Demonstration of the impact accident performance of the TRU-Shield Waste Package

Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) is proposing to use a new shielded waste container TRU-Shield for the packaging and disposal of wastes from the Dounreay site. The TRU-Shield is a shielded cylindrical container with a stainless steel-lead-stainless steel sandwich structure and the lid is connected to the body by stainless steel bolts. It is envisaged that the waste will either be loose waste contained within multiple containers in a “Russian doll” arrangement, or encapsulated in grout. As a waste package to be disposed in the eventual Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), it has to satisfy the waste packaging requirements defined by the Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM), among which, impact performance requirement in drop accident scenarios. And before the packaging process can be commence, it has to obtain a Letter of Compliance (LoC) from the RWM. Arup was engaged by DSRL to demonstrate the impact performance of the TRU-Shield package. This paper presents a summary of the work.