The selection of rock mass strength parameters and the approach to assessing the mechanical and thermal-mechanical rock mass behaviour around tunnels are important aspects of designing underground openings for a spent nuclear fuel waste repository. This paper demonstrates how strength criteria based on in situ observations can be used to design stable underground openings in rock masses subjected to adverse stress conditions. The findings are based upon work conducted at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL) regarding lock mass strength around tunnels in sparsely fractured granite. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. [References: 15]
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