Structural Integrity: Key to Reliability of Waste Containment Systems

Fernald site produced over 500 million pound of uranium metal products from 1952 to 1989 resulting in a huge quantity of hazardous waste to be stored, treated and transported for final disposal. The structural integrity evaluation of specific types of waste containers used in the Fernald Closure Project are briefly presented in this paper. Metal containers of various shapes and sizes, concrete silos, gondola rail cars were successfully used for storage and disposal of low-level waste. Computer solutions were obtained using finite element analyses techniques, destructive and non-destructive tests were used to get a realistic response to complex loading conditions. Structural integrity is evaluated for concrete silos built in the fifties, unique metal containers and fiberglass rail car lid. A failure modes and effects analysis was also made for the railcar lid to identify the weak link for postulated failure mechanisms. Establishing the structural integrity was a key to the reliability of the various containment systems for a successful storage, transportation and final disposal of the low-level radioactive wastes.