On the formulation of stability and design criteria for compressed air energy storage in hard rock caverns

The primary objectives of this paper involve formulation of appropriate stability and design criteria for the construction, operational, and decommissioning phases of CAES caverns in hard rock; presentation of the elements of a numerical simulation model for cavern stability assessment; and discussion of the concept of failure probability assessment for CAES caverns. The basic notions of stability and instability are established, and the relevant phenomenological modes of cavern instability identified in conjunction with their corresponding constitutive laws. Precedent design and stability considerations are briefly addressed in the context of overall application to underground cavern development and use. Cavern shakedown for enhancement of cavern stability and the use of probabilistic design procedures are two important features of this paper.