Using the information from all these studies and the computer models, the team designs packages to meet the design requirements. The data helps the designers decide how to build the tunnels to keep the packages intact. Another team studies the elements that could affect the waste packages. However, once the radioactive materials cool down, water becomes more of a concern. Protecting the packages from corrosion is very important.
Designers consider many options to reduce water's effects.
For example, they could backfill the tunnels, use drip shields, or both. The Engineered Barrier System is essential to the Project's long-term goal of safely disposing of highly radioactive materials for hundreds of thousands of years. The experts planning for the different parts of the system not only cross-check one another's work, but also work closely with Repository Operations, Radiological Safety, and Repository Design.