tests and, finally, in the FE tunnel are presented. Finally, in situ thermal conductivity and temperature measurements recorded during the first heating months are presented.

中文翻译：

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在蒙特Terri岩石实验室实施全尺寸进位（FE）实验

目前，Opalinus Clay被评估为瑞士高，中，低水平放射性废物深层地质处置库的宿主岩。在此框架内，“大规模安置”（FE）实验是在靠近瑞士圣乌尔桑小镇的Mont Terri岩石实验室发起的。有限元实验根据瑞士处置库的概念，尽可能实际地模拟了乏燃料/玻璃化高级废物处置隧道的建设，废物安置，回填和关闭后早期演化。这种多加热器测试的主要目的是研究储层诱导的热-水-机械（THM）耦合作用对这种规模的岩体的影响，以及对现有耦合THM模型的验证。为了这，数百个传感器安装在岩石，隧道衬砌，膨润土缓冲液，加热器和塞子中。本文是根据有限元实验的实施时间表来组织的。它记录了有关仪器，隧道建设，膨润土块和高度压实的“粒状膨润土混合物”（GBM）的生产，原型“回填机”（BFM）的开发和建造以及水平测试的相关详细信息。 GBM安置。最后，简要介绍了插头的构造以及2015年2月启动的所有3个加热器（每个热输出1350瓦）的启动情况。本文还介绍了代表不同实验步骤的测量结果。隧道施工方面根据隧道墙位移进行讨论，隧道周围的渗透性测试和相对湿度测量。介绍了BFM在不同的非现场模型测试中以及最后在FE隧道中获得的GBM密度。最后，介绍了在最初的加热月份中记录的原位热导率和温度测量值。