Impact of geotechnical conditions associated with problematic soils on the structural integrity of SMRs in Canada.

为了减少与能源部门相关的温室气体排放，并使加拿大在新兴的全球市场中占据一席之地，加拿大政府最近宣布了一项小型模块化反应堆(SMR)行动计划，适用于从电网规模的发电到重工业和偏远社区使用的广泛应用。然而，SMR在加拿大的潜在建设和运营需要获得加拿大核监管机构--国家核电委员会的许可。为了支持其向国家环境保护委员会提出的牌照申请，申请人必须证明拟议的活动将确保保护公众和环境。核设施的设计标准非常高。在发生极端事件和情况时，必须证明这些设施不仅保持其结构的完整性，而且最大限度地减少放射性核素的释放。在加拿大，SMR可以在不同类型的岩土(如问题土壤)和环境(气候)条件下发展。在RMS的选址和设计中必须考虑这些条件，以确保RMS的结构完整性和安全性。然而，到目前为止，还不知道上述问题土壤和岩土条件会如何影响RMS的结构完整性。这是在加拿大发展SMR技术的一个重大障碍，也是一个安全问题。拟议的研究项目旨在调查上述岩土条件在不同荷载和环境条件下如何影响嵌入这些土壤类型的通用SMR的结构完整性，并开发工程工具和技术，以评估和预测岩土和环境对SMR设计和运营的影响。该项目的成果将为国家安全委员会提供以科学为基础的独立知识，以便为SMR的安全标准和要求提供意见，并在未来的许可申请中提出知情的许可建议。此外，该项目还将培训这一具有重要战略意义的部门的高素质人员。

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy sector and position Canada in an emerging global market, the Government of Canada recently announced a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan for a wide range of applications, from grid-scale power generation to heavy industrial and remote community use. However, the potential construction and operation of SMRs in Canada requires a licence from the CNSC, Canada's nuclear regulator. In support of its application to the CNSC for a licence, the applicant must demonstrate that the proposed activities will ensure the protection of the public and the environment. Nuclear facilities are designed to very high standards. In the event of extreme events and conditions, it must be demonstrated that the facilities not only maintain their structural integrity, but also minimize the release of radionuclides. In Canada, SMR could be developed under different types of geotechnical (e.g., problematic soils) and environmental (climate) conditions. These conditions must be considered in the siting and design of RMS to ensure the structural integrity and safety of RMS. However, to date, it is not known how the aforementioned problematic soils and geotechnical conditions might affect the structural integrity of RMS. This represents a significant barrier to the development of SMR technology in Canada as well as a safety issue. The proposed research project aims to investigate how the above-mentioned geotechnical soil conditions will affect the structural integrity of generic SMR embedded in these soil types under different loading and environmental conditions, as well as to develop engineering tools and techniques to assess and predict the geotechnical and environmental effects on the design and operation of SMR. The outcomes of this project will provide science-based independent knowledge to the CNSC in order to input to safety standards and requirements for SMRs and to make informed licensing recommendations in future licensing applications. Moreover, this project will also allow for the training of highly qualified people in this strategically important sector.