ENGINEERING PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR EXCAVATIONS
THE USE OF NUCLEAR EXCAVATION FOR ENGINEERING PROJECTS DEPENDS NOT ONLY ON THE SIZE OF THE EXCAVATION BUT ALSO ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIAL IN AND AROUND THE EXCAVATION. IN A NUCLEAR EXCAVATION SEVERAL GENERAL ZONES ARE EVIDENT, INCLUDING THE TRUE AND APPARENT CRATER, CRATER FALLBACK AND LIP THROWOUT MATERIAL, GROUND UPHEAVAL, AND THE RUPTURE AND PLASTIC ZONES. THE PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIAL IN THESE ZONES ARE DEPENDENT ON ORIGINAL MEDIUM CHARACTERISTICS AND THE EFFECTS OF THE DETONATION. THE HYPERBOLIC SHAPE OF A CRATER LENDS ITSELF TO GOOD SLOPE STABILITY. THE PROBLEM OF SLOPE STABILITY IN SOILS OR HIGHLY WEATHERED ROCK WILL BE MORE ACUTE THAN IN COMPETENT ROCK. THE CONDITION OF THE RUPTURE ZONE, THE AMOUNT OF SURCHARGE ON THE CRATER LIP, AND GROUND SHOCK FROM LATER DETONATIONS IMPOSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS TO SLOPE STABILITY EVALUATION. THE FALLBACK MATERIAL WILL OBTAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DYNAMIC COMPACTION AS A RESULT OF THE MATERIAL FALLING FROM HEIGHTS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. FURTHER FOUNDATION STABILITY, IF NECESSARY, CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY STANDARD TECHNIQUES. SEVERAL APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES IN THE HIGHWAY ENGINEERING FIELD APPEAR FEASIBLE, INCLUDING EXCAVATION OF ROADWAY CUTS, AGGREGATE PRODUCTION BY OPEN PIT MINING, DRAINAGE DIVERSION OR INTERCEPTION BY CRATERS, AND LANDSLIDE REMOVAL, ENCOURAGEMENT, OR STABILIZATION. THE FEASIBILITY OF USING LARGE-YIELD EXPLOSIONS FOR ENGINEERING PROJECTS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN THE U.S.S.R. DURING THE LAST 20 YR, MANY LARGE-YIELD CONVENTIONAL EXPLOSIVES HAVE BEEN USED FOR EXCAVATION, MINING, AND DAM CONSTRUCTION. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Authors:
- Circeo Jr, Louis J
- Publication Date: 1964
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 13-31
- Monograph Title: Nuclear Excavation 1963
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Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 50
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Aggregates; Drainage; Dynamics; Engineering; Landslides; Nuclear excavation; Plasticity; Production; Road construction; Rupture surfaces; Shock waves; Slope stability; Soil stabilization; Soils; Weathered rock
- Uncontrolled Terms: Removal; Stabilization
- Old TRIS Terms: Craters; Dynamic conditions; Open pit mining
- Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Materials;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00214412
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM