Section XI, Subsections IWE and IWL, of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provide requirements to assure that the critical areas of steel and concrete primary containment structures are inspected to detect degradation that could compromise structural and leak-tight integrity. They also specify requirements for preservice examination, acceptance standards, repairs, replacements, and pressure testing. Each nuclear utility in the United States is required to develop and implement a containment inservice inspection program by September 9, 2001, 5 yr after the initial approval in Title 10, Part 50, of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. This paper discusses the Code requirements and also provides an insight into the development process and philosophy for containment inservice inspection. [S0094-9930(00)01903-X]

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
testing, standards, pressure vessels, fission reactor containment, safety, inspection, regulation
Topics:
Concretes, Containment, Inspection, Maintenance, Pressure, In-service inspection
1.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components, Subsection IWE, Requirements for Class MC and Metallic Liners of Class CC Components of Light-Water Cooled Plants.
2.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components, Subsection IWL, Requirements for Class CC Components of Light-Water Cooled Plants.
3.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components, Subsection IWA, General Requirements.
4.
United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Energy, Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, Paragraph 50.55a, Codes and Standards.
5.
10 CFR Part 50, 1996, Final Rule, Codes and Standards for Nuclear Power Plants; Subsection IWE and Subsection IWL, Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 154, August 8, pp. 41303–41312.
6.
10 CFR Part 50, 1999, Industry Codes and Standards; Amended Requirements; Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 64, No. 183, September 22, pp. 51370–51400.
7.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Rules Construction of Nuclear Power Plant Components.
8.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components.
9.
United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Energy, Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, Appendix A, General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants.
10.
United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Energy, Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, Appendix J, Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors.
11.
10 CFR Part 50, 1995, Appendix J, Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors, Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 186, September 26, pp. 49495–49505.
12.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1990, Regulatory Guide 1.35, Inservice Inspection of Ungrouted Tendons in Prestressed Concrete Containments, Revision 3, July.
13.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1990, Regulatory Guide 1.35.1, Determining Prestressing Forces for Inspection of Prestressed Concrete Containments, July.
14.
ASNT, 1991, Standard for Qualification and Certification of Nondestructive Testing Personnel, ANSI/ASNT CP-189-1991, approved March 15.
15.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 2, Code for Concrete Reactor Vessels and Containments.
16.
ACI 201.1 R68, 1984, Guide for Making a Condition Survey of Concrete in Service, American Concrete Institute, (Note: ACI 201.1R-92, issued in March 1997, is a more recent revision than the R68 Revision referenced in Subsection IWL.)
17.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1999, Regulatory Guide 1.147, Inservice Code Case Acceptability, ASME Section XI, Division 1, Revision 2, May.
Copyright © 2000
 by ASME
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