Abstract: The radiation protection design of low-level radioactive waste disposal sites generally involves waste disposal cells and waste receiving plant. The radiation shielding structure of waste disposal cell correlates highly with the acceptance criteria of the disposal site and the waste stacking and disposal plan. There are waste loading places, waste unpacking places and nondestructive examination places in the waste reception plant. This paper mainly introduces the formulation of radiation zoning criteria for low-level radioactive waste disposal sites, the consideration of radiation protection design principles, and the radiation protection design of waste disposal cells and waste receiving plants. The waste stratification and separation strategy in waste disposal cells, the limit of the surface dose rate of radioactive waste and limit layers allowed in different separation and stacking methods were studied. The direct irradiation of the side walls of the disposal unit and the sky scattering of the disposal unit, as well as radiation protection design considerations for cement mortar and capping were considered. Key issues about radiation protection design in the unpacking area of the waste receiving plant were studied, too. The problems and experience related to the radiation protection design of low-level radioactive waste near-surface disposal sites are introduced, which provides a reference for the radiation protection design of related facilities.

Key words: low-level radioactive waste disposal sites, Radiation protection, waste stacking and disposal plan, Shielding design of disposal sites