Engineering Properties of Nuclear Craters. A Study of Selected Rock Excavations as Related to Large Nuclear Craters,

Analogies between nuclear and conventional excavations are developed from a tabulation of data from 153 mine, quarry, roadway, and dam excavations. The following factors were used as the basis for tabulation of conventional excavation data purpose, location, precipitation, temperature, ground water level, lithology, mass strength, structural pattern, slope plan, slope profile, depth of excavation, slope height, average inclination, and stability. It was found that average slope inclination tends to be greatest for hard material and for material lacking a well-developed structure, and that inclination tends to decrease with increasing slope height for excavated slopes reported to be stable. The authors conclude that good analogies are to be found in shape, slope height, depth of excavation, and slope inclination. Author