THE PROBLEM OF IDENTIFYING WEAK ZONES UPON THE STUDY OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS (BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE BUSHEHR NPP AREA)

V. M. Makeev^1,*, A. S. Gusel’tsev^2,**, and I. M. Kravchenko^3,***

¹Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience RAS, Ulanskii per., 13, str. 2, Moscow, 101000 Russia
²Scientific and Engineering Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Malaya Krasnoselskaya ul. 2/8, str. 5, Moscow, 107140 Russia
³Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow, 119991 Russia
*Е-mail: vmakeev@mail.ru
**Е-mail: gouseltsev@secnrs.ru
***Е-mail: kravchenkoilyamax@yandex.ru

The article considers the problem of identifying weak zones during engineering-geological research. By the example of studying the engineering-geological conditions in the territory of a particularly dangerous and technologically complicated facility, i.e., the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the necessity is shown to identify and to study weak zones comprehensively, including their origin determination. To achieve these goals, we used the data on the geological structure in the research area obtained from drilling and vertical seismic profiling, as well as the data on the physical-mechanical properties of soils and the results of long-term geodetic observations over deformations of the main buildings of the nuclear power plant complex. It was found that the NPP site including the ground base of the reactor compartment no. 1 is intersected by weak linear zones, the formation of which is associated with buried faults and the technogenic influence on the ground base. It is these zones that were not identified during engineering geological survey and were not taken into account in the design of the nuclear power plant, are the reason for the development of uneven deformations of the ground bases of nuclear power plant buildings. Thus, solving the problems of detection and comprehensive study of weak zones is particularly important to ensure the safe construction and operation of such highly dangerous facilities as nuclear power plants.

Key words: weak zones, uneven deformations of ground bases, Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, deformations of nuclear power plant buildings, vertical seismic profiling

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