ABSTRACT
Nuclear waste repositories provide one of the most challenging design problems for the geo-technical and geoenvironmental engineer. Repositories have some of the most stringent design requirements and the longest design life of any man-made structures. They also present the great challenge of applying these strict requirements to geological media. The natural variability of geomaterials makes this more difficult than working with other large civil engineering problems such as bridges or buildings. Many of the most important aspects of repository design can therefore only be properly addressed through the use of complex computer models.
