D:EEP : Estimating Entrained Products

Dealing with nuclear legacy is expensive. A universal challenge found at many nuclear facilities is that associated with the management of entrained radioactivity within the walls of nuclear waste storage facilities found on many nuclear sites. Correct classification of the waste can significantly improve the planning process for decommissioning and the reduction of waste classified at higher levels can achieve significant long term savings. Building on a successful TSB feasibility study, carried out by Createc (Lead) and Costain that demonstrated a technique to measure the depth of entrained contamination in concrete, we will investigate methods for deployment in real world environments by trialling hardware configurations. This project will culminate in a design for a system to measure the depth of contamination entrained in a concrete structure to ensure that material is removed and classified efficiently. This will speed the removal process producing safety and cost saving benefits for the decommissioning process and reduce the long-term storage costs and final disposal costs for radioactive waste for the UK.