Behavior of cracked concrete nuclear containment vessels during earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gergely, P.; Stanton, J.F.; White, R.N.

1975-01-01

When pressure builds up in a reinforced concrete nuclear containment shell, its cylindrical wall cracks vertically and horizontally at intervals of about five feet. If an earthquake occurs simultaneously with this pressurization, inertia forces are transmitted across the horizontal crack planes. The forces and deformations must be small enough to maintain the integrity of the steel liner. A typical containment shell has a radius of about 65 ft. and a wall thickness of about 4 ft. It is heavily reinforced with vertical, horizontal, and sometimes diagonal bars. A steel shell of about 3 / 8 in. thickness is attached to the concrete with anchors. The seismic shear forces are transmitted across the horizontal cracks by interface shear transfer (combination of shear friction and aggregate interlocking), by dowel action of the bars, and by diagonal bars if they are used. One important question in the design of such vessels is whether the diagonal bars are necessary. In the experimental portion of the current investigation several types of tests were conducted to study the load-slip characteristics of interface shear transfer under high intensity cyclic loading. In some cases external bars provided the clamping action of reinforcement, in more recent tests large diameter embedded bars were used. This presentation summarizes the analytical part of the investigation. A representative load-slip curve has been used in the analyses to assess the intensity of the stresses and deformations, and to study the importance of the variables as an aid in planning future tests

Development of ultrasonic testing technique with the large transducer to inspect the containment vessel plates of nuclear power plant embedded in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Hitoshi; Kurozumi, Yasuo; Kaneshima, Yoshiari

2004-01-01

The containment vessel plates embedded in concrete on Pressurized Water Reactors are inaccessible to inspect directly. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare inspection technology to detect existence and a location of corrosion on the embedded plates indirectly. In order to establish ultrasonic testing technique to be able to inspect the containment vessel plates embedded in concrete widely at the accessible point, experiments to detect artificial hollows simulating corrosion on a surface of a carbon steel plate mock-up covered with concrete simulating the embedded containment vessel plates were carried out with newly made ultrasonic transducers. We made newly low frequency (0.3 MHz and 0.5 MHz) surface shear horizontal (SH) wave transducers combined with three large active elements, which were equivalent to a 120mm width element. As a result of the experiments, the surface SH transducers could detect clearly the echo from the hollows with a depth of 9.5 mm and 19 mm at a distance of 1500mm from the transducers on the surface of the mock-up covered with concrete. Therefore, we evaluate that it is possible to detect the defects such as corrosion on the plates embedded in concrete with the newly made low frequency surface SH transducers with large elements. (author)

Automatic design of prestressed concrete vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sotomura, Kentaro; Murazumi, Yasuyuki

1984-01-01

Prestressed concrete appeared after high strnegth steel had been produced, therefore it has the history of only 40 years even in Europe where it was developed. High compressive force is given to concrete beforehand by high strength steel to resist tensile force. It is superior to ordinary steel in strength, economy, rust prevention, fire protection and workability, and it competes with ordinary steel in the fields of bridges, towers, water tanks, water pipes, barges, LPG and LNG tanks, reactor pressure vessels, reactor containment vessels and so on. The design of prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCV) being constructed in Japan adopts the form of mounting a semi-spherical dome on a cylindrical wall of 43m inside diameter and about 1.5m thickness, and the steel pipe sheaths for inserting tendons are arranged in the wall. The Taisei Construction Co. has developed the PC-ADE system which enables the optimum design of PCCVs. The outline of the automatic design system, the design of tendon arrangement, the preparation of the data on the load for stress analysis, the stress analysis by axisymmetric finite element method and the calculation of cross sections are explained. Design is a creative activity, and in the design of PCCVs also, the intention of designers should be materialized when this program is utilized. (Kako, I.)

Prestressed concrete pressure vessels for nuclear reactors - 1973

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-01-01

This standard deals with the design, construction, inspection and testing of prestressed concrete pressure vessels for nuclear reactors. Such pressure vessels serve the dual purpose of shielding and containing gas cooled nuclear reactors and are a form of civil engineering structure requiring particularly high integrity, and ensured leak tightness. (Metric)

Plan on test to failure of a prestressed concrete containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takumi, K.; Nonaka, A.; Umeki, K.; Nagata, K.; Soejima, M.; Yamaura, Y.; Costello, J.F.; Riesemann, W.A. von.; Parks, M.B.; Horschel, D.S.

1992-01-01

A summary of the plans to test a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) model to failure is provided in this paper. The test will be conducted as a part of a joint research program between the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The containment model will be a scaled representation of a PCCV for a pressurized water reactor (PWR). During the test, the model will be slowly pressurized internally until failure of the containment pressure boundary occurs. The objectives of the test are to measure the failure pressure, to observe the mode of failure, and to record the containment structural response up to failure. Pre- and posttest analyses will be conducted to forecast and evaluate the test results. Based on these results, a validated method for evaluating the structural behavior of an actual PWR PCCV will be developed. The concepts to design the PCCV model are also described in the paper

HTGR Base Technology Program. Task 2: concrete properties in nuclear environment. A review of concrete material systems for application to prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.

1981-05-01

Prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCPVs) are designed to serve as primary pressure containment structures. The safety of these structures depends on a correct assessment of the loadings and proper design of the vessels to accept these loadings. Proper vessel design requires a knowledge of the component (material) properties. Because concrete is one of the primary constituents of PCPVs, knowledge of its behavior is required to produce optimum PCPV designs. Concrete material systems are reviewed with respect to constituents, mix design, placing, curing, and strength evaluations, and typical concrete property data are presented. Effects of extreme loadings (elevated temperature, multiaxial, irradiation) on concrete behavior are described. Finally, specialty concrete material systems (high strength, fibrous, polymer, lightweight, refractory) are reviewed. 235 references

Containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zbirohowski-Koscia, K.F.; Roberts, A.C.

1980-01-01

A concrete containment vessel for nuclear reactors is disclosed that is spherical and that has prestressing tendons disposed in first, second and third sets, the tendons of each set being all substantially concentric and centred around a respective one of the three orthogonal axes of the sphere; the tendons of the first set being anchored at each end at a first anchor rib running around a circumference of the vessel, the tendons of the second set being anchored at each end at a second anchor rib running around a circumference of the sphere and disposed at 90 0 to the first rib, and the tendons of the third set being anchored some to the first rib and the remainder to the second rib. (author)

Experimental study of the structural behavior of the reinforced concrete containment vessel beyond design pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyamada, O.; Saito, H.; Muramatsu, Y.; Hasegawa, T.; Tanaka, N.

1990-01-01

The first Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) including a reinforced concrete containment vessel (RCCV) is scheduled to be constructed in the 1990s, in Japan. As the RCCV is new to Japan, we performed a trial design, several series of fundamental experiments and partial/total model experiments. This paper presents a summary of the 'TOP SLAB EXPERIMENT' carried out as one of partial model experiments, in which the structural behavior of the RCCV was examined under internal pressure. (orig.)

Design and analysis of multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodpasture, D.W.; Burdette, E.G.; Callahan, J.P.

1977-01-01

During the past 25 years, a rather rapid evolution has taken place in the design and use of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs). Initially the concrete vessel served as a one-to-one replacement for its steel counterpart. This was followed by the development of the integral design which led eventually to the more recent multicavity vessel concept. Although this evolution has seen problems in construction and operation, a state-of-the-art review which was recently conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory indicated that the PCRV has proven to be a satisfactory and inherently safe type of vessel for containment of gas-cooled reactors from a purely functional standpoint. However, functionalism is not the only consideration in a demanding and highly competitive industry. A summary is presented of the important considerations in the design and analysis of multicavity PCRVs together with overall conclusions concerning the state of the art of these vessels

Analysis and application of prestressed concrete reactor vessels for LMFBR containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchertas, A.H.; Fistedis, S.H.; Bazant, Z.P.; Belytschko, T.B.

1978-01-01

An analytical model of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) for LMFBR and the associated finite element computer code, involving an explicit time integration procedure, is described. The model is axisymmetric and includes simulations of the tensile cracking of concrete, the reinforcement, and a prestressing capability. The tensile cracking of concrete and the steel reinforcement are both modeled as continuously distributed within the finite element. The stresses in the reinforcement and concrete are computed separately and combined to give an overall stress state of the composite material. Attention is given to the fact that cracks do not form instantaneously, but develop gradually. Thus, after crack initiation the normal stress is reduced to zero gradually as a function of time. Residual shear resistance of cracks due to aggregate interlock is also taken into account. Prestressing of the PCRV is modeled by special structural members which represent an averaged prestressing layer equivalent to an axisymmetric shell. The internal prestressing members are superimposed over the reinforced concrete body of the PCRV; they are permitted to stretch and slide in a predetermined path, simulating the actual tendons. The validity of the code is examined by comparison with experimental data. (Auth.)

Stress criteria for nuclear vessel concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costes, D.

1975-01-01

Concrete nuclear vessels are submitted to prestressing forces which limit tensile stresses in concrete when the vessel is under pressure with thermal gradients. Hence, the most severe conditions for concrete appear when the vessel is prestressed and not submitted to internal pressure. The triaxial states of stress in the concrete may be computed postulating elastic or other behavior and compared with safe limits obtained from rupture tests and fatigue tests. The first part of the paper, recalls experimental rupture results and the acceptability procedures currently used. Criteria founded on the lemniscoid surfaces are proposed, parameters for which are obtained by various tests and safety considerations. In the second part, rupture tests are reported on small, thick, cylindrical vessels submitted to external hydraulic pressure simulating prestressing forces. Materials used are plain concrete, microconcrete, marble and graphite. The strengths obtained are much higher than those which could be elastically computed, triaxial rupture states being provided by previous experiments. Such results may be due to a plastic stress redistribution before fracture and to stabilizing effects of stress gradients around the more stressed areas. Fatigue tests by external hydraulic loading are reported [fr

Pretest round robin analysis of 1:4-scale prestressed concrete containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hessheimer, M.F.; Luk, V.K.; Klamerus, E.W.; Shibata, S.; Mitsugi, S.; Costello, J.F.

2001-01-01

The work reported herein represents, arguably, the state of the art in the numerical simulation of the response of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) model to pressure loads up to failure. A significant expenditure of time and money on the part of the sponsors, contractors, and Round Robin participants was required to meet the objectives. While it is difficult to summarize the results of this extraordinary effort in a few paragraphs, the following observations are offered for the reader's consideration: almost half the participants used ABAQUS as the primary computational tool for performing the pretest analyses. The other participants used a variety of codes, most of which were developed ''in house''. (author)

Design and analysis of reactor containment of steel-concrete composite laminated shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, K.

1977-01-01

Reinforced and prestressed concrete containments for reactors have been developed in order to avoid the difficulties of welding of steel containments encountered as their capacities have become large: growing thickness of steel shells gave rise to the requirement of stress relief at the construction sites. However, these concrete vessels also seem to face another difficulty: the lack of shearing resistance capacity. In order to improve the shearing resistance capacity of the containment vessel, while avoiding the difficulty of welding, a new scheme of containment consisting of steel-concrete laminated shell is being developed. In the main part of a cylindrical vessel, the shell consists of two layers of thin steel plates located at the inner and outer surfaces, and a layer of concrete core into which both the steel plates are anchored. In order to validate the feasibility and safety of this new design, the results of analysis on the basis of up-to-date design loads are presented. The results of model tests in 1:30 scale are also reported. (Auth.)

Seismic analysis of a reinforced concrete containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randy, James J.; Cherry, Jeffery L.; Rashid, Yusef R.; Chokshi, Nilesh

2000-01-01

Pre-and post-test analytical predictions of the dynamic behavior of a 1:10 scale model Reinforced Concrete Containment Vessel are presented. This model, designed and constructed by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corp., was subjected to seismic simulation tests using the high-performance shaking table at the Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory in Japan. A group of tests representing design-level and beyond-design-level ground motions were first conducted to verify design safety margins. These were followed by a series of tests in which progressively larger base motions were applied until structural failure was induced. The analysis was performed by ANATECH Corp. and Sandia National Laboratories for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, employing state-of-the-art finite-element software specifically developed for concrete structures. Three-dimensional time-history analyses were performed, first as pre-test blind predictions to evaluate the general capabilities of the analytical methods, and second as post-test validation of the methods and interpretation of the test result. The input data consisted of acceleration time histories for the horizontal, vertical and rotational (rocking) components, as measured by accelerometers mounted on the structure's basemat. The response data consisted of acceleration and displacement records for various points on the structure, as well as time-history records of strain gages mounted on the reinforcement. This paper reports on work in progress and presents pre-test predictions and post-test comparisons to measured data for tests simulating maximum design basis and extreme design basis earthquakes. The pre-test analyses predict the failure earthquake of the test structure to have an energy level in the range of four to five times the energy level of the safe shutdown earthquake. The post-test calculations completed so far show good agreement with measured data

Preliminary investigation on the suitablity of using fiber reinforced concrete in the construction of a hazardous waste disposal vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramey, M.R.; Daie-e, G.

1988-07-01

There are certain hazardous wastes that must be contained in an extremely secure vessel for transportation and disposal. The vessel, among other things, must be able to withstand relatively large impacts without rupturing. Such containment vessels therefore must be able to absorb substantial amounts of energy during an impact and still perform their function. One of the impacts that the vessel must withstand is a 30-foot fall onto an unyielding surface. For some disposal scenarios it is proposed to encase the waste in a steel enclosure which is to be surrounded by a thick layer of concrete which, in turn, is encased by a relatively thin steel shell. Tests on concrete in compression and flexure, including static, dynamic and impact tests, have shown that low modulus concretes tend to behave in a less brittle manner than higher modulus concretes. Tests also show that fiber reinforced concretes have significantly greater ductility, crack propagation resistance and toughness than conventional concretes. Since it is known that concrete is a reasonably brittle material, it is necessary to do impact tests on sample containment structures consisting of thin-walled metal containers having closed ends which are filled with concrete, grout, or fiber reinforced concrete. This report presents the results of simple tests aimed at observing the behavior of sample containment structures subjected to impacts due to a fall from 30 feet. 8 figs., 4 tabs

Safety analysis of nuclear containment vessels subjected to strong earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Feng; Li, Hong Zhi [Dept. Structural Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai (China)

2017-08-15

Nuclear power plants under expansion and under construction in China are mostly located in coastal areas, which means they are at risk of suffering strong earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis. This paper presents a safety analysis for a new reinforced concrete containment vessel in such events. A finite element method-based model was built, verified, and first used to understand the seismic performance of the containment vessel under earthquakes with increased intensities. Then, the model was used to assess the safety performance of the containment vessel subject to an earthquake with peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.56g and subsequent tsunamis with increased inundation depths, similar to the 2011 Great East earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Results indicated that the containment vessel reached Limit State I (concrete cracking) and Limit State II (concrete crushing) when the PGAs were in a range of 0.8–1.1g and 1.2–1.7g, respectively. The containment vessel reached Limit State I with a tsunami inundation depth of 10 m after suffering an earthquake with a PGA of 0.56g. A site-specific hazard assessment was conducted to consider the likelihood of tsunami sources.

Nonlinear analysis of pre-stressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) using the damage plasticity model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shokoohfar, Ahmad; Rahai, Alireza, E-mail: rahai@aut.ac.ir

2016-03-15

Highlights: • This paper describes nonlinear analyses of a 1:4 scale model of a (PCCV). • Coupled temp-disp. analysis and concrete damage plasticity are considered. • Temperature has limited effects on correct failure mode estimation. • Higher pre-stressing forces have limited effects on ultimate radial displacements. • Anchorage details of liner plates leads to prediction of correct failure mode. - Abstract: This paper describes the nonlinear analyses of a 1:4 scale model of a pre-stressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV). The analyses are performed under pressure and high temperature effects with considering anchorage details of liner plate. The temperature-time history of the model test is considered as an input boundary condition in the coupled temp-displacement analysis. The constitutive model developed by Chang and Mander (1994) is adopted in the model as the basis for the concrete stress–strain relation. To trace the crack pattern of the PCCV concrete faces, the concrete damage plasticity model is applied. This study includes the results of the thermal and mechanical behaviors of the PCCV subject to temperature loading and internal pressure at the same time. The test results are compared with the analysis results. The analysis results show that the temperature has little impact on the ultimate pressure capacity of the PCCV. To simulate the exact failure mode of the PCCV, the anchorage details of the liner plates around openings should be maintained in the analytical models. Also the failure mode of the PCCV structure hasn’t influenced by hoop tendons pre-stressing force variations.

The evolution and structural design of prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannah, I.W.

1978-01-01

The introduction of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel to contain the main gas coolant circuit of nuclear reactors has marked a major step forward. This chapter traces the evolution and development of the PCPV, and lists the principal parameters adopted. Current design and loading standards are discussed in relation to the two main limit states of serviceability and safety. Prestressed concrete pressure vessel analysis has called for very extensive adaptation and expansion of conventional finite element and finite difference methods in order to deal with the elevated temperature of operation, together with extensive concrete testing at temperature and under multi-directional stressing. These new methods and extra data are being adopted in prestressed applications in other fields and may well prove to be of much wider significance than is presently appreciated. (author)

Posttest analysis of a 1:4-scale prestressed concrete containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dameron, R.A.; Rashid, Y.R.; Hessheimer, M.F.

2003-01-01

The Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) of Japan and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, co-sponsored a Cooperative Containment Research Program at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As part of the program, a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) model was subjected to a series of overpressurization tests at SNL beginning in July 2000 and culminating in a functional failure mode or Limit State Test (LST) in September 2000 and a Structural Failure Mode Test (SFMT) in November 2001. The PCCV model, uniformly scaled at 1:4, is representative of the containment structure of an actual Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plant (OHI-3) in Japan. The objectives of the pressurization tests were to obtain measurement of the structural response to pressure loading beyond design basis accident in order to validate analytical modeling, to find pressure capacity of the model, and to observe its failure mechanisms. This paper compares results of pretest analytical studies of the PCCV model to the PCCV high pressure test measurements and describes results of post-test analytical studies. These analyses have been performed by ANATECH Corp. under contract with Sandia National Laboratories. The post-test analysis represents the third phase of a comprehensive PCCV analysis effort. The first phase consisted of preliminary analyses to determine what finite element models would be necessary for the pretest prediction analyses, and the second phase consisted of the pretest prediction analyses. The principal objectives of the post-test analyses were: (1) to provide insights to improve the analytical methods for predicting the structural response and failure modes of a prestressed concrete containment, and (2) to evaluate by analysis any phenomena or failure mode observed during the test that had not been explicitly predicted by analysis. In addition to summarizing comparisons between measured

Reactors with pressure vessel in pre-stressed concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devillers, Christian; Lafore, Pierre

1964-12-01

After having proposed a general description of the evolution of the general design of reactors with a vessel in pre-stressed concrete, this report outlines the interest of this technical solution of a vessel in pre-stressed concrete with integrated exchangers, which is to replace steel vessel. This solution is presented as much safer. The authors discuss the various issues related to protection: inner and outer biological protection of the vessel, material protection (against heating, steel irradiation, Wigner effect, and moderator radiolytic corrosion). They report the application of calculation methods: calculation of vessel concrete heating, study of the intermediate zone in integrated reactors, neutron spectrum and flows in the core of a graphite pile

Safety analysis of nuclear containment vessels subjected to strong earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Lin

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Nuclear power plants under expansion and under construction in China are mostly located in coastal areas, which means they are at risk of suffering strong earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis. This paper presents a safety analysis for a new reinforced concrete containment vessel in such events. A finite element method-based model was built, verified, and first used to understand the seismic performance of the containment vessel under earthquakes with increased intensities. Then, the model was used to assess the safety performance of the containment vessel subject to an earthquake with peak ground acceleration (PGA of 0.56g and subsequent tsunamis with increased inundation depths, similar to the 2011 Great East earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Results indicated that the containment vessel reached Limit State I (concrete cracking and Limit State II (concrete crushing when the PGAs were in a range of 0.8–1.1g and 1.2–1.7g, respectively. The containment vessel reached Limit State I with a tsunami inundation depth of 10 m after suffering an earthquake with a PGA of 0.56g. A site-specific hazard assessment was conducted to consider the likelihood of tsunami sources.

Parametric Study on Important Variables of Aircraft Impact to Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Sangshup; Hahm, Daegi; Choi, Inkil [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

In this paper, to find the damage parameter, it is necessary to use many analysis cases and the time reduction. Thus, this paper uses a revised version of Riera's method. Using this method, the response has been found a Prestressed Concrete Containments Vessels (PCCVs) subject to impact loading, and the results of the velocity and mass of the important parameters have been analyzed. To find the response of the PCCVs subjected to aircraft impact load, it is made that a variable forcing functions depending on the velocity and fuel in the paper. The velocity variation affects more than fuel percentage, and we expect that the severe damage of the PCCVs with the same material properties is subject to aircraft impact load (more than 200m/s and 70%)

Conceptual design for Japan Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor. (4) Developmental study of steel plate reinforced concrete containment vessel for JSFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosoya, Takusaburo; Negishi, Kazuo; Satoh, Kenichiro; Somaki, Takahiro; Matsuo, Ippei; Shimizu, Katsusuke

2009-01-01

An innovative containment vessel, namely Steel plate reinforced Concrete Containment Vessel (SCCV) is developed for Japan Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR). Reducing plant construction cost is one of the most important issues for commercialization of fast reactors. This study investigated construction issues including the building structure and the construction method as well as design issues in terms of the applicability of SCCV to fast reactors. An experimental study including loading and/or heating tests has been carried out to investigate the fundamental structural features, which would be provided to develop methodology to evaluate the feasibility of SCCV under the severe conditions. In this paper, the test plan is described as well as the first test results. (author)

TEMP-STRESS analysis of a reinforced concrete vessel under internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchertas, A.H.; Kennedy, J.M.; Pfeiffer, P.A.

1987-01-01

The TEMP-STRESS FEM represents an axisymmetric simulation of the reinforced concrete vessel to internal pressurization. The information shows the global deformation, the state of strain/stress within the containment vessel with respect to the imposed pressures. Thus, the location and progress of concrete cracking, the stretching of the liner and the reinforcing bars and final failure are indicated through the entire loading range. Equilibrium of the entire system is assured at definite loading increments. With the progress of concrete cracking, the resisting load is continuously transferred to the reinforcing bars and the liner. Thus, after the tensile strength is exceeded and the concrete stress is set to zero, the internal pressures are entirely resisted by the liner and the reserve strength of the reinforcing bars. The reinforcing bars are mechanically connected to each other by splices, the ultimate strength of which is less than that of the rebars themselves. The corresponding strain at this limiting stress is lower than the ultimate strain of the liner. Therefore, the specified ultimate strength of the splices limits the pressurization of the vessel. Furthermore, once any of the splices fail, then load is transferred to the adjacent members, causing their failure and general failure of the vessel. (orig./HP)

Containment vessel design and practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bangash, Y.

1983-01-01

The state of the art of analysis and design of the concrete containment vessels required for BWR and PWR is reviewed. A step-by-step critical appraisal of the existing work is given. Elastic, inelastic and cracking conditions under extreme loads are fully discussed. Problems associated with these structures are highlighted. A three-dimensional finite element analysis is included to cater for service, overload and dynamic cracking of such structures. Missile impact and seismic effects are included in this work. The second analysis is known as the limit state analysis, which is given to design such vessels for any kind of load. (U.K.)

Behaviour of concrete containment under over-pressure conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atchison, R.J.; Asmis, G.J.K.; Campbell, F.R.

1979-01-01

The Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada initiated June, 1975, a major study of the behaviour of concrete containment under over-pressure conditions. Although extensive theoretical and experimental work has been carried out for thick-walled Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessels (PCRV's), there is a want of information on the non-linear response of thin-walled structures typical of the CANDU, 600 MW(e) cylindrical/spherical, post-tensioned containment shells. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the total program, to present the reasons behind the research contract, and the specification and implementation of the work. The results of the theoretical and experimental work and their implications with respect to Canadian Concrete Containment practice are discussed. This study is unique, and, as far as is known, has no world-wide precedence. (orig.)

Effects of no stiffness inside unbonded tendon ducts on the behavior of prestressd concrete containment vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noh, Sang Hoon; Kwak, Hyo Gyong [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Rae Young; Noh, Sang Hoon [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

The numerical simulation methodologies to evaluate the structural behaviors of prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) have been substantially developed in recent decades. However, there remain several issues to be investigated more closely to narrow the gap between test results and numerical simulations. As one of those issues, the effects of no stiffness inside unbonded tendon ducts on the behavior of PCCVs are investigated in this study. Duct holes for prestressing cables' passing are provided inside the containment wall and dome in one to three directions for general PCCVs. The specific stress distribution along the periphery of the prestressing duct hole and the loss of stiffness inside the hole, especially in an unbonded tendon system, are usually neglected in the analysis of PCCVs with the assumption that the duct hole is filled with concrete. However, duct holes are not small enough to be neglected. In this study, the effects of no stiffness inside the unbonded tendon system on the behaviors of PCCVs are evaluated using both analytical and numerical approaches. From the results, the effects of no stiffness in unbonded tendons need to be considered in numerical simulations for PCCVs, especially under internal pressure loading.

Effects of no stiffness inside unbonded tendon ducts on the behavior of prestressd concrete containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, Sang Hoon; Kwak, Hyo Gyong; Jung, Rae Young; Noh, Sang Hoon

2016-01-01

The numerical simulation methodologies to evaluate the structural behaviors of prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) have been substantially developed in recent decades. However, there remain several issues to be investigated more closely to narrow the gap between test results and numerical simulations. As one of those issues, the effects of no stiffness inside unbonded tendon ducts on the behavior of PCCVs are investigated in this study. Duct holes for prestressing cables' passing are provided inside the containment wall and dome in one to three directions for general PCCVs. The specific stress distribution along the periphery of the prestressing duct hole and the loss of stiffness inside the hole, especially in an unbonded tendon system, are usually neglected in the analysis of PCCVs with the assumption that the duct hole is filled with concrete. However, duct holes are not small enough to be neglected. In this study, the effects of no stiffness inside the unbonded tendon system on the behaviors of PCCVs are evaluated using both analytical and numerical approaches. From the results, the effects of no stiffness in unbonded tendons need to be considered in numerical simulations for PCCVs, especially under internal pressure loading

Study of the concrete tensile creep: application for the containment vessel of the nuclear power plants (PWR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reviron, Nanthilde

2009-01-01

The aim of this work is to study experimentally and to conduct numerical simulations on the creep of concrete subjected to tensile stresses. The main purpose is to predict the behaviour of containment vessels of nuclear power plants (PWR) in the case of decennial test or accident. In order to satisfy to these industrial needs, it is necessary to characterize the behaviour of concrete under uniaxial tension. Thus, an important experimental study of tensile creep in concrete has been performed for different loading levels (50%, 70% and 90% of the tensile strength). In these tests, load was kept constant during 3 days. Several tests were performed: measurements of elastic properties and strength (in tension and in compression), monitoring of drying, shrinkage, basic creep and drying creep strains. Moreover, compressive creep tests were also performed and showed a difference with tensile creep. Furthermore, decrease of tensile strength and failure under tensile creep for large loading levels were observed. A numerical model has been proposed and developed in Cast3m finite element code. (author)

Results of steel containment vessel model test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luk, V.K.; Ludwigsen, J.S.; Hessheimer, M.F.; Komine, Kuniaki; Matsumoto, Tomoyuki; Costello, J.F.

1998-05-01

A series of static overpressurization tests of scale models of nuclear containment structures is being conducted by Sandia National Laboratories for the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation of Japan and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Two tests are being conducted: (1) a test of a model of a steel containment vessel (SCV) and (2) a test of a model of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV). This paper summarizes the conduct of the high pressure pneumatic test of the SCV model and the results of that test. Results of this test are summarized and are compared with pretest predictions performed by the sponsoring organizations and others who participated in a blind pretest prediction effort. Questions raised by this comparison are identified and plans for posttest analysis are discussed

Nonlinear analysis of end slabs in prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdulrahman, H.O.

1978-01-01

A procedure for the nonlinear analysis of end slabs is prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs), based on the finite element method, is presented. The applicability of the procedure to the ultimate load analysis of small-scale models of the primary containment of nuclear reactors is shown. Material nonlinearity only is considered. The procedure utilizes the four-node linear quadrilateral isoparametric element with the choice of incorporating the nonconforming modes. This element is used for modeling the vessel as an axisymmetric solid. Concrete is assumed to be an isotropic material in the elastic range. The compressive stresses are judged according to a special form of the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The nonlinear problem was solved using a generalized Newton-Raphson procedure. A detailed example problem of a pressure vessel with penetrations is presented. This is followed by a summary of the other cases studied. The solutions obtained match very closely the measured response of the test vessels under increasing internal pressure up to failure. The procedure is thus adequate for the assessment of the ultimate load behavior and failure of actual pressure vessels with a moderate demand on human and computational resources

Method of detecting construction faults in concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, S.A.; Duhoux, M.; Dawance, G.; Carrie, C.; Morel, D.

1976-01-01

A major problem in the design and construction of concrete pressure vessels for nuclear power stations is the risk of excessive air leaks through the concrete itself, due to faulty construction. The 'sonic coring' method of non-destructive concrete testing has been used successfully in pile and diaphragm wall construction control for several years, and the potential use of this method to control the presence of faults in concrete pressure vessels is here described. (author)

Construction of reactor vessel bottom of prestressed reinforced concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sitnikov, M.I.; Metel'skij, V.P.

1980-01-01

Methods are described for building reactor vessel bottoms of prestressed reinforced concrete during NPPs construction in Great Britain, France, Germany (F.R.) and the USA. Schematic of operations performed in succession is presented. Considered are different versions of one of the methods for concreting a space under a facing by forcing concrete through a hole in the facing. The method provides tight sticking of the facing to the reactor vessel bottom concrete

Fibre-concrete container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

In this leaflet the fibre-concrete container for radioactive wastes is described. The fibre container is made of fibre-concrete that contains cement, aggregate, sand, filter, flame-silica, super-plastificator, water and scattered metal fibres. The fibre-concrete container has a dice shape with outer dimension 1.7 x 1.7 x 1.7 m. It is mounted of a container body, a container cover and two caps. Total weight of container is 4,240 kg, maximum weight of loaded container do not must exceed 15,000 kg. The physical and mechanical properties of the fibre-concrete container are described in detail. The fibre-concrete container manufactured for storing of low and intermediate radioactive wastes. A fibre-concrete container utilization to store of radioactive wastes solves these problems: increase of stability of stored packages of radioactive waste; watertightness within 300 years at least; static stability of bearing space; better utilization of bearing spaces; insulation of radioactive waste in a case of seismic and geological event; increase of fire resistance; and transport of radioactive waste

Material problems in accident analysis of prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazant, Z.P.

1977-01-01

Due to their very high energy absorption capability, as well as their inherent safety advantages, prestressed concrete reactor vessels are presently being keenly studied as the basic barrier to contain hypothetical core disruptive accidents in a fast breeder reactor. One problem investigated is the nonlinear constitutive behavior and failure criteria for concrete. Previously, a comprehensive theory, called endochronic theory, has been shown to satisfy all basic currently known features of test data. Nevertheless uncertainty still exists with regard to non-proportional loading paths, for which good test data are lacking at present. An extension of the endochronic theory which correlates best with general experimental evidence and includes fracturing terms is given, and a comparison with vertex-type hardening in plasticity is made. A second problem which must be analysed in accident situations is the high temperature shock on the concrete walls (due to liquid sodium, up to 850 0 C). Refining a previous crude formulation, a rational model for calculating moisture and heat transfer and pore pressures in concrete subjected to thermal shock is presented. In conclusion, a new design concept, in which the concrete vessel is completely dehydrated and kept hot throughout its service life in order to substantially improve its response to thermal shock as well as liquid sodium contact, is described. (Auth.)

Depleted uranium concrete container feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haelsig, R.T.

1994-09-01

The purpose of this report is to consider the feasibility of using containers constructed of depleted uranium aggregate concrete (DUCRETE) to store and transport radioactive materials. The method for this study was to review the advantages and disadvantages of DUCRETE containers considering design requirements for potential applications. The author found that DUCRETE is a promising material for onsite storage containers, provided DUCRETE vessels can be certified for one-way transport to disposal sites. The author also found that DUCRETE multipurpose spent nuclear fuel storage/transport packages are technically viable, provided altered temperature acceptance limits can be developed for DUCRETE

Investigation of radial shear in the wall-base juncture of a 1:4 scale prestressed concrete containment vessel model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dameron, R.A.; Rashid, Y.R. [ANATECH Corp., San Diego, CA (United States); Luk, V.K.; Hessheimer, M.F. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1998-04-01

Construction of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) model is underway as part of a cooperative containment research program at Sandia National Laboratories. The work is co-sponsored by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) of Japan and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Preliminary analyses of the Sandia 1:4 Scale PCCV Model have determined axisymmetric global behavior and have estimated the potential for failure in several areas, including the wall-base juncture and near penetrations. Though the liner tearing failure mode has been emphasized, the assumption of a liner tearing failure mode is largely based on experience with reinforced concrete containments. For the PCCV, the potential for shear failure at or near the liner tearing pressure may be considerable and requires detailed investigation. This paper examines the behavior of the PCCV in the region most susceptible to a radial shear failure, the wall-basemat juncture region. Prediction of shear failure in concrete structures is a difficult goal, both experimentally and analytically. As a structure begins to deform under an applied system of forces that produce shear, other deformation modes such as bending and tension/compression begin to influence the response. Analytically, difficulties lie in characterizing the decrease in shear stiffness and shear stress and in predicting the associated transfer of stress to reinforcement as cracks become wider and more extensive. This paper examines existing methods for representing concrete shear response and existing criteria for predicting shear failure, and it discusses application of these methods and criteria to the study of the 1:4 scale PCCV.

Investigation of radial shear in the wall-base juncture of a 1:4 scale prestressed concrete containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dameron, R.A.; Rashid, Y.R.; Luk, V.K.; Hessheimer, M.F.

1998-04-01

Construction of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) model is underway as part of a cooperative containment research program at Sandia National Laboratories. The work is co-sponsored by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) of Japan and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Preliminary analyses of the Sandia 1:4 Scale PCCV Model have determined axisymmetric global behavior and have estimated the potential for failure in several areas, including the wall-base juncture and near penetrations. Though the liner tearing failure mode has been emphasized, the assumption of a liner tearing failure mode is largely based on experience with reinforced concrete containments. For the PCCV, the potential for shear failure at or near the liner tearing pressure may be considerable and requires detailed investigation. This paper examines the behavior of the PCCV in the region most susceptible to a radial shear failure, the wall-basemat juncture region. Prediction of shear failure in concrete structures is a difficult goal, both experimentally and analytically. As a structure begins to deform under an applied system of forces that produce shear, other deformation modes such as bending and tension/compression begin to influence the response. Analytically, difficulties lie in characterizing the decrease in shear stiffness and shear stress and in predicting the associated transfer of stress to reinforcement as cracks become wider and more extensive. This paper examines existing methods for representing concrete shear response and existing criteria for predicting shear failure, and it discusses application of these methods and criteria to the study of the 1:4 scale PCCV

Nuclear Power Plant Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessel Structure Monitoring during Integrated Leakage Rate Testing Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinke Li

2017-04-01

Full Text Available As the last barrier of nuclear reactor, prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs play an important role in nuclear power plants (NPPs. To test the mechanical property of PCCV during the integrated leakage rate testing (ILRT, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG sensor was used to monitor concrete strain. In addition, a finite element method (FEM model was built to simulate the progress of the ILRT. The results showed that the strain monitored by FBG had the same trend compared to the inner pressure variation. The calculation results showed a similar trend compared with the monitoring results and provided much information about the locations in which the strain sensors should be installed. Therefore, it is confirmed that FBG sensors and FEM simulation are very useful in PCCV structure monitoring.

Model tests for prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoever, R.

1975-01-01

Investigations with models of reactor pressure vessels are used to check results of three dimensional calculation methods and to predict the behaviour of the prototype. Model tests with 1:50 elastic pressure vessel models and with a 1:5 prestressed concrete pressure vessel are described and experimental results are presented. (orig.) [de

A prestressed concrete pressure vessel for helium high temperature reactor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horner, R.M.W.; Hodzic, A.

1976-01-01

A novel prestressed concrete pressure vessel has been developed to provide the primary containment for a fully integrated system comprising a high temperature nuclear reactor, three horizontally mounted helium turbines, associated heat exchangers and inter-connecting ducts. The design and analysis of the pressure vessel is described. Factors affecting the final choice of layout are discussed, and earlier development work seeking to resolve the conflicting requirements of the structural, mechanical, and system engineers outlined. Proposals to increase the present output of about 1000 MW of electrical power to over 3000 MW, by incorporating four turbines in a single pressure vessel are presented. (author)

Temperature field in the bottom of concrete reactor vessel; Temperaturno polje u podu betonskog reaktorskog suda

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jovasevic, V; Tosic, D; Zaric, S; Maksimovic, Lj [Boris Kidric Institute of nuclear sciences, Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1969-07-01

This paper contains detailed scheme of reactor bottom vessel made of concrete and the results of calculated relevant temperature distribution. Method applied for calculation is described taking into account all relevant factors and assuming that thermal conductivity of concrete is homogeneous and independent of temperature.

Material characteristics and construction methods for a typical research reactor concrete containment in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebrahimia, Mahsa; Suha, Kune Y.; Eghbalic, Rahman; Jahan, Farzaneh Asadi malek

2012-01-01

Generally selecting an appropriate material and also construction style for a concrete containment due to its function and special geometry play an important role in applicability and also construction cost and duration decrease in a research reactor (RR) project. The reactor containment enclosing the reactor vessel comprises physical barriers reflecting the safety design and construction codes, regulations and standards so as to prevent the community and the environment from uncontrolled release of radioactive materials. It is the third and the last barrier against radioactivity release. It protects the reactor vessel from such external events as earthquake and aircraft crash as well. Thus, it should be designed and constructed in such a manner as to withstand dead and live loads, ground and seismic loads, missiles and aircraft loads, and thermal and shrinkage loads. This study aims to present a construction method for concrete containment of a typical RR in Iran. The work also presents an acceptable characteristic for concrete and reinforcing re bar of a typical concrete containment. The current study has evaluated the various types of the RR containments. The most proper type was selected in accordance with the current knowledge and technology of Iran

Material characteristics and construction methods for a typical research reactor concrete containment in Iran

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ebrahimia, Mahsa; Suha, Kune Y. [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Eghbalic, Rahman; Jahan, Farzaneh Asadi malek [School of Architecture and Urbanism, Qazvin (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2012-10-15

Generally selecting an appropriate material and also construction style for a concrete containment due to its function and special geometry play an important role in applicability and also construction cost and duration decrease in a research reactor (RR) project. The reactor containment enclosing the reactor vessel comprises physical barriers reflecting the safety design and construction codes, regulations and standards so as to prevent the community and the environment from uncontrolled release of radioactive materials. It is the third and the last barrier against radioactivity release. It protects the reactor vessel from such external events as earthquake and aircraft crash as well. Thus, it should be designed and constructed in such a manner as to withstand dead and live loads, ground and seismic loads, missiles and aircraft loads, and thermal and shrinkage loads. This study aims to present a construction method for concrete containment of a typical RR in Iran. The work also presents an acceptable characteristic for concrete and reinforcing re bar of a typical concrete containment. The current study has evaluated the various types of the RR containments. The most proper type was selected in accordance with the current knowledge and technology of Iran.

Heat and mass transfer in a concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zangle, K.; Sadouki, H.; Wittmann, F.H.

1989-01-01

Pressure vessels of prestressed concrete for high temperature reactors are subjected to high mechanical and thermal stresses during the reactors normal working conditions and in particular accidental conditions. According to a large temperature gradient between the inner liner and the outer side of the thickwalled vessel, physical as well as chemical processes take place in concrete. Temperature and moisture content of concrete have a big influence on these processes. During the last years different investigations have been conducted in order to determine characteristic values of concrete under these conditions. At present the authors conduct a series of experiments on model vessels of prestressed concrete and a large number of small specimens. The aims of these tests can be briefly summarized as follows: experimental determination of transport coefficients for a numerical analysis; determination of chemical reactions under hydrothermal conditions and their significance for the risk of corrosion; determination of temperature and moisture distribution as a function of time; and determination of the strength development in the zones subjected to elevated temperatures

Corrosion of steel tendons used in prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griess, J.C.; Naus, D.J.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the corrosion behavior of a high strength steel (ASTM A416-74 grade 270), typical of those used as tensioning tendons in prestressed concrete pressure vessels, in several corrosive environments and to demonstrate the protection afforded by coating the steel with either of two commercial petroleum-base greases or Portland Cement grout. In addition, the few reported incidents of prestressing steel failures in concrete pressure vessels used for containment of nuclear reactors are reviewed. The susceptibility of the steel to stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement and its general corrosion rate were determined in several salt solutions. Wires coated with the greases and grout were soaked for long periods in the same solutions and changes in their mechanical properties were subsequently determined. All three coatings appeared to give essentially complete protection but small flaws in the grease coatings were detrimental; flaws or cracks less than 1 mm wide in the grout were without effect

Safety margin evaluation of pre-stressed concrete nuclear containment vessel model with BARC code ULCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basha, S.M.; Patnaik, R.; Ramanujam, S.; Singh, R.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Venkat Raj, V.

2002-01-01

Full text: Ultimate load capacity assessment of nuclear containments has been a thrust research area for Indian pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) power programme. For containment safety assessment of Indian PHWRs a finite element code ULCA was developed at BARC, Trombay. This code has been extensively benchmarked with experimental results and for prediction of safety margins of Indian PHWRs. The present paper highlights the analysis results for prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) tested at Sandia National Labs, USA in a round robin analysis activity co-sponsored by Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), Japan and the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Three levels of failure pressure predictions namely the upper bound, the most probable and the lower bound (all with 90% confidence) were made as per the requirements of the round robin analysis activity. The most likely failure pressure is predicted to be in the range of 2.95 Pd to 3.15 Pd (Pd = design pressure of 0.39 MPa for the PCCV model) depending on the type of liners used in the construction of the PCCV model. The lower bound value of the ultimate pressure of 2.80 Pd and the upper bound of the ultimate pressure of 3.45 Pd are also predicted from the analysis. These limiting values depend on the assumptions of the analysis for simulating the concrete tendon interaction and the strain hardening characteristics of the steel members. The experimental test has been recently concluded at Sandia Laboratory and the peak pressure reached during the test is 3.3 Pd that is enveloped by our upper bound prediction of 3.45 Pd and is close to the predicted most likely pressure of 3.15 Pd

Improvement to reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-01-01

The vessel described includes a prestressed concrete vessel containing a chamber and a removable cover closing this chamber. The cover is in concrete and is kept in its closed position by main and auxiliary retainers, comprising fittings integral with the concrete of the vessel. The auxiliary retainers pass through the concrete of the cover. This improvement may be applied to BWR, PWR and LMFBR type reactor vessel [fr

Method of producing the arched surfaces of diaphragm rings for large containers, especially for prestressed-concrete pressure vessels of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumpf, H.

1976-01-01

In producing arched surfaces of diaphragm rings for large containers, especially for prestressed-concrete pressure vessels for nuclear power plants, it is of advantage to manufacture these directly on the construction site. According to the invention the, at first level, diaphragm ring is put on the predetermined place, sectionally pressed against and shaped by a shaping tool - with a profiled supporting ring as a counter-acting tool - and afterwards welded together with the annular wall sections of the large container along the shaped parts. The manufacture of single and double configurations of diaphragm rings is described. It is of advantage if shaping and mounting position coincide. (UWI) [de

Cylindrical prestressed concrete pressure vessel for a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horner, M.; Hodzic, A.; Haferkamp, D.

1976-01-01

A prestressed concrete pressure vessel for a HTGR is proposed which encloses, in addition to the reactor core, not only the heat-exchanging facilities but also the turbine unit. The reinforcement of the cylindrical concrete body is to be carried out with special care, it is provided for horizontal tendons, the prestressed concrete pressure vessel has a wire-winding device, while the longitudinal reinforcement is achieved by tendous guided in parallel to the vesses axes through the interspaces between the pods. (UWI) [de

State-of-the-Art Report on Molten Corium Concrete Interaction and Ex-Vessel Molten Core Coolability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnet, Jean-Michel; Cranga, Michel; Vola, Didier; Marchetto, Cathy; Kissane, Martin; ); Robledo, Fernando; Farmer, Mitchel T.; Spengler, Claus; Basu, Sudhamay; Atkhen, Kresna; Fargette, Andre; Fisher, Manfred; Foit, Jerzi; Hotta, Akitoshi; Morita, Akinobu; Journeau, Christophe; Moiseenko, Evgeny; Polidoro, Franco; Zhou, Quan

2017-01-01

Activities carried out over the last three decades in relation to core-concrete interactions and melt coolability, as well as related containment failure modes, have significantly increased the level of understanding in this area. In a severe accident with little or no cooling of the reactor core, the residual decay heat in the fuel can cause the core materials to melt. One of the challenges in such cases is to determine the consequences of molten core materials causing a failure of the reactor pressure vessel. Molten corium will interact, for example, with structural concrete below the vessel. The reaction between corium and concrete, commonly referred to as MCCI (molten core concrete interaction), can be extensive and can release combustible gases. The cooling behaviour of ex-vessel melts through sprays or flooding is also complex. This report summarises the current state of the art on MCCI and melt coolability, and thus should be useful to specialists seeking to predict the consequences of severe accidents, to model developers for severe-accident computer codes and to designers of mitigation measures

Concrete benchmark experiment: ex-vessel LWR surveillance dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ait Abderrahim, H.; D'Hondt, P.; Oeyen, J.; Risch, P.; Bioux, P.

1993-09-01

The analysis of DOEL-1 in-vessel and ex-vessel neutron dosimetry, using the DOT 3.5 Sn code coupled with the VITAMIN-C cross-section library, showed the same C/E values for different detectors at the surveillance capsule and the ex-vessel cavity positions. These results seem to be in contradiction with those obtained in several Benchmark experiments (PCA, PSF, VENUS...) when using the same computational tools. Indeed a strong decreasing radial trend of the C/E was observed, partly explained by the overestimation of the iron inelastic scattering. The flat trend seen in DOEL-1 could be explained by compensating errors in the calculation such as the backscattering due to the concrete walls outside the cavity. The 'Concrete Benchmark' experiment has been designed to judge the ability of this calculation methods to treat the backscattering. This paper describes the 'Concrete Benchmark' experiment, the measured and computed neutron dosimetry results and their comparison. This preliminary analysis seems to indicate an overestimation of the backscattering effect in the calculations. (authors). 5 figs., 1 tab., 7 refs

Development of ultrasonic testing technique with a large transducer to inspect the containment vessel plates embedded in concrete for corrosion on nuclear power plant (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Hitoshi

2005-01-01

The containment vessel plates embedded in concrete on Pressurized Water Reactors are inaccessible to inspect directly. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare inspection technology to detect existence and a location of corrosion on the embedded plates indirectly. The purpose of this study is establishment of ultrasonic testing technique to be able to inspect the containment vessel plates embedded in concrete widely from the accessible point. Experiments to detect artificial hollows simulating corrosion and stud bolts which hold the mold of concrete on a surface of a carbon steel plate mock-up covered with concrete were carried out with newly made low frequency (0.3MHz and 0.5MHz) 90 degrees refraction angle shear horizontal (SH) wave transducers combined with three active elements, which were equivalent to a 120 mm width element. As the results: (1) The echoes from the artificial hollows with a depth of 19 mm and 9.5mm at a distance of 1.5 m and the stud bolts with a diameter of 8mm at a distance of 0.7 - 1.7m could be discriminated clearly. (2) The multiple echoes bouncing three times between the front side and the back side of the plate, which was equivalent to a distance of about 12m, could be discriminated. (3) A divergence angle and a -6dB divergence angle of the large element (combined three elements) transducer were about 7 degrees and about 3 degrees. (4) The echoes from the hollows with a depth of 9.5m could be detected at a distance of 3.6 m with a reflection at the side wall of the mock-up. (5) It was estimated that the maximum distance of detection of the echo from the stud bolt with a diameter of 8mm was about 2.9 ∼ 3.6 m. Therefore we evaluate that the large element transducer can propagate the SH wave to about a half of a distance to the bottom of the embedded containment vessel and it is possible to detect the defects such as corrosion to a distance of 3.6 m. (author)

In-service supervision of a prestressed concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemann, H.; Mayer, N.; Amberg, C.

1985-01-01

On-line measurements of the physical state of a prestressed concrete pressure vessel and a comparison of the distribution of temperature, strain and stress within the concrete member to the optimized statical predictions and the criterions of layout yield to an efficient and economical method of operating the vessel with a high potential of safety. The requirements of instrumentation and the comparison with static calculations are discussed on the prototype vessel at Seibersdorf Research Center during the phase of construction and prestressing, the phase of the first thermal treatment (stabilization), the pressure tests and under the operating conditions of a high temperature reactor (150 0 C/50 bar). (Author)

In-service supervision of a prestressed concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemann, H.; Weissbacher, L.; Mayer, N.; Amberge, C.

1985-01-01

On-line measurements of the physical state of a prestressed concrete pressure vessel, and comparison with the design predictions of the distribution of temperature, strain and stress within the concrete member and the criteria of layout, provide an efficient and economical method of operating the vessel with a high potential of safety. The requirements of instrumentation and the comparison with static calculations are discussed with reference to the prototype vessel at Seibersdorf Research Centre during the phase of construction and prestressing, the phase of the first thermal treatment (stabilization), the pressure tests and under the operating conditions of a high temperature reactor (150 0 C, 50 bar). (author)

Analyses of a steel containment vessel with an outer contact structure under severe internal overpressurization conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, V.L.

1993-01-01

Many Mark-I and Mark-II BWR plants are designed with a steel vessel as the primary containment. Typically, the steel containment vessel (SCV) is enclosed within a reinforced concrete shield building with only a small gap (50--90mm) separating the two structures. This paper describes finite element analyses performed to evaluate the effects of contact and friction between a steel containment vessel and an outer contact structure when the containment vessel is subjected to large internal pressures. These computations were motivated by a joint program on containment integrity involving the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) of Japan, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and Sandia National Laboratories for testing model containments

Advances in the analysis and design of concrete structures, metal containments and liner plate for extreme loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, J.D.; Eibl, J.; Curbach, M.; Johnson, T.E.; Daye, M.A.; Riera, J.D.; Nemet, J.; Iyengar, K.T.S.

1992-01-01

The material presented in this paper summarizes the progress that has been made in the analysis, design, and testing of concrete structures. The material is summarized in the following documents: Part I: Containment Design Criteria and Loading Combinations; Part II: Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Behavior; Part III: Concrete Containment Analysis, Design and Related Testing; Part IV: Impact and Impulse Loading and Response Prediction; Part V: Metal Containments and Liner Plate Systems; Part VI: Prestressed Reactor Vessel Design, Testing and Analysis. (orig.)

Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 Ex-Vessel Prediction: Core Concrete Interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robb, Kevin R; Farmer, Mitchell; Francis, Matthew W

2015-01-01

Lower head failure and corium concrete interaction were predicted to occur at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 (1F1) by several different system-level code analyses, including MELCOR v2.1 and MAAP5. Although these codes capture a wide range of accident phenomena, they do not contain detailed models for ex-vessel core melt behavior. However, specialized codes exist for analysis of ex-vessel melt spreading (e.g., MELTSPREAD) and long-term debris coolability (e.g., CORQUENCH). On this basis, an analysis was carried out to further evaluate ex-vessel behavior for 1F1 using MELTSPREAD and CORQUENCH. Best-estimate melt pour conditions predicted by MELCOR v2.1 and MAAP5 were used as input. MELTSPREAD was then used to predict the spatially dependent melt conditions and extent of spreading during relocation from the vessel. The results of the MELTSPREAD analysis are reported in a companion paper. This information was used as input for the long-term debris coolability analysis with CORQUENCH.

Shear strength of end slabs of prestressed concrete nuclear reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reins, J.D.; Quiros, J.L. Jr.; Schnobrich, W.C.; Sozen, M.A.

1976-07-01

The report summarizes the experimental and part of the analytical work carried out in connection with an investigation of the structural strength of prestressed concrete reactor vessels. The project is part of the Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessel Program of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory sponsored by ERDA. The objective of the current phase of the work is to develop procedures to determine the shear strength of flat end slabs of reactor vessels with penetrations

Testing of plain and fibrous concrete single cavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oland, C.B.

1985-01-01

Two single-cavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) models were fabricated and tested to failure to demonstrate the structural response and ultimate pressure capacity of models cast from high-strength concretes. Concretes with design compressive strengths in excess of 70 MPa (10,000 psi) were developed for this investigation. One model was cast from plain concrete and failed in shear at the head region. The second model was cast from fiber reinforced concrete and failed by rupturing the circumferential prestressing at the sidewall of the structure. The tests also demonstrated the capabilities of the liner system to maintain a leak-tight pressure boundary. 3 refs., 4 figs

Radiation resistance of concrete of nuclear reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyakov, V.V.; Denisov, A.V.; Korenevskij, V.V.; Muzalevskij, L.P.; Dubrovskij, V.B.; Ivanov, D.A.; Nazarov, I.L.; Sashin, N.L.

1992-01-01

Results of calculational-experimental determination of radiation resistance for concrete bases on limestone gravel and quartz sand, which are the most perspective materials for manufacturing prestressed concrete of the VG-400 reactor vessel are considered. Material samples under investigation were irradiated in the channels of the IBR-2 research reactor for the purpose of the calcultional result verification

Method for the construction of a nuclear reactor with a prestressed concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoening, J.; Schwiers, H.G.

1981-01-01

Method for the construction of nuclear reactors with prestressed concrete pressure vessel, providing during the initial stage of construction of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel a support structure around the liner. This enables an early mounting of core components in clean conditions as well as load reductions for final concreting in layers of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel. By applying the support structure, the overall assembly time of these nuclear power plant is considerably reduced without extra cost. (orig.) [de

Transient analysis of LMFBR reinforced/prestressed concrete containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchertas, A.H.; Belytschko, T.B.; Bazant, Z.P.

1979-01-01

The use of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs) for LMFBR containment creates a need for analytical methods for treating the transient response of such structures, for LMFBR containments must be capable of sustaining the dynamic effects which arise in a hypothetical core disruptive accident (HCDA). These analyses require several unique features: a model of concrete which includes tensile cracking, a methodology for representing the prestressing tendons and for simulating the prestressing operation, and an efficient computational tool for treating the transient response. Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, all of these features should be available in a single computer code. For the purpose of treating the transient response, a finite element program with explicit time integration was chosen. The use of explicit time integration has the advantage that it can easily treat the complicated constitutive model which arises from the considerations of concrete cracking and it can handle the slip between reinforcing tendons and the concrete through the use of the well known sliding interface options. However, explicit time integration programs are usually not well suited to the simulation of static processes such as prestressing. Nevertheless, explicit time integration programs can handle static processes through the introduction of damping by what is known as a dynamic relaxation procedure. For this reason, the dynamic relaxation procedure was refined through the introduction of lumped mass, viscous damping. This provision made the prestressing operation of the concrete structures by means of the explicit formulation rather convenient. (orig.)

The 1500 MW fast breeder reactor the double envelope-vessel anchored in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolvin, M.

1981-01-01

This paper givers an account of EDF investigations to reduce the investment costs of the 1500 MW Fast Reactor (RNR 1500) without prejudice to the safety requirements. It deals with the double envelope-vessel, designed to minimize radiation consequences in the event of accidental leakage in the main vessel. In the Fast Reactors in operation (PHOENIX), under construction (CRYS-MALVILLE), and under project (NR 1500), the double envelope-steel vessel hangs down from the upper part of the reactor block, its weight being approximately 300 t. In the new design, the vessel is fixed into the concrete which supports the main vessel, by means of steel anchors. A thermal insulation isolates it from the main vessel. The installation of coils in the concrete, next to the lining, allows for water circulation to cool the concrete. (orig./GL)

Behaviour of a pre-stressed concrete pressure-vessel subjected to a high temperature gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubois, F.

1965-01-01

After a review of the problems presented by pressure-vessels for atomic reactors (shape of the vessel, pressures, openings, foundations, etc.) the advantages of pre-stressed concrete vessels with respect to steel ones are given. The use of pre-stressed concrete vessels however presents many difficulties connected with the properties of concrete. Thus, because of the absence of an exact knowledge of the material, it is necessary to place a sealed layer of steel against the concrete, to have a thermal insulator or a cooling circuit for limiting the deformations and stresses, etc. It follows that the study of the behaviour of pre-stressed concrete and of the vessel subjected- to a high temperature gradient can yield useful information. A one-tenth scale model of a pre-stressed concrete cylindrical vessel without any side openings and without a base has been built. Before giving a description of the tests the authors consider some theoretical aspects concerning 'scale model-actual structure' similitude conditions and the calculation of the thermal and mechanical effects. The pre-stressed concrete model was heated internally by a 'pyrotenax' element and cooled externally by a very strong air current. The concrete was pre-stressed using horizontal and vertical cables held at 80 kg/cm 2 ; the thermal gradient was 160 deg. C. During the various tests, measurements were made of the overall and local deformations, the changes in water content, the elasticity modulus, the stress and creep of the cables and the depths of the cracks. The overall deformations observed are in line with thermal deformation theories and the creep of the cables attained 20 to 30 per cent according to their position relative to the internal surface. The dynamic elasticity modulus decreased by half but the concrete keeps its good mechanical properties. Finally, cracks 8 to 12 cm deep and 2 to 3 mms wide appeared in that part of the concrete which was not pre-stressed. The results obtained make it

Process for producing curved surface of membrane rings for large containers, particulary for prestressed concrete pressure vessels of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumpf, H.

1977-01-01

Membrane rings for large pressure vessels, particularly for prestressed-concrete pressure vessels, often have curved surfaces. The invention describes a process of producing these at site, which is particularly advantageous as the forming and installation of the vessel component coincide. According to the invention, the originally flat membrane ring is set in a predetermined position, is then pressed in sections by a forming tool (with a preformed support ring as opposite tool), and shaped. After this, the shaped parts are welded to the ring-shaped wall parts of the large vessel. The manufacture of single and double membrane rings arrangements is described. (HP) [de

Review of analysis methods for prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodge, W.G.; Bazant, Z.P.; Gallagher, R.H.

1977-02-01

Theoretical and practical aspects of analytical models and numerical procedures for detailed analysis of prestressed concrete reactor vessels are reviewed. Constitutive models and numerical algorithms for time-dependent and nonlinear response of concrete and various methods for modeling crack propagation are discussed. Published comparisons between experimental and theoretical results are used to assess the accuracy of these analytical methods

Water content monitoring for Flamanville 3 EPR trademark prestressed concrete containment. An application for TDR techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Courtois, Alexis; Clauzon, Timothee [EDF DPIH DTG, Lyon (France); Taillade, Frederic [EDF R and D, Chatou (France); Martin, Gregoire [EDF CNEN, Montrouge (France)

2015-07-01

Long term operation of nuclear power plant requires an appropriate monitoring of containment structures. For prestressed concrete containment vessels, a key parameter for ageing analysis is the evolution of the amount of water remaining within the concrete pores. EDF decides to launch a development program, in order to determine what sensor technologies are able to achieve such kind of monitoring on large concrete structures. One of the main parts of this program is to determine the maximum allowable uncertainty for the measurement. Another stake is the calibration process of sensors dedicated to water content measurement in concrete structures and the management of the parameters which have the largest influence on the measurement process.

Containment vessel drain system

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Scott G.

2018-01-30

A system for draining a containment vessel may include a drain inlet located in a lower portion of the containment vessel. The containment vessel may be at least partially filled with a liquid, and the drain inlet may be located below a surface of the liquid. The system may further comprise an inlet located in an upper portion of the containment vessel. The inlet may be configured to insert pressurized gas into the containment vessel to form a pressurized region above the surface of the liquid, and the pressurized region may operate to apply a surface pressure that forces the liquid into the drain inlet. Additionally, a fluid separation device may be operatively connected to the drain inlet. The fluid separation device may be configured to separate the liquid from the pressurized gas that enters the drain inlet after the surface of the liquid falls below the drain inlet.

Prestressed concrete pressure vessels for boiling water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, S.

1979-12-01

Following a general description of the Scandinavian cooperative project on prestressed concrete pressure vessels for boiling water reactors, detailed discussion is given in four appendices of the following aspects: the verification programme of tests and studies, the development and testing of a liner venting system, a preliminary safety philosophy and comparative assessment of cold and hot liners. Vessel failure probability is briefly discussed and some figures presented. The pressure gradients in the vessel wall resulting from various stipulated linear cracks, with a liner venting system are presented graphically. (JIW)

Prestressed concrete vessels suitable for helium high temperature reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lockett, G.E.; Kinkead, A.N.

1967-02-01

In considering prestressed concrete vessels for use with helium cooled high temperature reactors, a number of new problems arise and projected designs involve new approaches and new solutions. These reactors, having high coolant outlet temperature from the core and relatively high power densities, can be built into compact designs which permit usefully high working pressures. Consequently, steam generators and circulating units tend to be small. Although circuit activity can be kept quite low with coated particle fuels, designs which involve entry for subsequent repair are not favoured, and coupled with the preferred aim of using fully shop fabricated units within the designs with removable steam generators which involve no tube welding inside the vessel. A particular solution uses a number of slim cylindrical assemblies housed in the wall of the pressure vessel and this vessel design concept is presented. The use of helium requires very high sealing standards and one of the important requirements is a vessel design which permits leak testing during construction, so that a repair seal can be made to any faulty part in a liner seam. Very good demountable joint seals can be made without particular difficulty and Dragon experience is used to provide solutions which are suitable for prestressed concrete vessel penetrations. The concept layout is given of a vessel meeting these requirements; the basis of design is outlined and special features of importance discussed. (author)

Requirements for thermal insulation on prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neylan, A.J.; Wistrom, J.D.

1979-01-01

During the past decade, extensive design, construction, and operating experience on concrete pressure vessels for gas-cooled reactor applications has accumulated. Excellent experience has been obtained to date on the structural components (concrete, prestressing systems, liners, penetrations, and closures) and the thermal insulation. Three fundamentally different types of insulation systems have been employed to ensure the satisfactory performance of this component, which is critical to the overall success of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV). Although general design criteria have been published, the requirements for design, materials, and construction are not rigorously addressed in any national or international code. With the more onerous design conditions being imposed by advanced reactor systems, much greater attention has been directed to advance the state of the art of insulation systems for PCRVs. This paper addresses some of the more recent developments in this field being performed by General Atomic Company and others. (author)

The permeability of concrete for reactor containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, R.H.

1983-07-01

Review of the literature pertaining to water, water vapour and gas transmission through concrete revealed conflicting views on the mechanisms involved and the influence of mix design parameters such as initial porosities and water/cement ratio. Consideration of the effects of ageing and of construction defects in field concrete were totally neglected in published work. Permeability data from three published papers were compared with permeability calculated according to Powers. The ratio of calculated to observed permeability varied from 40 x 10 -3 to 860 x 10 -3 for one group: from 0.17 x 10 3 to 8.6 x 10 3 in the second; and from 24 x 10 3 to 142 x 10 3 for the third. There were therefore wide discrepancies within each group of data and between groups. A bibliography was prepared and an exploratory experimental programme was mounted to determine the relative importance of key parameters such as cement type, porosity and water/cement ratio. Contrary to frequently cited references it was found that permeability of concrete was not significantly influenced by water/cement ratio when the starting porosity was constant. If water/cement ratio was held constant, however, the permeability was strongly influenced by starting porosity. It was also found that with constant water/cement ratio permeability increased with cement content. The value of fly ash and blast furnace slag in partial substitution for Portland cement is neglected in the literature but it is important since such substitutions alleviate alkali-silicate reactions. Permeability of concrete was significantly decreased by partial substitution of Portland cement with fly ash but there was no benefit in the use of blast furnace slag

High temperature helium test rig with prestressed concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidl, H.

1975-10-01

The report gives a short description of the joint project prestressed concrete vessel-helium test station as there is the building up of the concrete structure, the system of instrumentation, the data processing, the development of the helium components as well as the testing programs. (author)

Analysis study on change of tendon behavior during pressurization process of Pre-stressed Concrete Containment Vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiwase, Takako; Nagasaka, Hideo

1999-01-01

NUPEC has been planning the ultimate strength test of Pre-stressed Concrete Containment Vessel (PCCV). The test model is 1/4 uniform scale model of Japan actual PCCV. It involves an equipment hatch, several penetrations and liner with T-anchors. The ancillary test for the PCCV test was conducted, in which friction coefficient of hoop tendon was evaluated by tensile force distribution using the same tendon as that of 1/4 PCCV model. Tendon will be in plastic region under internal pressure above 3.5 times design pressure (Pd) and surface characteristic of tendon and the resultant friction coefficient will be changed. In the present paper, tendon friction coefficient in the plastic region was obtained by evaluating plastic region data of tendon in the ancillary test. The validity of the obtained friction coefficient was confirmed by the tendon elongation data. In addition to the formally developed elastic region friction coefficient, the obtained plastic region correlation was incorporated into ABAQUS Ver. 5.6. The effect of tendon tensile force distribution change on structural behavior up to 3.8 Pd was evaluated. (author)

Completely integrated prestressed-concrete reactor pressure vessel, type 'Star'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neunert, B.; Jueptner, G.; Kumpf, H.

1975-01-01

The star support vessel is suitable for the connection to all primary circuit systems consisting of a main vessel and a number of satellite vessels around and connected to it, i.e. for LWR, HTR and process reactor. It must be made clear, however, that the PWR in particular with its components does not appear to be suited for the optimum incorporation in a prestressed-concrete pressure vessel system, no matter what kind. There are clear concepts about modifications which, however, require considerable development expenditure. (orig./LH) [de

Analytical investigation of multicavity prestressed concrete pressure vessels for elastic loading conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fanning, D.N.

1978-09-01

A three-dimensional finite-element analysis of a commercial high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) was made using the finite-element code STATIC-SAP. Four loading conditions were analyzed elastically to evaluate the behavior of the concentric core prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) of the HTGR. The results of the analysis were evaluated in accordance with Section III, Division 2, of the ASME Code for Reactor Vessels and Containments. The calculated maximum stresses were found to be well within the Code-allowable values. The analysis was preceded by an evaluation of candidate computer codes using comparisons of experimental data with analytical results for the Ohbayashi-Gumi multicavity PCRV model. This vessel was chosen as a basis for comparison because of its geometrical similarity to the large multicavity PCRV and the anticipated availability of a complete set of the original experimental data. The three-dimensional finite-element codes NONSAP and STATIC-SAP were used for the analysis of the Ohbayashi-Gumi vessel

Mobile nuclear reactor containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, R.E.; Spurrier, F.R.; Jones, A.R.

1978-01-01

A containment vessel for use in mobile nuclear reactor installations is described. The containment vessel completely surrounds the entire primary system, and is located as close to the reactor primary system components as is possible in order to minimize weight. In addition to being designed to withstand a specified internal pressure, the containment vessel is also designed to maintain integrity as a containment vessel in case of a possible collision accident

An introduction to the analysis of multi-cavity prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, M.C.A.T. da.

1986-01-01

The present work is a study of multi-cavity prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCRV) for nuclear reactors. A review is made of the designs, analises and models of multi-cavity concrete pressure vessels. A preliminary evaluation of the NONSAP program for applications in complex three-dimensional structures such as a multi-cavity pressure vessel is also made. A model of a PCRV of a 1000 MW(e) high-temperature gas cooled reactor was selected for a three-dimensional analysis with the NONSAP program. The results obtained are compared with experimental data. (Author) [pt

Containers, particularly prestressed concrete pressure vessels for nuclear reactor plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoening, J.; Schwiers, H.G.; Mitterbacher, P.

1986-01-01

Pressure and temperature changes act on the liner, which cause differential expansion between the liner and the prestressed concrete. So that there will be no overload or damage to the liner, its anchoring or the concrete structure, cutouts are provided in the concrete at deflection positions of the steel cladding, connections and penetrations. These cut-outs are filled with inserts made of elastic or plastic material. (DG) [de

Assessment of Ultimate Load Capacity for Pre-Stressed Concrete Containment Vessel Model of PWR Design With BARC Code ULCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basha, S.M.; Singh, R.K.; Patnaik, R.; Ramanujam, S.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Venkat Raj, V.

2002-01-01

Ultimate load capacity assessment of nuclear containments has been a thrust research area for Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) power programme. For containment safety assessment of Indian PHWRs a finite element code ULCA was developed at BARC, Trombay. This code has been extensively benchmarked with experimental results. The present paper highlights the analysis results for Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessel (PCCV) tested at Sandia National Labs, USA in a Round Robin analysis activity co-sponsored by Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), Japan and the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Three levels of failure pressure predictions namely the upper bound, the most probable and the lower bound (all with 90% confidence) were made as per the requirements of the round robin analysis activity. The most likely failure pressure is predicted to be in the range of 2.95 Pd to 3.15 Pd (Pd= design pressure of 0.39 MPa for the PCCV model) depending on the type of liners used in the construction of the PCCV model. The lower bound value of the ultimate pressure of 2.80 Pd and the upper bound of the ultimate pressure of 3.45 Pd are also predicted from the analysis. These limiting values depend on the assumptions of the analysis for simulating the concrete-tendon interaction and the strain hardening characteristics of the steel members. The experimental test has been recently concluded at Sandia Laboratory and the peak pressure reached during the test is 3.3 Pd that is enveloped by our upper bound prediction of 3.45 Pd and is close to the predicted most likely pressure of 3.15 Pd. (authors)

BBRV post-tensioning systems as applied to reactor containments and prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorpe, W.; Speck, F.E.

1976-01-01

Nuclear containments and pressure vessels can be post-tensioned by using two basically different methods: tendons and winding. The fundamental differences between the two concepts are shown by introductory examples. A discussion of tendon units, usually lying in the range 4000 to 10,000 kN, is followed by a detailed presentation of the BBRV winding system. After giving a short comment to factors influencing the choice of a post-tensioning system the authors discuss specific aspects of some application groups: cable layout with containments and pressure vessels, conditions for a wrapped design, corrosion protection. (author)

Radioactive waste processing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Masaru; Suzuki, Osamu; Ishizaki, Kanjiro.

1987-01-01

Purpose: To obtain a vessel of a reduced weight and with no external leaching of radioactive materials. Constitution: The vessel main body is constituted, for example, with light weight concretes or foamed concretes, particularly, foamed concretes containing fine closed bubbles in the inside. Then, layers having dense texture made of synthetic resin such as polystylene, vinylchloride resin, etc. or metal plate such as stainless plate are integrally disposed to the inner surface of the vessel main body. The cover member also has the same structure. (Sekiya, K.)

Capacity assessment of concrete containment vessels subjected to aircraft impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andonov, Anton, E-mail: anton.andonov@mottmac.com; Kostov, Marin; Iliev, Alexander

2015-12-15

Highlights: • An approach to assess the containment capacity to aircraft impact via fragility curves is proposed. • Momentum over Area was defined as most suitable reference parameter to describe the aircraft load. • The effect of the impact induced damages on the containment pressure capacity has been studied. • The studied containment shows no reduction of the pressure capacity for the investigated scenarios. • The effectiveness of innovative protective structure against aircraft impact has been evaluated. - Abstract: The paper describes the procedure and the results from the assessment of the vulnerability of a generic pre-stressed containment structure subjected to a large commercial aircraft impact. Impacts of Boeing 737, Boeing 767 and Boeing 747 have been considered. The containment vulnerability is expressed by fragility curves based on the results of a number of nonlinear dynamic analyses. Three reference parameters have been considered as impact intensity measure in the fragility curve definition: peak impact force (PIF), peak impact pressure (PIP) and Momentum over Area (MoA). Conclusions on the most suitable reference parameter as well on the vulnerability of such containment vessels are drawn. The influence of the aircraft impact induced damages on the containment ultimate pressure capacity is also assessed and some preliminary conclusions on this are drawn. The paper also addresses a conceptual design of a protective structure able to decrease the containment vulnerability and provide a preliminary assessment of the applicability of such concept.

Capacity assessment of concrete containment vessels subjected to aircraft impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andonov, Anton; Kostov, Marin; Iliev, Alexander

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An approach to assess the containment capacity to aircraft impact via fragility curves is proposed. • Momentum over Area was defined as most suitable reference parameter to describe the aircraft load. • The effect of the impact induced damages on the containment pressure capacity has been studied. • The studied containment shows no reduction of the pressure capacity for the investigated scenarios. • The effectiveness of innovative protective structure against aircraft impact has been evaluated. - Abstract: The paper describes the procedure and the results from the assessment of the vulnerability of a generic pre-stressed containment structure subjected to a large commercial aircraft impact. Impacts of Boeing 737, Boeing 767 and Boeing 747 have been considered. The containment vulnerability is expressed by fragility curves based on the results of a number of nonlinear dynamic analyses. Three reference parameters have been considered as impact intensity measure in the fragility curve definition: peak impact force (PIF), peak impact pressure (PIP) and Momentum over Area (MoA). Conclusions on the most suitable reference parameter as well on the vulnerability of such containment vessels are drawn. The influence of the aircraft impact induced damages on the containment ultimate pressure capacity is also assessed and some preliminary conclusions on this are drawn. The paper also addresses a conceptual design of a protective structure able to decrease the containment vulnerability and provide a preliminary assessment of the applicability of such concept.

UK regulatory aspects of prestressed concrete pressure vessels for gas-cooled reactor nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, P.S.

1990-01-01

Safety assessment principles for nuclear power plants and for nuclear chemical plants demand application of best proven techniques, recognised standards, adequacy margins, inspection and maintenance of all the components including prestressed concrete pressure vessels. In service inspection of prestressed concrete pressure vessels includes: concrete surface examination; anchorage inspection; tendon load check; tendon material examination; foundation settlement and tilt; log-term deformation; vessel temperature excursions; coolant loss; top cap deflection. Hartlepool and Heysham 1 power plants prestress shortfall problem is discussed. Main recommendations can be summarised as follows: at all pressure vessel stations prestress systems should be calibrated in a manner which results in all load bearing components being loaded in a representative manner; at all pressure vessel stations load measurements during calibration should be verified by a redundant and diverse system

Rapid construction of concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limbert, D.; Weatherseed, D.C.

1989-01-01

This paper opens with a general description of the concrete pressure vessel followed by a more detailed examination of the critical elements of the construction, including choice of methods and plant which were selected to ensure its rapid construction. The pressure vessel construction cannot be treated in isolation, because it is very closely linked with its surrounding structures - namely the reactor hall which surrounds it and the charge hall which tops it, as will be seen in the context of this paper. Rate of progress of construction is not entirely in the civil contractor's hands because so many of the operations affecting the civil works are of a mechanical nature, hence a very close liaison and understanding amongst all contractors concerned was of the utmost importance. (author)

Nonlinear analysis of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, S.; Loeseth, S.; Holand, I.

1977-01-01

A computational model for circular symmetric reinforced concrete shell problems is described. The model is based on the Finite Element Method. Non-linear stress-strain constitutive relations are used for the concrete, the reinforcement and for the liner. The reinforcement layers may be of different steel qualities. Each layer may be given a specified prestressing. This can be done at the beginning of the computations or the specific reinforcement layer can be considered inactive until a specified level of loading is reached. Thus, the prestressing procedure may also be analyzed in detail. Bond-slip effects are not accounted for. However, no bond may be assumed for prestressing cables by inserting special reinforcement elements. Several models of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels which have been tested up to rupture have been analysed. Analytical (numerical) models for reinforced concrete are also discussed on a more general basis. (Auth.)

Concrete and prestressing process, container made with this concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerard, M.

1992-01-01

Shape memory alloy fibers or heat shrinking fibers are encapsulated in a standard concrete. Prestressed concrete is obtained by heat treatment. Application is made to the fabrication of radioactive waste containers

Limit analysis and design of containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Save, M.

1984-01-01

In the introduction, the theory of plastic analysis of shells is briefly recalled. Minimum-volume design for assigned load factor at plastic collapse is then considered and optimality criteria are derived for plates and shells of continuously varying or piecewise-constant thickness. In the first part, containers made of metal are examined. Analytical and numerical limit analysis solutions and corresponding experimental results are considered for various types of vessels, including intersecting shells. Attention is given to experimental post-yield behavior. Some tests up to fracture are discussed. New theoretical and experimental results of limit analysis of stiffened cylindrical vessels are presented, in which reinforcing rings are treated as discrete structural element (no smearing out) and due account is taken of their strong curvature. Cases of collapse by instability under internal pressure are pointed out. Minimum-volume design of circular plates and cylindrical shells is then formulated and various examples are presented of sandwich and solid metal structures. Containers of piecewise-constant thickness are given particular attention. Available experimental evidence on minimum-volume design of plates and shells is reviewed and commented upon. The second part deals with reinforced concrete vessels. Cylindrical containers are studied, from both points of view of limit analysis and of limit design with minimum volume of reinforcement. The practical use of the latter solutions is discussed. A third part reviews other loading cases (including cyclic and impact loads) and gives indications on corresponding theories, formulations and solution methods. The last part is devoted to a discussion of the limitations of the methods presented, within the frame of the 'limit states' design philosophy, which is first briefly recalled. Considerations on further research in the field conclude the paper. (orig.)

Durability and safety of concrete structures in the nuclear context. The case of the containment vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torrenti, J.M. [Universite Paris Est, LCPC (France); Nahas, G. [IRSN/DSR (France)

2011-07-01

The durability of structures, because of its economic and environmental implications, is one of the actual hot topics in civil engineering. In the field of nuclear energy, we are facing very challenging problems like: how could we prolong the service life of actual nuclear containments and how can we assure the durability of a radioactive storage on the very long term (several centuries)? These already difficult questions in a classical civil engineering view are even more complicated in the field of nuclear energy where the structures are massive and the safety of the installations has to be considered. For the containment of nuclear power plants, these stakes will be lit with some examples of research concerning the mechanical behaviour of concrete and concrete structures (at early age, in service on long scales of time and in the event of an accident), the durability of the concrete structures (leaching, swelling due to delayed ettringite formation - DEF -) and the couplings between mechanics and durability. Finally, the importance of probabilistic aspects and the inherent difficulties will be shown. (authors)

Durability and safety of concrete structures in the nuclear context. The case of the containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torrenti, J.M.; Nahas, G.

2011-01-01

The durability of structures, because of its economic and environmental implications, is one of the actual hot topics in civil engineering. In the field of nuclear energy, we are facing very challenging problems like: how could we prolong the service life of actual nuclear containments and how can we assure the durability of a radioactive storage on the very long term (several centuries)? These already difficult questions in a classical civil engineering view are even more complicated in the field of nuclear energy where the structures are massive and the safety of the installations has to be considered. For the containment of nuclear power plants, these stakes will be lit with some examples of research concerning the mechanical behaviour of concrete and concrete structures (at early age, in service on long scales of time and in the event of an accident), the durability of the concrete structures (leaching, swelling due to delayed ettringite formation - DEF -) and the couplings between mechanics and durability. Finally, the importance of probabilistic aspects and the inherent difficulties will be shown. (authors)

Recent investigations and tests with the BBR winding system for circumferential prestressing of concrete vessels and containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuett, K.; Speck, F.E.

1993-01-01

Prestressed concrete pressure vessels for nuclear power stations need post-tensioning systems of large capacity. For the circumferential prestressing, the continuous winding of prestressing steel has several advantages when compared to the use of large numbers of single tendons. About 15 years ago Bureau BBR Ltd (Zuerich) developed the winding system SW 8500. The further development work interrupted at that time for lack of immediate applications was resumed 4 years ago by Bureau BBR together with SUSPA on the ground of new projects being evaluated

Prestressed concrete reactor vessels: review of design and failure criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endebrock, E.G.

1975-03-01

The design and failure criteria of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs) are reviewed along with the analysis methods. The mechanical properties of concrete under multiaxial stresses are not adequately quantified or described to permit an accurate analysis of a PCRV. Structural analysis of PCRVs almost universally utilizes a finite element which encounters difficulties in numerical solution of the governing equations and in treatment of fractured elements. (U.S.)

Research and development of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiozawa, Shoji; Omata, Ippei; Nakamura, Norio

1975-01-01

Compared with the steel reactor vessel, the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) is said to be superior in safety and economy. One of the characteristics of the high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) is the adoption of the PCRV instead of the steel reactor vessel to ensure safety. In order to improve safety characteristics, it is necessary for the PCRV to be provided with more reliable functions. When the multi-purpose HTGR or the gas cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) are realized in future, more severe conditions of technology will be imposed on the PCRV, and accordingly, technical developments are now increasingly required. IHI is now proceeding with the technical research and development on the PCRV, in which a basic study of its liner cooling system has already been completed. In this study applying a large cylindrical PCRV model, comparison was made between experimental data and analyses concerning the liner cooling system, and the results of analytical technique have been evaluated. The analytical technique established this time is applicable to the estimation of temperature distribution in the concrete of a large PCRV and also to the evaluation of the liner cooling system. (auth.)

Prestressed concrete reactor vessel for the HHT-670 MW(e) demonstration plant. Pt.1. Design of the multi-cavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel with warm liner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafitte, R.; Marchand, J.D.

1979-01-01

The design studies and tests described in this paper were undertaken as part of ''PROJECT HHT'', a German-Swiss joint effort for the development of high-temperature helium cooled reactors with direct-cycle turbine. The prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessel encloses the core of the reactor itself, the heat exchangers (coolers and recuperators), the helium turbine, the main helium circuit, all nuclear and thermal equipment, and auxiliary reactor cooling equipment. In order to make the liner accessible for inspection, no thermal insulation is provided between the coolant and the liner. The temperature of the helium in contact with the liner is limited to 200 0 C, under all normal operation conditions of the reactor. In the HHT reactor pressure vessel, the resisting structure is protected thermally by a layer of warm concrete between the liner and the structural prestressed concrete. The main features of this pressure vessel are the marked pressure differences in the cavities during normal operation, and the use of warm liner. The objectives of the reference design were chiefly related to the sizing up of the main structure, taking into account the modifications to be expected in the material characteristics as a result of the high temperatures developed

Comparison of elastic--plastic and variable modulus-cracking constitutive models for prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.A.; Smith, P.D.

1978-01-01

The variable modulus-cracking model is capable of predicting the behavior of reinforced concrete structures (such as the reinforced plate under transverse pressure described previously) well into the range of nonlinear behavior including the prediction of the ultimate load. For unreinforced thick-walled concrete vessels under internal pressure the use of elastic--plastic concrete models in finite element codes enhances the apparent ductility of the vessels in contrast to variable modulus-cracking models that predict nearly instantaneous rupture whenever the tensile strength at the inner wall is exceeded. For unreinforced thick-walled end slabs representative of PCRV heads, the behavior predicted by finite element codes using variable modulus-cracking models is much stiffer in the nonlinear range than that observed experimentally. Although the shear type failures and crack patterns that are observed experimentally are predicted by such concrete models, the ultimate load carrying capacity and vessel-ductility are significantly underestimated. It appears that such models do not adequately model such features as aggregate interlock that could lead to an enhanced vessel reserve strength and ductility

Design of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel for gas-cooled heating reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, G.; Notheisen, C.; Steffen, G.

1987-01-01

The GHR pebble bed reactor offers a simple, safe and economic possibility of heat generation. An essential component of this concept is the prestressed concrete reactor vessel. A system of cooling pipes welded to the outer surface of the liner is used to transfer the heat from the reactor to the intermediate circuit. The high safety of this vessel concept results from the clear separation of the functions of the individual components and from the design principle of the prestressed conncrete. The prestressed concrete structure is so designed that failure can be reliably ruled out under all operating and accident conditions. Even in the extremely improbable event of failure of all decay heat removal systems when decay heat and accumulated heat are transferred passively by natural convection only, the integrity of the vessel remains intact. For reasons of plant availability the liner and the liner cooling system shall be designed so as to ensure safe elimination of failure over the total operating life. The calculations which were peformed partly on the basis of extremely adverse assumption, also resulted in very low loads. The prestressed concrete vessel is prefabricated to the greatest possible extent. Thus a high quality and optimized fabrication technology can be achieved especially for the liner and the liner cooling system. (orig./HP)

Analyses and testing of model prestressed concrete reactor vessels with built-in planes of weakness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, P.; Paton, A.A.; Fleischer, C.C.

1990-01-01

This paper describes the design, construction, analyses and testing of two small scale, single cavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel models, one without planes of weakness and one with planes of weakness immediately behind the cavity liner. This work was carried out to extend a previous study which had suggested the likely feasibility of constructing regions of prestressed concrete reactor vessels and biological shields, which become activated, using easily removable blocks, separated by a suitable membrane. The paper describes the results obtained and concludes that the planes of weakness concept could offer a means of facilitating the dismantling of activated regions of prestressed concrete reactor vessels, biological shields and similar types of structure. (author)

A thermal insulation system intended for a prestressed concrete vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubert, Gilles; Petit, Guy.

1975-01-01

The description is given of a thermal insulation system withstanding the pressure of a vaporisable fluid for a prestressed concrete vessel, particularly the vessel of a boiling water nuclear reactor. The ring in the lower part of the vessel has, between the fluid inlet pipes and the bottom of the vessel, an annular opening of which the bottom edge is integral with an annular part rising inside the ring and parallel to it. This ring is hermetically connected to the bottom of the vessel and is coated with a metal lagging, at least facing the annular opening. This annular opening is made in the ring half-way up between the fluid inlet pipes and the bottom of the vessel. It is connected to the bottom of the vessel through the internal structure enveloping the reactor core [fr

Device for protecting the containment vessel dome of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allain, A.; Filloleau, E.; Mulot, P.

1976-01-01

A device is disclosed for protecting the dome of a nuclear reactor containment vessel against the upward displacement of the concrete shield slab of said reactor and the resultant effects of tilting of an equipment unit mounted on the shield slab at the periphery of said slab, wherein said device comprises: (1) means for separating the equipment unit into two sections consisting of an upper section and a lower section, said lower section being rigidly fixed to said shield slab and said means being actuated by the upward displacement of said slab, (2) a system for vertical rectilinear guiding of said upper section within the containment vessel, and (3) rigid mechanical components which provide a coupling between the aforesaid upper and lower sections of the equipment unit and exert on said upper section under the action of the tilting motion of said lower section a thrust which causes the upward displacement of said upper section

Ageing management of CANDUtm concrete containment buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipose, K.E.; Gregor, F.E.

2009-01-01

The containment system in a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) provides the final physical barrier against release of radioactive materials to the external environment. Even though there are different physical configurations to meet this fundamental safety function in various reactor types, a common feature is the use of a thick-walled concrete structure as part of the containment system commonly referred to as 'Concrete Containment Building'. In order for the concrete containment buildings to continue to provide the required safety function, it has to maintain its structural integrity. As well, its leak rates under test pressures must be maintained below acceptable limits. As some of the containment buildings of the CANDU nuclear power plants are approaching their fourth decade of successful operation, questions regarding the impact of ageing on their ultimate useful service life emerge. Ageing Management has become the tool for addressing those questions. In this paper, the ageing and ageing management of the CANDU concrete containments are discussed, including the specific programs being implemented to monitor and trend the ageing conditions. Specifically, the usefulness of the embedded strain gauges as a tool for the assessment of the condition of the containment concrete structure is discussed. Some of the operational and test data accumulated over the last 30 years have been evaluated and trended to provide some results and conclusions regarding the satisfactory long-term behaviour of the concrete containment buildings. (authors)

A new model for anisotropic damage in concrete and its application to the prediction of failure of some containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badel, P.-B.; Godard, V.; Leblond, J.-B.

2005-01-01

The aim of this paper is to propose a new model for damage in concrete structures which incorporates such complex features as damage anisotropy and asymmetry between tension and compression, while being expressed in a format well suited for numerical applications and involving a limited number of material parameters which can be determined from standard experiments. A crude version of the model involving a single tonsorial internal variable representing damage in tension, and a single material parameter, is presented first. The predictions of this simple model are satisfactory in simple tension, but not so in simple compression. As a remedy, various refinements are then introduced in a second version of the model involving an additional tonsorial or scalar internal variable representing damage in compression, and five additional material parameters. An example of determination of the model parameters using experimental stress-strain curves in simple tension and compression, plus failure envelopes in biaxial tension/compression, is presented next. The model is finally applied to the numerical prediction of the failure of some containment vessel subjected to some large internal pressure, with a comparison with calculations based on a simpler isotropic variant of the model using a single scalar damage variable. The results illustrate the relevance of models incorporating both asymmetry between tension and compression and anisotropy of damage for simulations of industrial concrete structures. (authors)

Long-term properties of concrete in nuclear containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Field, S.N.; Bamforth, P.B.

1991-01-01

Over the last thirty years a large volume of testing has been carried out on concretes used in prestressed concrete pressure vessels and similar structures. The main aim of the work has been to provide the designers with a prediction method for elastic moduli and creep deformation which takes into account temperature and age at loading. This paper summarises and reviews the results from the six concretes tested by Taywood Engineering Ltd (T.E.L.), comparing mixes with and without PFA. (author)

Shear strength of end slabs of prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, K.C.; Gotschall, H.L.; Liu, T.C.

1975-01-01

Prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRV's) have been adopted for primary containments in most large high-temperature gas-cooled reactor installations. The most common configuration for PCRVs is a right-vertical cylinder with thick end slabs. In order to assess the integrity of a PCRV it is necessary to predict the ultimate strength of the end slabs. The complexity of the basic mechanism of shear failure in the PCRV end slabs has thus far prohibited the development of a completely analytical solution. However, many experimental investigations of PCRV end slabs have been conducted over the past decade. This information makes it possible to establish empirical formulae for the ultimate strength of PCRV end slabs. The basis and development of an empirical shear-flexure interaction expression is presented. (Auth.)

Radioactive liquid containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurada, Tetsuo; Kawamura, Hironobu.

1993-01-01

Cooling jackets are coiled around the outer circumference of a container vessel, and the outer circumference thereof is covered with a surrounding plate. A liquid of good conductivity (for example, water) is filled between the cooling jackets and the surrounding plate. A radioactive liquid is supplied to the container vessel passing through a supply pipe and discharged passing through a discharge pipe. Cooling water at high pressure is passed through the cooling water jackets in order to remove the heat generated from the radioactive liquid. Since cooling water at high pressure is thus passed through the coiled pipes, the wall thickness of the container vessel and the cooling water jackets can be reduced, thereby enabling to reduce the cost. Further, even if the radioactive liquid is leaked, there is no worry of contaminating cooling water, to prevent contamination. (I.N.)

The need to pressure test prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forgie, J.H.; Holland, J.A.

1983-01-01

In the period when PCRV were relatively unproven, proof pressure testing provided a useful demonstration of vessel integritiy and a confirmation of model testing and of analysis. No failures have occurred during concrete vessel tests in the UK or in the subsequent operational life of the vessels and much has been learned of their behaviour in service. The paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of proof testing PCRV in the light of the above increased knowledge of vessel performance. The paper draws attention to certain hypothetical loading cases that could be more onerous than the proof test and suggests that pressure testing could itself cause unnecessarily high loading to parts of the vessel. Always recognising the safety considerations and demonstrations of such are of prime importance, the authors suggest that a lower pressure level could be adopted without loss of original intent. In addition some ground rules are suggested as to cases where proof testing could be omitted. (orig./HP)

Properties of concrete containing foamed concrete block waste as fine aggregate replacement

Science.gov (United States)

Muthusamy, K.; Budiea, A. M. A.; Zaidan, A. L. F.; Rasid, M. H.; Hazimmah, D. S.

2017-11-01

Environmental degradation due to excessive sand mining dumping at certain places and disposal of foamed concrete block waste from lightweight concrete producing industry are issues that should be resolved for a better and cleaner environment of the community. Thus, the main intention of this study is to investigate the potential of foamed concrete block waste as partial sand replacement in concrete production. The foamed concrete waste (FCW) used in this research that were supplied by a local lightweight concrete producing industry. The workability and compressive strength of concrete containing various percentage of foamed concrete waste as partial sand replacement has been investigated. Prior to the use, the foamed concrete waste were crushed to produce finer particles. Six concrete mixes containing various content of crushed foamed concrete waste that are 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% were used in this experimental work. Then the prepared specimens were placed in water curing until the testing age. Compressive strength test and flexural strength tests were conducted at 7, 14 and 28 days. The result shows that integration of crushed foamed concrete waste as partial sand replacement in concrete reduces the mix workability. It is interesting to note that both compressive strength and flexural strength of concrete improves when 30% crushed foamed concrete waste is added as partial sand replacement.

Viscoelastic and thermal behavior of structural concrete with reference to containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanou, G.D.

1981-01-01

A method of numerical viscoelastic stress analysis is described suitable for concrete structures operating at elevated temperatures. The paper describes how approximate numerical methods of elastic analysis of the finite element type can be extended to incorporate the viscoelastic behavior of structural concrete of the quasi-static type. A new eight parameter viscoelastic model is proposed to represent concrete behavior in the loaded and unloaded stage. The deformational expressions for the proposed viscoelastic analogue are also developed. Finally, as a result of courve-fitting procedures, the evaluation of the creep law coefficients are obtained for creep laws appropriate to a test regime. The proposed method is of general application providing that the properties of concrete are assessed reasonably well. The analytical predictions are compared with experimental results obtained on concrete model specimens loaded for 3 1/2 months, at a temperature of 80 0 C. (author)

Analyses of a steel containment vessel with an outer contact structure under severe internal overpressurization conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, V.L.

1994-01-01

Many Mark-I and Mark-II BWR plants are designed with a steel vessel as the primary containment. Typically, the steel containment vessel (SCV) is enclosed within a reinforced concrete shield building with only a small gap (74-90 mm) separating the two structures. This paper describes finite element analyses performed to evaluate the effects of contact and friction between a steel containment vessel and an outer contact structure when the containment vessel is subjected to large internal pressures. These computations were motivated by a joint program on containment integrity involving the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) of Japan, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and Sandia National Laboratories for testing model containments. Under severe accident loading conditions, the steel containment vessel in a typical Mark-I or Mark-II plant may deform under internal pressurization such that it contacts the inner surface of a shield building wall. (Thermal expansion from increasing accident temperatures would also close the gap between the SCV and the shield building, but temperature effects are not considered in these analyses.) The amount and location of contact and the pressure at which it occurs all affect how the combined structure behaves. A preliminary finite element model has been developed to analyze a model of a typical steel containment vessel con-ling into contact with an outer structure. Both the steel containment vessel and the outer contact structure were modelled with axisymmetric shell finite elements. Of particular interest are the influence that the contact structure has on deformation and potential failure modes of the containment vessel. Furthermore, the coefficient of friction between the two structures was varied to study its effects on the behavior of the containment vessel and on the uplift loads transmitted to the contact structure. These analyses show that the material properties of an outer contact structure and the amount

Closure system of a vessel made of prestressed concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audibert, Alain

1974-01-01

The present invention relates to removable plugs of prestressed concrete which can be fitted to every type of closed high pressure vessels and especially to the cylindrical vessels of nuclear reactors. The method involved permits the plug to be fitted to the vessel through both radial and axial prestress. In this purpose, said invention proposes removable prestress ribs fitted inside sheaths in the plug and extending throughout the upper part of the bearing surfaces of the plug, said ribs being regularly arranged along the generators of an hyperboloid of one sheet. Owing to this important feature, that is to say said inclination of the ribs in accordance with the generators of said hyperboloid, said rib inclination can be changed on requirement for each realization [fr

The dynamic relaxation method in the structural analysis of concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, I.; Assis Bastos, M.R. de; Camargo, P.B. de.

1977-01-01

The dynamic relaxation method, applied to 3 dimensional concrete structures, especially pressure vessels, is demonstrated. It utilizes the finite difference method and allows the growth of cracks to be followed up to the point of vessel rupture. A FORTRAN IV program is developed, which can also be utilized, with the necessary modifications, for other structure calculations [pt

Molten material-containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akagawa, Katsuhiko

1998-01-01

The molten material-containing vessel of the present invention comprises a vessel main body having an entrance opened at the upper end, a lid for closing the entrance, an outer tube having an upper end disposed at the lower surface of the lid, extended downwardly and having an closed lower end and an inner tube disposed coaxially with the outer tube. When a molten material is charged from the entrance to the inside of the vessel main body of the molten material-containing vessel and the entrance is closed by the lid, the outer tube and the inner tube are buried in the molten material in the vessel main body, accordingly, a fluid having its temperature elevated by absorption of the heat of the molten material rises along the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube, abuts against the lower surface of the lid and cooled by exchanging heat with the lid and forms a circulating flow. Since the heat in the molten material is continuously absorbed by the fluid, transferred to the lid and released from the lid to the atmospheric air, heat releasing efficiency can be improved compared with conventional cases. (N.H.)

Properties of Pervious Concrete Containing Scrap Tyre Tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boon Koh Heng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There is a huge quantity of waste tyre tubes generated every year due to the increasing of motorcycle user. Therefore, recycling of the waste tyre tubes is become mandatory. The aim of this research was to study the properties of pervious concrete containing scrap tyre tube (STT rubber particles with percentages of 3%, 5% and 7% of the cement content. The properties studied are void content, compressive strength measured at 7, 14 and 28 days, flexural strength and flow rate which were determined at 28 day. The experimental results showed that, there were increased in void content and flow rate of pervious concrete containing STT. Both compressive strength and flexural strength of pervious concrete containing STT showed a lower value compared to the control mix without STT. The reductions of the mechanical strengths are likely due to the increase of void content. Overall, pervious concrete which contains 7% STT has shown an increment of mechanical strengths and flow rate compared to other STT pervious concrete. Nonetheless, the results indicate that there are potentials for use of STT in pervious concrete, especially for use in pervious concrete applications such as pavements, driveways and parking lots.

A comparison of elastic-plastic and variable modulus-cracking constitutive models for prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.A.; Smith, P.D.

1979-01-01

Numerical prediction of the behavior of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs) under static, dynamic and long term loadings is complicated by the currently ill-defined behavior of concrete under stress and the three-dimensional nature of PCRVs. Which constitutive model most closely approximates the behavior of concrete in PCRVs under load has not yet been decided. Many equations for accurately modeling the three-dimensional behavior of PCRVs tax the capability of a most up-to-date computing system. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the characteristics of two constitutive models which have been proposed for concrete, variable modulus cracking model and elastic-plastic model. Moreover, the behavior of typical concrete structures was compared, the materials of which obey these constitutive laws. The response to internal pressure of PCRV structure, the constitutive models for concrete, the test problems using a thick-walled concrete ring and a rectangular concrete plate, and the analysis of an axisymmetric concrete pressure vessel PV-26 using the variable modulus cracking model of the ADINA code are explained. The variable modulus cracking model can predict the behavior of reinforced concrete structures well into the range of nonlinear behavior. (Kako, I.)

To the problem of reinforced concrete reactor vessel design and calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirillov, A.P.; Artem'ev, V.P.; Bogopol'skij, V.G.; Nikolaev, Yu.B.; Paushkin, A.G.

1980-01-01

Modern methods for calculating reactor vessels of prestressed reinforced concrete are analyzed. It is shown that during the stage of technical and economical substantiation of reactor vessel structure for determining its stressed-deformed state engineering methods of calculation must be used, in particular, fragmentation method, method of rings and plates, and during the stages of contract and detail designs - method of finite elements and dynamic relaxation method. It is concluded that when solving cyclic symmetrical problems as well as asymmetrical problems, calculational algorithms for axis-symmetrical distributions of stresses in the vessel with provision for elastic properties of structural material may be used

Concrete containment integrity software: Procedure manual and guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dameron, R.A.; Dunham, R.S.; Rashid, Y.R.

1990-06-01

This report is an executive summary describing the concrete containment analysis methodology and software that was developed in the EPRI-sponsored research to predict the overpressure behavior and leakage of concrete containments. A set of guidelines has been developed for performing reliable 2D axisymmetric concrete containment analysis with a cracking concrete constitutive model developed by ANATECH. The software package developed during this research phase is designed for use in conjunction with ABAQUS-EPGEN; it provides the concrete model and automates axisymmetric grid preparation, and rebar generation for 2D and 3D grids. The software offers the option of generating pre-programmed axisymmetric grids that can be tailored to a specific containment by input of a few geometry parameters. The goal of simplified axisymmetric analysis within the framework of the containment leakage prediction methodology is to compute global liner strain histories at various locations within the containment. A simplified approach for generating peak liner strains at structural discontinuities as function of the global liner strains has been presented in a separate leakage criteria document; the curves for strain magnification factors and liner stress triaxiality factors found in that document are intended to be applied to the global liner strain histories developed through global 2D analysis. This report summarizes the procedures for global 2D analysis and gives an overview of the constitutive model and the special purpose concrete containment analysis software developed in this research phase. 8 refs., 10 figs

CONCRETE REACTOR CONTAINMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumb, Ralph F.; Hall, William F.; Fruchtbaum, Jacob

1963-06-15

The results of various leak-rate tests demonstrate the practicality of concrete as primary containment for the maximum credible accident for a research reactor employing plate-type fuel and having a power in excess of one megawatt. Leak-test time was shortened substantially by measuring the relaxation time for overpressure decay, which is a function of leak rate. (auth)

Pre-test analysis results of a PWR steel lined pre-stressed concrete containment model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basha, S.M.; Ghosh, Barnali; Patnaik, R.; Ramanujam, S.; Singh, R.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Venkat Raj, V.

2000-02-01

Pre-stressed concrete nuclear containment serves as the ultimate barrier against the release of radioactivity to the environment. This ultimate barrier must be checked for its ultimate load carrying capacity. BARC participated in a Round Robin analysis activity which is co-sponsored by Sandia National Laboratory, USA and Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation Japan for the pre-test prediction of a 1:4 size Pre-stressed Concrete Containment Vessel. In house finite element code ULCA was used to make the test predictions of displacements and strains at the standard output locations. The present report focuses on the important landmarks of the pre-test results, in sequential terms of first crack appearance, loss of pre-stress, first through thickness crack, rebar and liner yielding and finally liner tearing at the ultimate load. Global and local failure modes of the containment have been obtained from the analysis. Finally sensitivity of the numerical results with respect to different types of liners and different constitutive models in terms of bond strength between concrete and steel and tension-stiffening parameters are examined. The report highlights the important features which could be observed during the test and guidelines are given for improving the prediction in the post test computation after the test data is available. (author)

Design and analysis of concrete reactor vessels: New developments, problems and trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazant, Z.P.

1984-01-01

This lecture reviews new developments in analysis and design of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRV). After a brief assessment of the current status and experience, the advantages, disadvantages, and especially the safety features of PCRV, are discussed. Attention is then focused on the design of penetrations and openings, and on the design for high-temperature resistance - areas in which further developments are needed. Various possible designs for high-temperature exposure of concrete in a hypothetical accident are analyzed. Considered are not only PCRVs for gas-cooled reactors (GCR), but also guard vessels for liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR), for which designs mitigating the adverse effects of molten sodium, molten steel, and core melt are surveyed. Realistic analysis of the problems requires further development in the knowledge of material behavior and its mathematical modeling. Recent advances in the modeling of high-temperature response of concrete, including pore water transfer, pore pressure, creep and shrinkage are outlined. This is followed by a discussion of new developments in the analysis of cracking of concrete, where the need of switching from stress criteria to energy criteria for fracture is emphasized. The lecture concludes with a brief discussion of long-time behavior, the effect of aging, and probabilistic analysis of creep. (orig.)

State-of-the-art and prospets for designing and constraction of prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1985-01-01

Short review of reports submitted to the symposium on pressure vessels, which was conducted in Calgary (Canada), has been presented. New tendencies of designing of prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCPV) for nuclear for nuclear reactors are noted. Construction of hot vessel liner is studied. A conclusion is drawn on prospects of PCPV creation

Prestressed-concrete pressure vessels and their applicability to advanced-energy-system concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.

1983-01-01

Prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCPVs) are, in essence, spaced steel structures since their strength is derived from a multitude of steel elements made up of deformed reinforcing bars and prestressing tendons which are present in sufficient quantities to carry tension loads imposed on the vessel. Other major components of a PCPV include the concrete, liner and cooling system, and insulation. PCPVs exhibit a number of advantages which make them ideally suited for application to advanced energy concepts: fabricability in virtually any size and shape using available technology, improved safety, reduced capital costs, and a history of proven performance. PCPVs have many applications to both nuclear- and non-nuclear-based energy systems concepts. Several of these concepts will be discussed as well as the research and development activities conducted at ORNL in support of PCPV development

Thermohydraulics in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor prestressed-concrete reactor vessel during unrestricted core-heatup accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroeger, P.G.; Colman, J.; Araj, K.

1983-01-01

The hypothetical accident considered for siting considerations in High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGR) is the so called Unrestricted Core Heatup Accident (UCHA), in which all forced circulation is lost at initiation, and none of the auxillary cooling loops can be started. The result is a gradual slow core heatup, extending over days. Whether the liner cooling system (LCS) operates during this time is of crucial importance. If it does not, the resulting concrete decomposition of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) will ultimately cause containment building (CB) failure after about 6 to 10 days. The primary objective of the work described here was to establish for such accident conditions the core temperatures and approximate fuel failure rates, to check for potential thermal barrier failures, and to follow the PCRV concrete temperatures, as well as PCRV gas releases from concrete decomposition. The work was done for the General Atomic Corporation Base Line Zero reactor of 2240 MW(t). Most results apply at least qualitatively also to other large HTGR steam cycle designs

Cylindrical reinforced-concrete pressure vessel for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaessen, F.

1975-01-01

The cylindrical pressure vessel has got a wall and an isolating layer composed of blocks of heat-resistant concrete or of ceramic material. The side of the isolating layer facing the interior of the presssure vessel is coated by a liner made of metallic material. In cold state and without internal pressure, the radius of this liner is smaller by a differential amount than that of the isolating layer. By means of radially displaceable fixing elements consisting of an anchoring tube and a holding tube inserted in it, the liner can be made to rest against the isolating layer. This occurs if the pressure vessel is brought to operational temperature. The anchoring tube is attached to the isolating layer whereas the displaceable holding tube is connected with the liner. The possible relative travelling distance of these two elements is equal to the difference of length of the two radii. In addition, the liner may consist of single parts connected with each other through compensating flanges. There may also be additional springs arranged between the isolating layer and the liner. (DG/PB) [de

Safety assessment of a multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel with hot liner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lafitte, R.; Marchand, J. D. [Bonnard et Gardel, Ingenieurs-Conseil, Lausanne (Switzerland)

1981-01-15

The prestressed concrete reactor vessel of the high temperature reactor with helium turbine project differs from those realized up to this day by the important number of cavities, by the different cavity pressures and by a liner in contact with hot gas. For the cases of operating conditions, the computations can be based on an identical pressure in all the cavities. The overdimensioning of the vessel which results is not a determining factor at this stage of the project. The possible loss of leaktightness of the liner can introduce gas pressure into the walls of the vessel. The great thickness of the walls makes it impossible to withstand the resulting forces with prestressing in offering sufficient safety factor against collapse. It is thus important to design a drainage network largely dimensioned. The warm liner appears at this stage of the project too highly stressed by fatigue at the singularity points (ducts between cavities, angles). A solution is proposed which limits the variations of thermal stresses by using a steel with low coefficient of thermal expansion. The cavity closures, which are numerous and some with large dimensions are an important aspect of the vessel safety. A solution of reinforced concrete shell with independent liner is proposed.

Safety assessment of a multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel with hot liner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafitte, R.; Marchand, J.D.

1981-01-01

The prestressed concrete reactor vessel of the high temperature reactor with helium turbine project differs from those realized up to this day by the important number of cavities, by the different cavity pressures and by a liner in contact with hot gas. For the cases of operating conditions, the computations can be based on an identical pressure in all the cavities. The overdimensioning of the vessel which results is not a determining factor at this stage of the project. The possible loss of leaktightness of the liner can introduce gas pressure into the walls of the vessel. The great thickness of the walls makes it impossible to withstand the resulting forces with prestressing in offering sufficient safety factor against collapse. It is thus important to design a drainage network largely dimensioned. The warm liner appears at this stage of the project too highly stressed by fatigue at the singularity points (ducts between cavities, angles). A solution is proposed which limits the variations of thermal stresses by using a steel with low coefficient of thermal expansion. The cavity closures, which are numerous and some with large dimensions are an important aspect of the vessel safety. A solution of reinforced concrete shell with independent liner is proposed

Tension tests of concrete containment wall elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, D.M.; Julien, J.T.; Russel, H.G.

1984-01-01

Tension tests of concrete containment wall elements were conducted as part of a three-phase research program sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The objective of the EPRI experimental/analytical program is twofold. The first objective is to provide the utility industry with a test-verified analytical method for making realistic estimates of actual capacities of reinforced and prestressed concrete containments under internal over-pressurization from postulated degraded core accidents. The second objective is to determine qualitative and quantitative leak rate characteristics of typical containment cross-sections with and without penetrations. This paper covers the experimental portion to the EPRI program. The testing program for Phase 1 included eight large-scale specimens representing elements from the wall of a containment. Each specimen was 60-in (1525-mm) square, 24-in (610-mm) thick, and had full-size reinforcing bars. Six specimens were representative of prototypical reinforced concrete containment designs. The remaining two specimens represented prototypical prestressed containment designs. Various reinforcement configurations and loading arrangements resulted in data that permit comparisons of the effects of controlled variables on cracking and subsequent concrete/reinforcement/liner interaction in containment elements. Subtle differences, due to variations in reinforcement patterns and load applications among the eight specimens, are being used to benchmark the codes being developed in the analytical portion of the EPRI program. Phases 2 and 3 of the test program will examine leak rate characteristics and failure mechanisms at penetrations and structural discontinuities. (orig.)

Time varying stress in ligaments of perforated plates with reference to prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanou, G.D.

1978-01-01

The work described herein relates to the prediction of stresses in materials which exhibit time varying strains with particular reference to the ligaments of perforated circular concrete slabs, subjected to long-term radial prestress and uniform elevated temperature. The perforations are reinforced with steel liners and arranged in a square central lattice symmetrical about two orthogonal axes. Special reference is made to the distribution of stress in the standpipe region of prestressed concrete cylindrical pressure or containment vessels for gas cooled reactors. In order to assess the stress distribution around the perforated zone of a circular slab, a method of analysis was developed by the author, based on the ''Equivalent Elastic Modulus'' of the perforated zone and the ''Effective Modulus Method'', utilizing experimental data obtained from tests performed on model specimens. The object of this paper is to extend the above method of analysis into the perforated region, and assess the long-term stresses in the ligaments. The proposed method is accomplished by an application of the Finite Element Method for the elastic plane stress case. Comparisons of experimental results and theoretical predictions by the proposed method, and other analytical methods are made for a series of perforated concrete slabs subjected to radial in-plane loading: 10,342 kN/m 2 (1,5000 psi), and uniform elevated temperature of 80 0 C. The investigation, though in general terms, could be applied to the perforated region of cylindrical pressure vessels for nuclear reactors. Finally the paper describes briefly in Appendix 3 a direct solution procedure for calculating time dependent stresses in concrete structures based on the principles of variational calculus. Analytical predictions obtained by the proposed method which is a step-by-step analysis, are compared with the variational principle method. (author)

Roles of concrete technology for containment of radioactive contaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitsutaka, Yoshinori; Imamoto, Keiichi

2014-01-01

A large amount of radioactive materials was emitted in the environment by the reactor accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclear debris still remains in the reactor container. An investigative committee was organized in Japan Concrete Institute to study on the containment of radioactive materials and the safe utilization of concrete materials. We have investigated the effect of the hydrogen explosion upon the property of concrete and the transfer of materials into the concrete. We also present the outline of the advice made by Japan Concrete Institute about technologies on the concrete materials for the waterproofing in buildings and for water-shielding walls. (J.P.N.)

Concrete containment modeling and management, Conmod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovall, O.; Larsson, J.-A.; Shaw, P.; Touret, J.-P.; Karlberg, G.

2003-01-01

The CONMOD project aims to create a system which will ensure that safety requirements for concrete containment structures will be up-held during the entire planned lifetime of plants and possibly during an extended lifetime. An important part of the project is to develop the application and understanding of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques for the assessment of conformity and condition of concrete reactor containments and to integrate this with state-of-the-art and developed Finite Element (FE) modelling techniques and analysis of structural behaviour. The objective being to create a diagnostic method for evaluation of ageing and degradation of concrete containments. This method, the C ONMOD-methodology , will help in the planning and execution of actions that will improve safety in a manner which is optimal both in terms of economy and safety. The knowledge gained during the project will be presented in a handbook of best practice. The decommissioned Barsebaeck unit 1 reactor containment will be accessible for non-destructive examination throughout the duration of the project. Intrusive investigations will also be made including coring and material tests as a valuable complement to NDT. (author)

Models and Algorithms for Container Vessel Stowage Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delgado-Ortegon, Alberto

.g., selection of vessels to buy that satisfy specific demands), through to operational decisions (e.g., selection of containers that optimize revenue, and stowing those containers into a vessel). This thesis addresses the question of whether it is possible to formulate stowage optimization models...... container of those to be loaded in a port should be placed in a vessel, i.e., to generate stowage plans. This thesis explores two different approaches to solve this problem, both follow a 2-phase decomposition that assigns containers to vessel sections in the first phase, i.e., master planning...

Concept study for a combined reinforced concrete containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liersch, G.; Peter, U.; Danisch, R.; Freiman, M.; Hummer, M.; Roettinger, H.; Hansen, H.

1994-01-01

A variety of different steel and concrete containment types had been designed and constructed in the past. Most of the concrete containments had been prestressed offering the advantage of small displacements and certain leak tightness of the concrete itself. However, considerable stresses in concrete as well as in the tendons have to be maintained during the whole lifetime of the plant in order to guarantee the required prestressing. The long-time behaviour and the ductility in case of beyond design load cases must be verified. In contrary to a prestressed containment a reinforced containment will only significantly be loaded during test conditions or when needed in case of accidents. It offers additional margins which can be used especially for dynamic loads like impacts or for beyond design considerations. The aim of this paper is to show the feasibility of a so-called combined containment which means capable to resist both - severe internal accidents and external hazards mainly the aircraft crash impact as considered in the design of nuclear power plants in Germany. The concept is a lined reinforced containment without prestressing. The mechanical resistance function is provided by the reinforced concrete and the leak tightness function will be taken by a so called composite liner made of non-metallic materials. Some results of tests performed at SIEMENS laboratories and at the University of Karlsruhe which show the capability of a composite liner to bridge over cracks at the concrete surface will be presented in the paper. The study shows that the combined reinforced concrete containment with a composite liner offers a robust concept with high flexibility with respect to load requirements, beyond design considerations and geometrical shaping (arrangement of openings, integration with adjacent structures). The concept may be further optimized by partial prestressing at areas of high concentration of stresses such as at transition zones or at disturbances around

Containing method for spent fuel and spent fuel containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Hiromichi; Hanada, Yoshine.

1996-01-01

Upon containing spent fuels, a metal vessel main body and a support spacer having fuel containing holes are provided. The support spacer is disposed in the inside of the metal vessel main body, and spent fuel assemblies are loaded in the fuel containing holes. Then, a lid is welded at the opening of the metal vessel main body to provide a sealing state. In this state, heat released from the spent fuel assemblies is transferred to the wall of the metal vessel main body via the support spacer. Since the support spacer has a greater heat conductivity than gases, heat of the spent fuel assemblies tends to be released to the outside, thereby capable of removing heat of the spent fuel assemblies effectively. In addition, since the surfaces of the spent fuel assemblies are in contact with the inner surface of the fuel containing holes of the support spacer, impact-resistance and earthquake-resistance are ensured, and radiation from the spent fuel assemblies is decayed by passing through the layer of the support spacer. (T.M.)

Strength and deformation characteristics of reinforced concrete shell elements subjected to in-plane forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyagi, Yukio; Yamada, Kazuie.

1983-01-01

Reactor containment vessels have been made of steel so far, but since it was decided to adopt a prestressed concrete vessel in the Tsuruga No. 2 plant of Japan Atomic Power Co., the construction of the containment vessels made of prestressed concrete and reinforced concrete has been studied by various electric power companies. However in Japan, there is no standard for the design and construction of concrete structures of this kind. In the standard of foreign countries used for reference, the basis of the stipulation concerning the aseismatic design of concrete containment vessels is not distinct. In this study, the clarification of the strength and deformation when RC vessels are subjected to seismic force only or to internal pressure and seismic force was aimed at, and the result of the loading test by one or two-direction in-plane forces on RC shell elements was examined. Based on this, the method of estimating the strength and deformation of RC shell elements was proposed. The orthogonal reinforcement was adopted, and the strength of shell elements was determined by the yielding of reinforcing bars. (Kako, I.)

The characteristics of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel of the HHT demonstration plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoening, J.; Schwiers, H.G.

1979-01-01

The paper concentrates on the design studies of the HTGR prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) for the HHT Demonstration Plant. The multi-cavity reactor pressure vessel accommodates all components carrying primary gas, including heat exchangers and gas turbine. For reasons of economics and availability of the reactor plant, generic requirements are made for the PCRV. A short description of the power plant is also presented

Mechanical properties of concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and ceramic waste as coarse aggregate replacement

Science.gov (United States)

Khalid, Faisal Sheikh; Azmi, Nurul Bazilah; Sumandi, Khairul Azwa Syafiq Mohd; Mazenan, Puteri Natasya

2017-10-01

Many construction and development activities today consume large amounts of concrete. The amount of construction waste is also increasing because of the demolition process. Much of this waste can be recycled to produce new products and increase the sustainability of construction projects. As recyclable construction wastes, concrete and ceramic can replace the natural aggregate in concrete because of their hard and strong physical properties. This research used 25%, 35%, and 45% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and ceramic waste as coarse aggregate in producing concrete. Several tests, such as concrete cube compression and splitting tensile tests, were also performed to determine and compare the mechanical properties of the recycled concrete with those of the normal concrete that contains 100% natural aggregate. The concrete containing 35% RCA and 35% ceramic waste showed the best properties compared with the normal concrete.

The use of acoustic monitoring to manage concrete structures in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulson, P.O.; Tozser, O.; Wit, M. de

2003-01-01

Concrete and steel are widely used in containment vessels within the nuclear industry. Both are excellent acoustic transmitters. In many structures tensioned wire elements are used within containment structures. However, tensioned wire can be vulnerable to corrosion. To reduce the probability of corrosion sophisticated protection systems are used. To confirm that the design strength is available through time, extensive inspection and maintenance regimes are implemented. These regimes include tests to confirm the condition of the post-tensioning, and pressure tests (leak tests) to verify the performance of vessel. This paper presents an acoustic monitoring technology which uses widely distributed sensors to detect and locate wire failures using the energy released at failure. The technology has been used on a range of structures including post-tensioned concrete bridges, suspension bridges, buildings, pre-cast concrete cylinder pipelines (PCCP) and prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCV), where it has increased confidence in structures and reduced maintenance costs. Where the level of ambient noise is low then SoundPrint acoustic monitoring can detect concrete cracking. This has been shown in PCCP pipelines, on laboratory test structures and also in nuclear structures. The programme has shown that distributed sensors can locate internal cracking well before there is any external evidence. Several projects have been completed on nuclear vessels. The first has been completed on an Electricite de France (EDF) concrete test pressure vessel at Civaux in France. The second at the Sandia PCCV Test Vessel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, which involved the testing of a steel lined concrete vessel. The third was on a PCCV in Maryland, USA. Acoustic monitoring is also able to monitor the deterioration of post-tensioned concrete structures as a result of seismic activity. Summary details of a case history are presented. (author)

Nonlinear analysis of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connor, J.J.

1975-01-01

The numerical procedures for predicting the nonlinear behavior of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel over its design life are discussed. The numerical models are constructed by combining three-dimensional isoparametric finite elements which simulate the concrete, thin shell elements which simulate steel linear plates, and layers of reinforcement steel, and axial elements for discrete prestressing cables. Nonlinearity under compressive stress, multi-dimensional cracking, shrinkage and stress/temperature induced creep of concrete are considered in addition to the elasti-plastic behavior of the liner and reinforcing steel. Various failure theories for concrete have been proposed recently. Also, there are alternative strategies for solving the discrete system equations over the design life, accounting for test loads, pressure and temperature operational loads, creep unloading and abnormal loads. The proposed methods are reviewed, and a new formulation developed by the authors is described. A number of comparisons with experimental tests results and other numerical schemes are presented. These examples demonstrate the validity of the formulation and also provide valuable information concerning the cost and accuracy of the various solution strategies i.e., total vs. incremental loading and initial vs. tangent stiffness. Finally, the analysis of an actual PCRV is described. Stress contours and cracking patterns in the region of cutouts corresponding to operational pressure and temperature loads are illustrated. The effects of creep, unloading, and creep recovery are then shown. Lastly, a strategy for assessing the performance over its design life is discussed

Influence of Silicon-Containing Additives on Concrete Waterproofness Property

Science.gov (United States)

Butakova, M. D.; Saribekyan, S. S.; Mikhaylov, A. V.

2017-11-01

The article studies the influence of silicon-containing additives on the property of the water resistance of concrete samples. It provides a review of the literature on common approaches and technologies improving concrete waterproofness and reinforced concrete structures. Normal hardening samples were obtained on the basis of concretes containing microsilica, aerosil or ash, or the combinations thereof. This research is aimed at the study of the complex modifier effect r on the basis of metakaolin, superplasticizer and silicon containing additives on the property of concrete water resistance. The need to use a superplasticizer to reduce the water-cement ratio and metakaolin as a hardening accelerator along with the set of strength is substantiated. This article describes a part of the results of the experiment conducted to find alternative options for colmatizing expensive additives used in the concreting foundations of private house-building. The implementation of the scientific work will not only clarify this area but will also broaden the knowledge of such additive as aerosol.

Structural Integrity Evaluation of Containment Vessel under Severe Accident for PGSFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seong-Hyeon; Koo, Gyeong-Hoi; Kim, Sung-Kyun

2016-01-01

This paper provides structural integrity evaluation results of CV of the PGSFR(Prototype Gen-IV Sodium Fast Reactor) under severe accident through transient analysis. The evaluation was carried out according to ASME B and PV Code Sec. III-Subsection NH rule. Structural integrity of CV was evaluated through transient analysis of structure in case of severe accident. Stress evaluation results for selected evaluation sections satisfy design criteria of ASME B and PV Code Sec. III Subsection NH. The transient load condition of normal operation will considered in the future work. The purpose of RVCS is to maintain the integrity of concrete structure during normal power operation. Therefore RVCS should be designed to keep the temperature of concrete surface under design limit and to minimize heat loss through CV(Containment Vessel). And in case of severe accident, the integrity of reactor structure and concrete structure should be maintained. Therefore RVCS should be designed to satisfy ASME Level D service limits. When RVCS works with breakdown of DHRS after severe accident, the temperature change of inner and outer surface of CV over time can affect structural integrity of CV. To verify the structural integrity, it is necessary to perform transient analysis of CV structure under changing temperature over time

Concrete works for Hamaoka No. 1 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiuchi, Minoru; Sugihara, Kazuo; Iwasawa, Jiro.

1975-01-01

Various aspects of concrete works performed for the reactor building of Hamaoka No.1 plant are reviewed. Control building and waste disposal building were all together combined with the reactor building in order to improve safety against earthquakes. Special consideration was given for the quality control of concrete works by establishing quality control committee, making quality control manual and by performing daily examination and monthly report. The quality and various materials of concrete used are described. The composition of concrete used for various parts of the building is also listed. Detailed description is made regarding the concrete placing for foundation mat, under a containment vessel, and the construction of air gaps and the placing of shielding concrete around the containment vessel. Curves representing the temperature history of concrete at various points are presented. As for testing, the items of test, methods of measurement, and the results of these test and measurement are presented in detail. (Aoki, K.)

The Use of Prestressed Concrete Vessels in the French Power Reactor Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conte, F.; Dambrine, C.; Gaussot, D.

1963-01-01

This paper deals with the use of pre-stressed concrete for the G2 and G3 reactors at Marcoule and for the EDF3 reactor now under construction at Chinon. The first two reactors have been operating at power since 1959 and 1960 respectively. Messrs. Conte and Dambrine discuss the problems that arose during construction of the vessels for G2 and G3 and also deal with the experience gained in operation - experience which suggests that they are extremely safe- Work on the EDF3 vessel, begun at Chinon in the second half of 1961, is still under way and should be finished towards the end of 1963. Mr. Gaussot discusses the reasons for choosing this type of vessel, the results of calculations and mock-up tests, and the problems presented by the construction itself. A number of studies have been devoted to the future prospects of prestressed concrete structures for reactors. It would seem that working pressures could be increased, if desired, and, in any case, that dimensions could be considerably enlarged, thus offering the chance of integral-type solutions. (author) [fr

Storage vessel for radiation contaminated container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakatani, Tadatsugu.

1996-01-01

In a storage vessel of the present invention, a plurality of radiation contaminated material containing bodies are vertically stacked in a cell chamber. Then, the storage vessel comprises a containing tube for containing a plurality of the containing bodies, cooling coils wound around the containing tube, a cooling medium circulating system connected to the cooling coils and circulating cooling medium, and a heat exchanger interposed to the cooling medium circulating system for removing heat of the cooling medium. Heat of the radioactive material containing bodies is transferred to cooling air and cooling coils by way of the container tube, thereby cooling the containing bodies. By the operation of circulating pumps in a cooling medium circulation system, the cooling medium circulates through a circulation channel comprising a cooling medium transfer pipes, cooling medium branching tubes, cooling coils and the heat exchanger, then heat of the cooling medium is transferred to a heat utilizing system by way of the heat exchanger to attain effective utilization of the heat. In this case, heat can be taken out stably even when the storage amount fluctuates and heat releasing amount is reduced, and improvement of heat transfer promotes the cooling of the containing bodies, which enables minimization of the size of the storage vessel. (T.M.)

A system for the thermal insulation of a pre-stressed concrete vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubert, Gilles; Petit, Guy.

1975-01-01

This invention concerns the thermal insulation of a pre-stressed concrete vessel for a pressurised water nuclear reactor, this vessel being fitted internally with a leak-proof metal lining. Two rings are placed at the lower and upper parts of the vessel respectively. The upper ring is closed with a cover. These rings differ in diameter, are fitted with a metal insulating and mark the limits of a chamber between the vaporisable fluid and the internal wall of the vessel. This chamber is filled with a fluid in the liquid phase up to the liquid/vapor interface level of the fluid and with a gas above that level, the covering of the rings forming a cold fluid liquid seal. Each ring is supported by the vessel. Leak-proof components take up the radial expansion of the rings [fr

Latest developments in prestressed concrete vessels for gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ople, F.S. Jr.

1979-01-01

This paper is an update of the design development of prestressed concrete vessels, commonly referred to as 'PCRVs' starting with the first single-cavity PCRV for the Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Generating Station to the latest multi-cavity PCRV configurations being utilized as the primary reactor vessels for both the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) and the Gas-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor (GCFR) in the U.S.A. The complexity of PCRV design varies not only due to the type of vessel configuration (single versus multi-cavity) but also on the application to the specific type of reactor concept. PCRV technology as applied to the Steam Cycle HTGR is fairly well established; however, some significant technical complexities are associated with PCRV design for the Gas Turbine HTGR and the GCFR. For the Gas Turbine HTGR, for instance, the fluid dynamics of the turbo-machinery cause multi-pressure conditions to exist in various portions of the power conversion loops during operation. This condition complicates the design approach and the proof test specification for the PCRV. The geometric configuration of the multi-cavity PCRV is also more complex due to the introduction of large horizontal cylindrical cavities (housing the turbo/machines for the Gas Turbine HTGR and circulators for the GCFR) in addition to the vertical cylindrical cavities for the core and heat exchangers. Because of this complex geometry, it becomes difficult to achieve an optimum prestressing arrangement for the PCRV. Other novel features of the multi-cavity PCRV resulting from the continuing design optimization effort are the incorporation of an asymmetric (offset core) configuration and the use of large vessel cavity/penetration concrete closures directly held down by prestressing tendons for both economic and safety reasons. (orig.)

Ultimate internal pressure capacity of concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnaswamy, C.N.; Namperumal, R.; Al-Dabbagh, A.

1983-01-01

Lesson learned from the accident at Three-Mile Island nuclear plant has necessitated the computation of the ultimate internal pressure capacity of containment structures as a licensing requirement in the U.S. In general, a containment structure is designed to be essentially elastic under design accident pressure. However, as the containment pressure builds up beyond the design value due to a more severe postulated accident, the containment response turns nonlinear as it sequentially passes through cracking of concrete, yielding of linear plate, yielding of rebar, and yielding of post-tensioning tendon (if the containment concrete is prestressed). This paper reports on the determination of the ultimate internal pressure capacity and nonlinear behavior of typical reinforced and prestressed concrete BWR containments. The probable modes of failure, the criteria for ultimate pressure capacity, and the most critical sections are described. Simple equations to hand-calculate the ultimate pressure capacity and the nonlinear behavior at membrane sections of the containment shell are presented. A nonlinear finite element analysis performed to determine the nonlinear behavior of the entire shell including nonmembrane sections is briefly discribed. The analysis model consisted of laminated axisymmetric shell finite elements with nonlinear stress-strain properties for each material. Results presented for typical BWR concrete containments include nonlinear response plots of internal pressure versus containment deflection and strains in the liner, rebar, and post-tensioning tendons at the most stressed section in the shell. Leak-tightness of the containment liner and the effect of thermal loads on the ultimate capacity are discussed. (orig.)

Development of polymer concrete radioactive waste management containers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, H.; Lee, M. S.; Ahn, D. H.; Won, H. J.; Kang, H. S.; Lee, H. S.; Lim, S.P.; Kim, Y. E.; Lee, B. O.; Lee, K. P.; Min, B. Y.; Lee, J.K.; Jang, W. S.; Sim, W. B.; Lee, J. C.; Park, M. J.; Choi, Y. J.; Shin, H. E.; Park, H. Y.; Kim, C. Y

1999-11-01

A high-integrity radioactive waste container has been developed to immobilize the spent resin wastes from nuclear power plants, protect possible future, inadvertent intruders from damaging radiation. The polymer concrete container is designed to ensure safe and reliable disposal of the radioactive waste for a minimum period of 300 years. A built-in vent system for each container will permit the release of gas. An experimental evaluation of the mechanical, chemical, and biological tests of the container was carried out. The tests showed that the polymer concrete container is adequate for safe disposal of the radioactive wastes. (author)

Concrete shielding for nuclear ship 'Mutsu'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagase, Tetsuo; Saito, Tetsuo

1983-01-01

The repair works of the shielding for the nuclear ship ''Mutsu'' were completed in August, 1982. For the primary shielding, serpentine concrete was adopted as it contains a large quantity of water required for neutron shielding, and in the secondary shielding at the upper part of the reactor containment vessel, the original shielding was abolished, and the heavy concrete (high water content, high density concrete) which is effective for neutron and gamma-ray shielding was newly adopted. In this report, the design and construction using these shielding concrete are outlined. In September, 1974, Mutsu caused radiation leak during the test, and the cause was found to be the fast neutrons streaming through a gap between the reactor pressure vessel and the primary shielding. The repair works were carried out in the Sasebo Shipyard. The outline of the repair works of the shielding is described. The design condition for the shielding, the design standard for the radiation dose outside and inside the ship, the method of shielding analysis and the performance required for shielding concrete are reported. The selection of materials, the method of construction and mixing ratio, the evaluation of the soundness and properties of concrete, and the works of placing the shielding concrete are outlined. (Kako, I.)

Crack analysis of multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallix, R.; Liu, T.C.; Lu, S.C.H.

1975-01-01

A new method to perform the crack analysis of non-axisymmetric, multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRV's) subjected to hypothetical overpressure by using an axisymmetric two-dimensional finite element computer code is presented. Concrete, steel liner, bonded reinforcing steel and prestressing steel elements are modeled. The limiting tensile strain criterion is adopted for concrete cracking. The steel elements are assumed to be elastic/perfectly plastic. Von Mises yield criterion and Prandtl-Reuss flow equations define the behavior of the liner in the range of plastic deformations. An orthotropic stress-strain constitutive law is utilized for cracked concrete elements. To account for the presence of penetrations and secondary cavities in the PCRV, a modified finite element model based on the concept of effective moduli is adopted. The pressure in these cavities is simulated by equivalent axisymmetric pressure distributions. In the analysis, the pressure is applied incrementally. For a given pressure, the displacements, strains, and stresses are computed. The state of strains or stresses is then examined against the cracking or yield criteria. If cracking or yield is indicated, the stiffness and load matrices for the cracked and yielding elements are recomputed and a new equilibrium is sought. This procedure is repeated until the desired convergence of the solution is achieved. The validity of the adopted approach utilizing the two-dimensional finite element method for overpressure analyses of non-axisymmetric PCRV's is demonstrated through comparisons with two multicavity PCRV scale models. A reliable and conservative estimate of PCRV behavior under overpressure is obtained

Determining prestressing forces for inspection of prestressed concrete containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-07-01

General Design Criterion 53, ''Provisions for Containment Testing and Inspection,'' of Appendix A, ''General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants,'' to 10 CFR Part 50, ''Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,'' requires, in part, that the reactor containment be designed to permit (1) periodic inspection of all important areas and (2) an appropriate surveillance program. Regulatory Guide 1.35, ''Inservice Inspection of Ungrouted Tendons in Prestressed Concrete Containment Structures,'' describes a basis acceptable to the NRC staff for developing an appropriate inservice inspection and surveillance program for ungrouted tendons in prestressed concrete containment structures of light-water-cooled reactors. This guide expands and clarifies the NRC staff position on determining prestressing forces to be used for inservice inspections of prestressed concrete containment structures

Component nuclear containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harstead, G.A.

1979-01-01

The invention described is intended for use primarily as a nuclear containment structure. Such structures are required to surround the nuclear steam supply system and to contain the effects of breaks in the nuclear steam supply system, or i.e. loss of coolant accidents. Nuclear containment structures are required to withstand internal pressure and temperatures which result from loss of coolant accidents, and to provide for radiation shielding during operation and during the loss of coolant accident, as well as to resist all other applied loads, such as earthquakes. The nuclear containment structure described herein is a composite nuclear containment structure, and is one which structurally combines two previous systems; namely, a steel vessel, and a lined concrete structure. The steel vessel provides strength to resist internal pressure and accommodate temperature increases, the lined concrete structure provides resistance to internal pressure by having a liner which will prevent leakage, and which is in contact with the concrete structure which provides the strength to resist the pressure

Ultimate load design and testing of a cylindrical prestressed concrete vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanou, G.D.

1982-01-01

The object of this research was to design, construct and test to failure a prestressed concrete pressure vessel model that could be used to investigate the behavior of a full scale structure underworking and ultimate load. The properties and the design of the model was based generally on full scale vessels already constructed to house the nuclear reactors used in atomic power stations. To design the model the ultimate load approach was adopted throughout. All load factors associated with the prestressing have been defined and kept to a minimum in order that the vessel's behavior may be predicted. The tests on the vessel were carried out first on the elastic range to observe its behavior at working load and then at the ultimate range to observe the modes of failure and compare the actual results in both cases with the predicted values. Although full agreement between observed results and predicted values was not obtained, the conclusions drawn from the study were useful for the design of full scale vessels. (author)

Nuclear power plant prestressed concrete containment vessel structure monitoring during integrated leakage rate test using three kinds of fiber optic sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Kaixing; Li, Jinke; Kong, Xianglong; Sun, Changsen; Zhao, Xuefeng

2017-04-01

After years of operation, the safety of the prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) structure of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is an important aspect. In order to detect the strength degradation and the structure deformation, several sensors such as vibrating wire strain gauge, invar wires and pendulums were installed in PCCV. However, the amounts of sensors above are limited due to the cost. Due to the well durability of fiber optic sensors, three kinds of fiber optic sensors were chosen to install on the surface of PCCV to monitor the deformation during Integrated Leakage Rate Test (ILRT). The three kinds of fiber optic sensors which had their own advantages and disadvantages are Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), white light interferometry (WLI) and Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA). According to the measuring data, the three fiber optic sensors worked well during the ILRT. After the ILRT, the monitoring strain was recoverable thus the PCCV was still in the elastic stage. If these three kinds of fiber optic sensors are widely used in the PCCV, the unusual deformations are easier to detect. As a consequence, the three fiber optic sensors have good potential in the structure health monitoring of PCCV.

Reinforced concrete containment structures in high seismic zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, T.S.

1977-01-01

A new structural concept for reinforced concrete containment structures at sites where earthquake ground motions in terms of the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) exceeds 0.3 g is presented. The structural concept is based on: (1) an inner steel-lined concrete shell which houses the reactor and provides shielding and containment in the event of loss of coolant accident; (2) an outer annular concrete shell structure which houses auxiliary reactor equipment and safeguards systems. These shell structures are supported on a common foundation mat which is embedded in the subgrade. Under stipulated earthquake conditions the two shell structures interact to resist lateral inertia forces. Thus the annular structure which is not a pressure boundary acts as a lateral support for the inner containment shell. The concept is practical, economically feasible and new to practice. (Auth.)

Containment vessel construction for nuclear power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulzer, H.D.; Coletti, J.L.

1975-01-01

A nuclear containment vessel houses an inner reactor housing structure whose outer wall is closely spaced from the inner wall of the containment vessel. The inner reactor housing structure is divided by an intermediate floor providing an upper chamber for housing the reactor and associated steam generators and a lower chamber directly therebeneath containing a pressure suppression pool. Communication between the upper chamber and the pressure suppression pool is established by conduits extending through the intermediate floor which terminate beneath the level of the pressure suppression pool and by inlet openings in the reactor housing wall beneath the level of the pressure suppression pool which communicate with the annulus formed between the outer wall of the reactor housing structure and the inner wall of the containment vessel. (Official Gazette)

Development of fast reactor containment safety analysis code, CONTAIN-LMR. (3) Improvement of sodium-concrete reaction model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawaguchi, Munemichi; Doi, Daisuke; Seino, Hiroshi; Miyahara, Shinya

2015-01-01

A computer code, CONTAIN-LMR, is an integrated analysis tool to predict the consequence of severe accident in a liquid metal fast reactor. Because a sodium-concrete reaction behavior is one of the most important phenomena in the accident, a Sodium-Limestone Concrete Ablation Model (SLAM) has been developed and installed into the original CONTAIN code at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in the U.S. The SLAM treats chemical reaction kinetics between the sodium and the concrete compositions mechanistically using a three-region model, containing a pool (sodium and reaction debris) region, a dry (boundary layer (B/L) and dehydrated concrete) region, and a wet (hydrated concrete) region, the application is limited to the reaction between sodium and limestone concrete. In order to apply SLAM to the reaction between sodium and siliceous concrete which is an ordinary structural concrete in Japan, the chemical reaction kinetics model has been improved to consider the new chemical reactions between sodium and silicon dioxide. The improved model was validated to analyze a series of sodium-concrete experiments which were conducted in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). It has been found that relatively good agreement between calculation and experimental results is obtained and the CONTAIN-LMR code has been validated with regard to the sodium-concrete reaction phenomena. (author)

Reliability analysis of prestressed concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, J.; Zhao, Y.; Sun, J.

1993-01-01

The reliability analysis of prestressed concrete containment structures subjected to combinations of static and dynamic loads with consideration of uncertainties of structural and load parameters is presented. Limit state probabilities for given parameters are calculated using the procedure developed at BNL, while that with consideration of parameter uncertainties are calculated by a fast integration for time variant structural reliability. The limit state surface of the prestressed concrete containment is constructed directly incorporating the prestress. The sensitivities of the Choleskey decomposition matrix and the natural vibration character are calculated by simplified procedures. (author)

Concrete containments in Swedish nuclear power plants. A review of construction and material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, Thomas; Silfwerbrand, Johan; Sundquist, Haakan

2002-12-01

The purpose of project is the long-term accumulation of knowledge related to the status of existing structures in order to facilitate answers to questions that may arise in the future. We have visited all the power stations in Sweden and in conjunction with these visits we have gone through all the relevant documents relating to the constructional concrete. An assessment of the structural integrity, related to the question of cracking and hence seepage, has been conducted. Currently, the work has only been done on a random sampling basis as in many cases important information is still missing. Generally, it can be said that the relevant constructions are, from a structural integrity point-of-view, correctly designed and detailed and have very high safety margins for the load cases which constitute the functional demands placed upon the installation. Each containment structure (vessel) appears to have been designed and built using the best available knowledge at the time of construction. It may be of interest to note that when these structures were built there was a very high level of competence and experience of how to design, detail, and construct large concrete structures. The cement used for the majority of these large concrete structures forming nuclear power stations, namely a slowly hardening cement (LH cement), had very good properties, perhaps even better than those available today. Later structures were built with other cements and concrete mixes, although this has been partly compensated for by a choice of a higher nominal quality. The environment is favourable regarding potential degradation of the concrete, the reinforcement steel and the steel liner. Questions remain regarding the uncertainties of the methods used for continuous inspection of the cement injected prestressing steel. This is even the case for possibly insufficient injection around grouting mounting parts for manholes and other openings. Assessment of prestressing losses may also require

PARCS - A pre-stressed and reinforced concrete shell element for analysis of containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buragohain, D.N.; Mukherjee, A.

1993-01-01

Containment structures are designed as pressure vessels against a huge internal pressure build up in the event of a postulated LOCA. In such situations the containment structures experience predominantly in-plane stress in tension. Therefore, pre-stressed concrete has been very frequently used for the construction of containment. For larger plants a dual containment with a pre-stressed concrete inner containment and a reinforced concrete outer containment has been adopted. These structures are required to perform within very stringent safety requirements under extremely severe loading. Naturally, their design has attracted a lot of investigators and a huge volume of literature has been published in previous SMiRT conferences. However, it seems that the structural modeling of the containment has not developed accordingly. It is a common practice to consider the concrete section only in the model and the effects of pre-stress and reinforcements are usually neglected. This is due to the difficulty in including these effects without generating an unduly large model. To include these effects using the existing software, the concrete can be modeled with 3D elements. The reinforcements can be included in the model as bar or cable elements. However, that would require a nodal line along every reinforcement. Therefore, this method would generate a huge model unmanageable even with modern computing facilities. Alternatively, the reinforcements can be assumed to be smeared uniformly within the structure and an average property can be included. This model is acceptable when the reinforcements are very closely spaced. However, for sparsely spaced reinforcements it would result in loss of accuracy, especially in important areas like the vicinity of large openings. In this paper a shell element for the analysis of pre-stressed and reinforced concrete structures has been proposed which alleviates this difficulty. This element can accommodate the reinforcing bars or cables anywhere

Non destructive Testing (NDT) of concrete containing hematite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamad Pauzi Ismail; Noor Azreen Masenwat; Suhairy Sani; Nasharuddin Isa; Mohamad Haniza Mahmud

2014-01-01

This paper described the results of Non-destructive ultrasonic and rebound hammer measurements on concrete containing hematite. Local hematite stones were used as aggregates to produce high density concrete for application in X-and gamma shielding. Concrete cube samples (150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm) containing hematite as coarse aggregates were prepared by changing mix ratio, water to cement ratio (w/c) and types of fine aggregate. All samples were cured in water for 7 days and then tested after 28 days. Density, rebound number(N) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of the samples were taken before compressed to failure. The measurement results are explained and discussed. (author)

Inelastic analysis of prestressed concrete secondary containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, D.W.; Chitnuyanondh, L.; Wong, C.; Rijub-Agha, K.Y.

1978-07-01

An elastic-plastic constitutive model for the simulation of stress-strain response of concrete under any biaxial combination of compressive and/or tensile stresses is developed. An effective tensile stress-strain curve is obtained indirectly from experimental results of a test on a large scale prestressed concrete wall segment. These concrete properties are then utilized in predicting the response of a second test and the results compared with the experiment. Modificications to the BOSOR5 program, in order to incorporate the new constitutive relation into it, are described. Techniques of modelling structures in order to perform inelastic analysis of thin shell axisymmetric prestressed concrete secondary containments are investigated. The results of inelastic BOSOR5 analyses of two different models of the University of Alberta Test Structure are presented. The predicted deterioration of the structure and the limit states associated with its behaviour are determined and discussed. It is concluded that the technique is a practical one which can be used for the inelastic analysis of Gentilly-type containment structures. (author)

Compressive strength of concrete and mortar containing fly ash

Science.gov (United States)

Liskowitz, John W.; Wecharatana, Methi; Jaturapitakkul, Chai; Cerkanowicz, deceased, Anthony E.

1997-01-01

The present invention relates to concrete, mortar and other hardenable mixtures comprising cement and fly ash for use in construction. The invention includes a method for predicting the compressive strength of such a hardenable mixture, which is very important for planning a project. The invention also relates to hardenable mixtures comprising cement and fly ash which can achieve greater compressive strength than hardenable mixtures containing only concrete over the time period relevant for construction. In a specific embodiment, a formula is provided that accurately predicts compressive strength of concrete containing fly ash out to 180 days. In other specific examples, concrete and mortar containing about 15% to 25% fly ash as a replacement for cement, which are capable of meeting design specifications required for building and highway construction, are provided. Such materials can thus significantly reduce construction costs.

Report of Task Group on Ex-Vessel Thermal-Hydraulics Corium/concrete interactions and combustible gas distribution in large dry containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-11-01

The Task Group on Ex-Vessel Thermal-Hydraulics was established by the PWG 2 to address the physical processes that occur in the ex-vessel phase of severe accidents, to study their impact on containment loading and failure, and to assess the available calculation methods. This effort is part of an overall CSNI effort to come to an international understanding of the issues involved. The Task Group decided to focus its initial efforts on the Large Dry Containment used extensively to contain the consequences of postulated (design basis) accidents in Light Water Reactors (LWR). Although such containments have not been designed with explicit consideration of severe accidents, recent assessments indicate a substantial inherent capability for these accidents. The Task Group has examined the loads likely to challenge the integrity of the containment, and considered the calculation of the containment's response. This report is the outcome of this effort

Finite element analysis of prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, P.D.; Cook, W.A.; Anderson, C.A.

1977-01-01

This paper discusses the development of a finite element code suitable for the safety analysis of prestressed concrete reactor vessels. The project has involved modification of a general purpose computer code to handle reinforced concrete structures as well as comparison of results obtained with the code against published experimental data. The NONSAP nonlinear structural analysis program was selected for the ease with which it can be modified to encompass problems peculiar to nuclear reactors. Pre- and post-processors have been developed for mesh generation and for graphical display of response variables. An out-of-core assembler and solver have been developed for the analysis of large three dimensional problems. The constitutive model for short term loads forms an orthotropic stress-strain relationship in which the concrete and the reinforcing steel are treated as a composite. The variation of stiffness and strength of concrete under multiaxial stress states is accounted for. Cracks are allowed to form at element integration points based on a three dimensional failure envelope in stress space. Composite tensile and shear properties across a crack are modified to account for bond degradation and for dowel action of the reinforcement. The constitutive law for creep is base on the expansion of the usual creep compliance function in the form of a Dirichlet exponential series. Empirical creep data are then fit to the Dirichlet series approximation by means of a least squares procedure. The incremental deformation process is subsequently reduced to a series of variable stiffness elasticity problems in which the past stress history is represented by a finite number of hidden material variables

Nuclear power plant containment construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schabert, H.P.; Danisch, R.; Strickroth, E.

1975-01-01

The Nuclear Power Plant Containment Construction includes the spherical steel safety enclosure for the reactor and the equipment associated with the reactor and requiring this type of enclosure. This steel enclosure is externally structurally protected against accident by a concrete construction providing a foundation for the steel enclosure and having a cylindrical wall and a hemispherical dome, these parts being dimensioned to form an annular space surrounding the spherical steel enclosure, the latter and the concrete construction heretofore being concentrically arranged with respect to each other. In the disclosed construction the two parts are arranged with their vertical axis horizontally offset from each other so that opposite to the offsetting direction of the concrete construction a relatively large space is formed in the now asymmetrical annular space in which reactor auxiliary equipment not requiring enclosure by the steel containment vessel or safety enclosure, may be located outside of the steel containment vessel and inside of the concrete construction where it is structurally protected by the latter

Stowing the Right Containers on Container Vessels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rune Møller

2014-01-01

’s largest container vessels using standard mathematical programming techniques and off-the-shelf solvers. The presentation will provide basic insight into the domain, with pointers to further information that enable you to join in this promising new path of operations research and business....

Experience of in-service surveillance and monitoring of prestressed concrete pressure vessels for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irving, J.; Smith, J.R.; Eadie, D.McD.; Hornby, I.W.

1976-01-01

Details are given of the statutory requirements for the inspection of prestressed concrete pressure vessels in the United Kingdom, with particular emphasis on the prestressing system. The results of periodic examinations under the Licencing Conditions of the Oldbury and Wylfa vessels are presented and discussed in relation to design expectations and future requirements. Strain, moisture and temperature records obtained from the Oldbury PCPV's over a 10 year period are compared with prediction and new developments in vessel instrumentation are discussed. (author)

Prestressed concrete reactor vessel thermal cylinder model study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callahan, J.P.; Canonico, D.A.; Richardson, M.; Corum, J.M.; Dodge, W.G.; Robinson, G.C.; Whitman, G.D.

1977-01-01

The thermal cylinder experiment was designed both to provide information for evaluating the capability of analytical methods to predict the time-dependent stress-strain behavior of a 1 / 6 -scale model of the barrel section of a single-cavity prestressed concrete reactor vessel and to demonstrate the structural behavior under design and off-design thermal conditions. The model was a thick-walled cylinder having a height of 1.22 m, a thickness of 0.46 m, and an outer diameter of 2.06 m. It was prestressed both axially and circumferentially and subjected to 4.83 MPa internal pressure together with a thermal crossfall imposed by heating the inner surface to 338.8 K and cooling the outer surface to 297.1 K. The initial 460 days of testing were divided into time periods that simulated prestressing, heatup, reactor operation, and shutdown. At the conclusion of the simulated operating period, the model was repressurized and subjected to localized heating at 505.4 K for 84 days to produce an off-design hot-spot condition. Comparisons of experimental data with calculated values obtained using the SAFE-CRACK finite-element computer program showed that the program was capable of predicting time-dependent behavior in a vessel subjected to normal operating conditions, but that it was unable to accurately predict the behavior during off-design hot-spot heating. Readings made using a neutron and gamma-ray backscattering moisture probe showed little, if any, migration of moisture in the concrete cross section. Destructive examination indicated that the model maintained its basic structural integrity during localized hot-spot heating

The instrumentation of the prestressed concrete vessel with hot liner at Seibersdorf Research Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemann, H.

1975-11-01

The joint project ''Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessel with Hot Liner'' at Seibersdorf Research Centre now is in the process of testing the PCPV both in construction and operation from the safety point of view. The physical state of the PCPV (modulus of elasticity, humidity of concrete, creeping, etc.) is brought to stable conditions by ''pre-aging''. In order to control this process of stabilisation, an extensive knowledge of the concrete and an elaborated instrumentation is a necessity. This paper presents a survey about the philosophy and the realisation of the instrumentation of the PCPV and the investigations we performed to interpret the measurements. (author)

Ultimate load analysis of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels considering a general material law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schimmelpfennig, K.

1975-01-01

A method of analysis is presented, by which progressive fracture processes in axisymmetric prestressed concrete pressure vessels during increasing internal pressure can be evaulated by means of a continuum calculation considering a general material law. Formulations used in the analysis concerning material behaviour are derived on one hand from appropriate results of testing small concrete specimens, and are on the other hand gained by parametric studies in order to solve questions still existing by recalulating fracture tests on concrete bodies with more complex states of stress. Due attention is focussed on investigating the behaviour of construction members subjected to high shear forces (end slabs.). (Auth.)

Spallation impact analysis of plutonium storage container at K-Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, C.

2000-01-01

A 100-pound concrete block falls 55-foot from ceiling spallation upon the top of the 9975 shipping package. This finite element analysis aims to evaluate the dynamic impact from the spallation upon the packaging. The geometric configuration of the packaging is meticulously modeled in detail. However, the drum is eliminated and the fiberboard with radius greater than 5.6 inches is conservatively omitted. The primary containment vessel and 3013 container were not included to simplify the model. The concrete block is modeled as a rigid body. The material properties are conservatively selected. The final results indicate that the secondary containment vessel is intact during this spallation impact. Consequently the primary containment vessel and 3013 container would not experience damage and containment is maintained. The secondary containment vessel protects the primary containment vessel from the dynamic impact. The top fiberboard is compressed from 3.5 inches to 0.875 inches will eventually recover to 1.8 inches according to tests performed at Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC)

Analysis code for pressure in reactor containment vessel of ATR. CONPOL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

For the evaluation of the pressure and temperature in containment vessels in the events which are classified in the abnormal change of pressure, atmosphere and others in reactor containment vessels in accident among the safety evaluation events of the ATR, the analysis code for the pressure in reactor containment vessels CONPOL is used. In this report, the functions of the analysis code and the analysis model are shown. By using this analysis code, the rise of the pressure and temperature in a containment vessel is evaluated when loss of coolant accident occurs, and high temperature, high pressure coolant flows into it. This code possesses the functions of computing blow-down quantity and heat dissipation from reactor cooling facility, steam condensing heat transfer to containment vessel walls, and the cooling effect by containment vessel spray system. As for the analysis techniques, the models of reactor cooling system, containment vessel and steam discharge pool, and the computation models for the pressure and temperature in containment vessels, wall surface temperature, condensing heat transfer, spray condensation and blow-down are explained. The experimental analysis of the evaluation of the pressure and temperature in containment vessels at the time of loss of coolant accident is reported. (K.I.)

Testing of a steel containment vessel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luk, V.K.; Hessheimer, M.F.; Matsumoto, T.; Komine, K.; Costello, J.F.

1997-01-01

A mixed-scale containment vessel model, with 1:10 in containment geometry and 1:4 in shell thickness, was fabricated to represent an improved, boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II containment vessel. A contact structure, installed over the model and separated at a nominally uniform distance from it, provided a simplified representation of a reactor shield building in the actual plant. This paper describes the pretest preparations and the conduct of the high pressure test of the model performed on December 11-12, 1996. 4 refs., 2 figs

Serviceability design load factors and reliability assessments for reinforced concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Bong Koo

1998-01-01

A reinforced concrete nuclear power plant containment structure is subjected to various random static and stochastic loads during its lifetime. Since these loads involve inherent randomness and other uncertainties, an appropriate probabilistic model for each load must be established in order to perform reliability analysis. The current ASME code for reinforced concrete containment structures are not based on probability concepts. The stochastic nature of natural hazard or accidental loads and the variations of material properties require a probabilistic approach for a rational assessment of structural safety and performance. The paper develops probability-based load factors for the limit state design of reinforced concrete containment structures. The purpose of constructing reinforced concrete containment structure is to protect against radioactive release, and so the use of a serviceability limit state against crack failure that can cause the emission of radioactive materials is suggested as a critical limit state for reinforced concrete containment structures. Load factors for the design of reinforced concrete containment structures are proposed and carried out the reliability assessments. (orig.)

Behaviour of concrete nuclear containment structures upto ultimate failure with special reference to MAPP-1 containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appa Rao, T.V.S.R.

1975-01-01

Theoretical and experimental methods for investigating the behaviour of concrete secondary containment structures subjected to loads upto their ultimate failure have been discussed in the paper. Need for inelastic nonlinear analysis of containments has been emphasized. Different contitutive models of concrete that can be employed in the nonlinear analysis of concrete structures were briefly reviewed. Based on the experimental results obtained in a 1:12 scale model test conducted at the Structural Engineering Research (Regional) Centre, Madras, behaviour of the MAPP-1 containment to internal pressure loading upto its ultimate failure has been discussed. (author)

Proposed design criteria for containments in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnellenbach, G.

1976-01-01

Till now all containments of German nuclear power plants have been fabricated in steel. However the nuclear power plants Gundremmingen II (KRB II) and Schmehausen II (HTR) will have prestressed concrete containments. The construction of these plants will probably start in 1975. Containments have to fulfill special tasks differing from those of pressure vessels. Because of this, design criteria for pressure vessels are not applicable to containments. On the other hand normal regulations for prestressed concrete structures are insufficient for containments. The containments KRB II and HTR are buildings of different types. KRB II is located in the interior of the reactor building of the SW-72-type. It is surrounded by a thick-walled concrete structure. HTR has the classical shape for concrete containments - vertical cylinder with spherical cap. It surrounds the reactor-building. The containment has to withstand aircraft impact forces. This influences its liner too. Design criteria have been developed for both containments, taking into consideration the special properties of these buildings. Design criteria are discussed for service-load conditions, test conditions, various forms of accident and for the ultimate load conditions. The influence of extreme external loads on the design is described. (author)

Analytical model for shear strength of end slabs of prestressed concrete nuclear reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdulrahman, H.O.; Sozen, M.A.; Schnobrich, W.C.

1979-04-01

The results are presented of an investigation of the behavior and strength of flat end slabs of cylindrical prestressed concrete nuclear reactor vessels. The investigation included tests of ten small-scale pressure vessels and development of a nonlinear finite-element model to simulate the deformation response and strength of the end slabs. Because earlier experimental studies had shown that the flexural strength of the end slab could be calculated using intelligible procedures, the emphasis of this investigation was on shear strength

Thermodynamic study on the in-vessel corium - Application to the corium/concrete interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quaini, Andrea

2015-01-01

calculation and experimental results. Heat treatments on two ex-vessel corium samples showed the influence of the concrete composition on the nature of the liquid phases formed at high temperature. The observed microstructures have been interpreted by means of calculation performed with the TAF-ID database. In parallel, a novel experimental setup named ATTILHA based on aerodynamic levitation and laser heating has been conceived and developed to obtain high temperature phase diagram data. This setup has been validated on well-known oxide systems. Furthermore, this technique allowed to observe in-situ, by using an infrared camera, the formation of a miscibility gap in the liquid phase of the O-Fe-Zr system by oxidation of a Fe-Zr sample. The next step of the development will be the nuclearization of the apparatus to investigate U-containing samples. The implementation of a very fast visible camera (5000 Hz) to investigate the thermo-physical properties of in-vessel and ex-vessel corium mixtures is also underway. The synergy between the development of experimental and calculation tools will allow to improve the thermodynamic description of the corium and the severe accident code using thermodynamic input data. (author) [fr

Effect of high temperature on integrity of concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhat, P.D.

1986-01-01

The effect of high temperature on concrete material properties and structural behavior are studied in order to relate these effects to the performance of concrete containment structures. Salient data obtained from a test program undertaken to study the behavior of a restrained concrete structure under thermal gradient loads up to its ultimate limit are described. The preliminary results indicate that concrete material properties can be considered to remain unaltered up to temperatures of 100 0 C. The presence of thermal gradients did not significantly affect the structures ultimate mechanical load capacity. Relaxation of restraint forces due to creep was found to be an important factor. The test findings are compared with the observations made in available literature. The effect of test findings on the integrity analysis of a containment structure are discussed. The problem is studied from the viewpoint of a CANDU heavy water reactor containment

A model to predict moisture conditions in concrete reactor containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahs, M.; Nilsson, L.O.; Poyet, S.; L'Hostis, V.

2015-01-01

Moisture has an impact in many of the degradation mechanisms that appear in the structures of a nuclear power plant. Moisture conditions in a reactor containment wall have been simulated by using a hygro-thermal model of drying concrete. Methods to estimate the temperature dependency of the sorption isotherms and moisture transport properties is suggested and applied in the model. This temperature dependency is included as there is a temperature gradient present through the containment wall. The hygro-thermal model was applied on a full scale 3D model of a real reactor containment building and the concrete relative humidity has been computed at 4 different moments: 1, 10, 20 and 30 years. The results show that the major part of the concrete is not dried at all even after 30 years of operation. It is also clear that the temperature distribution inside the whole concrete volume is affected by the variable boundary conditions. It was concluded that the suggested hygro-thermal model was appropriate to use as a method to estimate the existing conditions in a PWR reactor containment wall

Evaluation of buckling on containment metallic vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveira, Renato Campos da; Mattar Neto, Miguel

2000-01-01

The buckling analysis represents one of the most important aspects of the structural projects of nuclear power plants containment metallic vessels and in this work the Case N-284-1 ASME Code is used for evaluation of those structures submitted to this failure mode. From the stress analysis, performed by using finite element method on discrete structures with shell elements, the procedure of the Code Case are applied to the evaluation of the containment metallic vessel of the Angra 2 nuclear power plant submitted to the own weight, seismic loads and uplift in case of accident. A study of pressure vessel reinforced by rings submit ed to the external pressure. Conclusions and commentaries are established based on the obtained results

Engineering Performance of High Strength Concrete Containing Steel Fibre Reinforcement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Azree Othuman Mydin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The development and utilization of the high strength concrete in the construction industry have been increasing rapidly. Fiber reinforced concrete is introduced to overcome the weakness of the conventional concrete because concrete normally can crack under a low tensile force and it is known to be brittle. Steel fibre is proved to be the popular and best combination in the high strength concrete to result the best in the mechanical and durability properties of high strength concrete with consideration of curing time, steel fibre geometry, concrete grade and else more. The incorporation of steel fibre in the mortar mixture is known as steel fibre reinforced concrete have the potential to produce improvement in the workability, strength, ductility and the deformation of high strength concrete. Besides that, steel fibre also increases the tensile strength of concrete and improves the mechanical properties of the steel fibre reinforced concrete. The range for any high strength concrete is between 60MPa-100MPa. Steel fibre reinforced concrete which contains straight fibres has poorer physical properties than that containing hooked end stainless steel fibre due to the length and the hooked steel fibre provide a better effective aspects ratio. Normally, steel fibre tensile strength is in the range of 1100MPa-1700MPa. Addition of less steel fibre volumes in the range of 0.5% to 1.0% can produce better increase in the flexural fatigue strength. The strength can be increased with addition of steel fibre up to certain percentage. This paper will review and present some basic properties of steel fibre reinforced concrete such as mechanical, workability and durability properties.

The design of bonded reinforcement for thermal stresses in prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotulla, B.; Hansson, V.

1977-01-01

This paper deals with examples of thermal loadings where instationary growth of tensile zones and redistribution of stresses by cracking are of importance. Temperatures produce, in addition to prestressing and internal pressure, the most important stresses in a prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessel. Characteristic of thermal stresses is that they are influenced to a large extent by creep of concrete and that they influence stress redistributions by temperature dependent creep data. Computations show that during the first instationary heating process of the vessel stresses are reduced by creep effects to about fifty percent of the values of the stationary elastic case at the hot face. With a following cooling, creep effects are generally much less, so this case may produce tensile stresses on the internal face of the wall which lead to cracking of the concrete. Tensile stresses first occur due to the instationary growth of the temperature field in a narrow zone near the liner. If outside this zone compressive stresses exist due to prestressing then crack spreading is limited and restraint by the parts of the wall under compression causes crack distribution even without reinforcement in this zone. Growth of cracks with the instationary spreading of tensile zones according to temperature development was calculated. These calculations take into account discrete cracks, reinforcement and different assumptions for tensile strength. Reinforcement of small diameter near the surface has the best influence on crack spacing. Calculations show that for the stationary state of cooling the forces in the reinforcement may be as low as twenty to thirty percent of the tensile force not taking into account cracking of the concrete

Prediction of moisture migration and pore pressure build-up in concrete at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, Y.; England, G.L.

2004-01-01

Prediction of moisture migration and pore pressure build-up in non-uniformly heated concrete is important for safe operation of concrete containment vessels in nuclear power reactors and for assessing the behaviour of fire-exposed concrete structures. (1) Changes in moisture content distribution in a concrete containment vessel during long-term operation should be investigated, since the durability and radiation shielding ability of concrete are strongly influenced by its moisture content. (2) The pressure build-up in a concrete containment vessel in a postulated accident should be evaluated in order to determine whether a venting system is necessary between liner and concrete to relieve the pore pressure. (3) When concrete is subjected to rapid heating during a fire, the concrete can suffer from spalling due to pressure build-up in the concrete pores. This paper presents a mathematical and computational model for predicting changes in temperature, moisture content and pore pressure in concrete at elevated temperatures. A pair of differential equations for one-dimensional heat and moisture transfer in concrete are derived from the conservation of energy and mass, and take into account the temperature-dependent release of gel water and chemically bound water due to dehydration. These equations are numerically solved by the finite difference method. In the numerical analysis, the pressure, density and dynamic viscosity of water in the concrete pores are calculated explicitly from a set of formulated equations. The numerical analysis results are compared with two different sets of experimental data: (a) long-term (531 days) moisture migration test under a steady-state temperature of 200 deg. C, and (b) short-term (114 min) pressure build-up test under transient heating. These experiments were performed to investigate the moisture migration and pressure build-up in the concrete wall of a reactor containment vessel at high temperatures. The former experiment simulated

Overview of experimental results obtained under the Prestressed Concrete Nuclear Pressure Vessel Development Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.

1978-01-01

Under the Prestressed Concrete Nuclear Pressure Vessel Development Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, various aspects of Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessels (PCPVs) are investigated and evaluated with respect to reliability, structural performance, constructability, and economy. Based upon identified needs, analytical and experimental investigations are conducted. Areas of interest include finite-element analysis development, materials and structural behavior tests, instrumentation evaluation and development, and structural model tests. Studies have been recently completed in the following areas: concrete embedment instrumentation systems for PCPVs, grouted-nongrouted prestressing systems, acoustic emission as a technique for structural integrity monitoring, and model tests of steam-generator cavity closure plugs for a Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR). An overview of results is presented

Proof testing of an explosion containment vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esparza, E.D. [Esparza (Edward D.), San Antonio, TX (United States); Stacy, H.; Wackerle, J. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

1996-10-01

A steel containment vessel was fabricated and proof tested for use by the Los Alamos National Laboratory at their M-9 facility. The HY-100 steel vessel was designed to provide total containment for high explosives tests up to 22 lb (10 kg) of TNT equivalent. The vessel was fabricated from an 11.5-ft diameter cylindrical shell, 1.5 in thick, and 2:1 elliptical ends, 2 in thick. Prior to delivery and acceptance, three types of tests were required for proof testing the vessel: a hydrostatic pressure test, air leak tests, and two full design charge explosion tests. The hydrostatic pressure test provided an initial static check on the capacity of the vessel and functioning of the strain instrumentation. The pneumatic air leak tests were performed before, in between, and after the explosion tests. After three smaller preliminary charge tests, the full design charge weight explosion tests demonstrated that no yielding occurred in the vessel at its rated capacity. The blast pressures generated by the explosions and the dynamic response of the vessel were measured and recorded with 33 strain channels, 4 blast pressure channels, 2 gas pressure channels, and 3 displacement channels. This paper presents an overview of the test program, a short summary of the methodology used to predict the design blast loads, a brief description of the transducer locations and measurement systems, some of the hydrostatic test strain and stress results, examples of the explosion pressure and dynamic strain data, and some comparisons of the measured data with the design loads and stresses on the vessel.

Method of burying vessel containing radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koga, Yoshihito.

1989-01-01

A float having an inert gas sealed therein is attached to a tightly closed vessel containing radioactive wastes. The vessel is inserted and kept in a small hole for burying the tightly closed vessel in an excavated shaft in rocks such as of granite or rock salts, while filling bentonite as shielding material therearound. In this case, the float is so adjusted that the apparent specific gravity is made equal or nearer between the tightly closed vessel and the bentonite, so that the rightly closed vessel does not sink and cause direct contact with the rocks even if bentonite flows due to earthquakes, etc. This can prevent radioactivity contamination through water in the rocks. (S.K.)

Failure/leakage predictions of concrete structures containing cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Y.C.; Marchertas, A.H.; Kennedy, J.M.

1984-06-01

An approach is presented for studying the cracking and radioactive release of a reactor containment during severe accidents and extreme environments. The cracking of concrete is modeled as the blunt crack. The initiation and propagation of a crack are determined by using the maximum strength and the J-integral criteria. Furthermore, the extent of cracking is related to the leakage calculation by using a model developed by Rizkalla, Lau and Simmonds. Numerical examples are given for a three-point bending problem and a hypothetical case of a concrete containment structure subjected to high internal pressure during an accident

A prediction method for long-term behavior of prestressed concrete containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozaki, M.; Abe, T.; Watanabe, Y.; Kato, A.; Yamaguchi, T.; Yamamoto, M.

1995-01-01

This paper presents results of studies on the long-term behavior of PCCVs at Taruga Unit No 2 and Ohi Unit No 3/4 power stations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the measured strain in the concrete and reduction force in the tendons, and to establish the prediction methods for long-term PCCVs behavior. Comparing the measured strains with those calculated due to creep and shrinkage of the concrete, those in contrast were investigated. Furthermore, the reduced tendon forces are calculated considering losses in elasticity, relaxation, creep and shrinkage. The measured reduction in the tendon forces is compared with the calculated. Considering changes in temperature and humidity, the measured strains and tendon forces were in good agreement with those calculated. From the above results, it was confirmed that the residual pre stresses in the PCCVs maintain the predicted values at the design stage, and that the prediction method of long-term behaviors has sufficient reliability. (author). 10 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

General requirements for concrete containment structures for CANDU nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

This standard provides the general requirements used in the design, construction, testing, and commissioning of concrete containment structures for CANDU nuclear power plants designated as class containment and is directed to the owners, designers, manufacturers, fabricators, and constructors of the concrete components and parts

Minimum weight design of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boes, R.

1975-01-01

A method of non-linear programming for the minimization of the volume of rotationally symmetric prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels is presented. It is assumed that the inner shape, the loads and the degree of prestressing are prescribed, whereas the outer shape is to be detemined. Prestressing includes rotational and vertical tension. The objective function minimizes the weight of the PCRV. The constrained minimization problem is converted into an unconstrained problem by the addition of interior penalty functions to the objective function. The minimum is determined by the variable metric method (Davidson-Fletcher-Powell), using both values and derivatives of the modified objective function. The one-dimensional search is approximated by a method of Kund. Optimization variables are scaled. The method is applied to a pressure vessel like for THTR. It is found that the thickness of the cylindrical wall may be reduced considerably for the load cases considered in the optimization. The thickness of the cover is reduced slightly. The largest reduction in wall thickness occurs at the junction of wall and cover. (Auth.)

Environmental performance and mechanical analysis of concrete containing recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and waste precast concrete as aggregate.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Savaş; Blankson, Marva Angela

2014-01-15

The overall objective of this research project was to investigate the feasibility of incorporating 100% recycled aggregates, either waste precast concrete or waste asphalt planning, as replacements for virgin aggregates in structural concrete and to determine the mechanical and environmental performance of concrete containing these aggregates. Four different types of concrete mixtures were designed with the same total water cement ratio (w/c=0.74) either by using natural aggregate as reference or by totally replacing the natural aggregate with recycled material. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) was used as a mineral addition (35%) in all mixtures. The test results showed that it is possible to obtain satisfactory performance for strength characteristics of concrete containing recycled aggregates, if these aggregates are sourced from old precast concrete. However, from the perspective of the mechanical properties, the test results indicated that concrete with RAP aggregate cannot be used for structural applications. In terms of leaching, the results also showed that the environmental behaviour of the recycled aggregate concrete is similar to that of the natural aggregate concrete. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seismic proving test of PWR reactor containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, H.; Yoshikawa, T.; Tokumaru, Y.

1987-01-01

The seismic reliability proving tests of nuclear power plant facilities are carried out by Nuclear Power Engineering Test Center (NUPEC), using the large-scale, high-performance vibration of Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory, and sponsored by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). In 1982, the seismic reliability proving test of PWR containment vessel started using the test component of reduced scale 1/3.7 and the test component proved to have structural soundness against earthquakes. Subsequently, the detailed analysis and evaluation of these test results were carried out, and the analysis methods for evaluating strength against earthquakes were established. Whereupon, the seismic analysis and evaluation on the actual containment vessel were performed by these analysis methods, and the safety and reliability of the PWR reactor containment vessel were confirmed

Radon emanation fractions from concretes containing fly ash and metakaolin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor-Lange, Sarah C.; Juenger, Maria C.G.; Siegel, Jeffrey A.

2014-01-01

Radon ( 222 Rn) and progenies emanate from soil and building components and can create an indoor air quality hazard. In this study, nine concrete constituents, including the supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) fly ash and metakaolin, were used to create eleven different concrete mixtures. We investigated the effect of constituent radium specific activity, radon effective activity and emanation fraction on the concrete emanation fraction and the radon exhalation rate. Given the serious health effects associated with radionuclide exposure, experimental results were coupled with Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate predictive differences in the indoor radon concentration due to concrete mixture design. The results from this study show that, on average, fly ash constituents possessed radium specific activities ranging from 100 Bq/kg to 200 Bq/kg and emanation fractions ranging from 1.1% to 2.5%. The lowest emitting concrete mixture containing fly ash resulted in a 3.4% reduction in the concrete emanation fraction, owing to the relatively low emanation that exists when fly ash is part of concrete. On average, the metakaolin constituents contained radium specific activities ranging from 67 Bq/kg to 600 Bq/kg and emanation fractions ranging from 8.4% to 15.5%, and changed the total concrete emanation fraction by roughly ± 5% relative to control samples. The results from this study suggest that SCMs can reduce indoor radon exposure from concrete, contingent upon SCM radionucleotide content and emanation fraction. Lastly, the experimental results provide SCM-specific concrete emanation fractions for indoor radon exposure modeling. - Highlights: • Fly ash or metakaolin SCMs can neutralize or reduce concrete emanation fractions. • The specific activity of constituents is a poor predictor of the concrete emanation fraction. • Exhalation from fly ash concretes represents a small fraction of the total indoor radon concentration

Sealing method and sealing device for radioactive waste containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishiwatari, Koji; Otsuki, Akira

1998-01-01

A radioactive waste-containing body is hoisted down into a strong-material vessel opened upwardly, and a strong-material lid is hoisted down to the opening of the strong-material-vessel and welded. The strong material vessel is hoisted up and loaded on a corrosion resistant-material bottom plate placed horizontally. A corrosion resistant-material vessel having one opening end and having a corrosion resistant-material flange on the other end and previously agreed with the strong material-vessel main body is hoisted up by a hoisting device having an inserting device so that the opening of the corrosion resistant vessel is directed downwardly. The corrosion resistant vessel is press-fitted to the outside of the strong material-vessel by the inserting device while being heated by a preheater to shrink. Subsequently, the lower end of the corrosion resistant-material vessel and the corrosion resistant-material bottom plate are welded to constitute a corrosion resistant-material vessel. Then, the radioactive waste containing body can be sealed in a sealing vessel comprising the strong-material vessel and the corrosion resistant-material vessel. (N.H.)

A method for three-dimensional structural analysis of reinforced concrete containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulak, R.F.; Fiala, C.

1989-01-01

A finite element method designed to assist reactor safety analysts in the three-dimensional numerical simulation of reinforced concrete containments to normal and off-normal mechanical loadings is presented. The development of a lined reinforced concrete plate element is described in detail, and the implementation of an empirical transverse shear failure criteria is discussed. The method is applied to the analysis of a 1/6th scale reinforced concrete containment model subjected to static internal pressurization. 11 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab

Seismic transient analysis of a containment vessel with penetrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlke, H.J.; Weiner, E.O.

1979-12-01

A linear transient analysis of the FFTF containment vessel was conducted with STAGS to justify the load levels used for the seismic qualification testing of the heating and ventiliation valve operators. The modeling consists of a thin axisymmetric shell for the containment vessel with four penetrations characterized by linear and rotational inertias as well as attachment characteristics to the shell. Motions considered are horizontal, rocking and vertical input to the base, and the solution is carried out by direct integration. Results show that the test levels and the approximate analyses considered are conservative. Response spectra for some containment vessel penetrations applicable to the model are presented

Ultimate analysis of PWR prestressed concrete containment subjected to internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, H.-T.; Lin, Y.-H.

2006-01-01

Numerical analyses are carried out by using the ABAQUS finite element program to predict the ultimate pressure capacity and the failure mode of the PWR prestressed concrete containment at Maanshan nuclear power plant. Material nonlinearity such as concrete cracking, tension stiffening, shear retention, concrete plasticity, yielding of prestressing tendon, yielding of steel reinforcing bar and degradation of material properties due to high temperature are all simulated with proper constitutive models. Geometric nonlinearity due to finite deformation has also been considered. The results of the analysis show that when the prestressed concrete containment fails, extensive cracks take place at the apex of the dome, the junction of the dome and cylinder, and the bottom of the cylinder connecting to the base slab. In addition, the ultimate pressure capacity of the containment is higher than the design pressure by 86%

Radon emanation fractions from concretes containing fly ash and metakaolin.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor-Lange, Sarah C; Juenger, Maria C G; Siegel, Jeffrey A

2014-01-01

Radon ((222)Rn) and progenies emanate from soil and building components and can create an indoor air quality hazard. In this study, nine concrete constituents, including the supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) fly ash and metakaolin, were used to create eleven different concrete mixtures. We investigated the effect of constituent radium specific activity, radon effective activity and emanation fraction on the concrete emanation fraction and the radon exhalation rate. Given the serious health effects associated with radionuclide exposure, experimental results were coupled with Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate predictive differences in the indoor radon concentration due to concrete mixture design. The results from this study show that, on average, fly ash constituents possessed radium specific activities ranging from 100 Bq/kg to 200 Bq/kg and emanation fractions ranging from 1.1% to 2.5%. The lowest emitting concrete mixture containing fly ash resulted in a 3.4% reduction in the concrete emanation fraction, owing to the relatively low emanation that exists when fly ash is part of concrete. On average, the metakaolin constituents contained radium specific activities ranging from 67 Bq/kg to 600 Bq/kg and emanation fractions ranging from 8.4% to 15.5%, and changed the total concrete emanation fraction by roughly ±5% relative to control samples. The results from this study suggest that SCMs can reduce indoor radon exposure from concrete, contingent upon SCM radionucleotide content and emanation fraction. Lastly, the experimental results provide SCM-specific concrete emanation fractions for indoor radon exposure modeling. © 2013.

High-impact concrete for fill in US Department of Transportation type shipping containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenhalgh, W.O.; Cash, R.J.

1990-01-01

This report describes the use of light-weight, high-impact concrete in U.S. Department of Transportation-type shipments. The formulations described are substantially lighter in weight (20 to 50 percent) than construction concrete, but product test specimens generally yield superior impact characteristics. The use of this specialty concrete for container fill, encapsulations, or liquid-waste solidification can be advantageous. Use of the material for container or cask construction has the advantage of lighter weight for easier handling, and the container consistently exhibits better performance on drop tests. High-impact concrete does have the disadvantage of less gamma radiation shielding per volume, but some formulation changes discussed in this report can be used to prepare better shielding concrete. Test characteristics of high-impact concrete are included. 3 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs

Strategy for 100-year life of the ACR-1000 concrete containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrishami, H.; Elgohary, M.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of the ACR-1000 (Advanced CANDU Reactor) designed by AECL. The ACR-1000 is designed for 100-year plant life including 60-year operating life and additional 40-year decommissioning period of time. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) life cycle management and ageing management program. In the design phase, in addition to strength and serviceability, durability is a major requirement during the service life and decommissioning phase of the ACR structure. Parameters affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) environmental conditions. Due to the complex nature of the environmental effects acting on structures during the service life of project, it is considered that true improved performance during the service life can be achieved by improving the material characteristics. Many recent innovations in advanced concrete materials technology have made it possible to produce modern concrete such as high-performance concrete with exceptional performance characteristics. In this paper, the PLiM strategy for the ACR-1000 concrete containment is presented. In addition to addressing the design methodology and material performance areas, a systematic approach for ageing management program for the concrete containment structure is presented. (author)

77 FR 69508 - Inservice Inspection of Prestressed Concrete Containment Structures With Grouted Tendons

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-19

... Containment Structures With Grouted Tendons AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Regulatory guide... (RG) 1.90, ``Inservice Inspection of Prestressed Concrete Containment Structures with Grouted Tendons... appropriate surveillance program for prestressed concrete containment structures with grouted tendons...

Thermal effects in concrete containment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfeiffer, P.A.; Kennedy, J.M.; Marchertas, A.H.

1988-01-01

Analyses of the thermo-mechanical response of the 1:6-scale reinforced concrete containment are presented. Three temperature- pressure scenarios are analyzed to complete loss of the pressure integrity. These results are compared to the analysis of pressure alone, to assess the importance of thermal effects. 19 refs., 9 figs., 8 tabs

Long-Term Behaviors of the OPC Concrete with Fly-ash and Type V Concrete Applied on Reactor Containment Building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Eui Sik; Lee, Hee Taik; Paek, Yong Lak; Park, Young Soo

2010-01-01

The prestressed concrete has been used extensively in the construction of Reactor Containment Buildings (RCBs) in Korea in order to strengthen the RCBs and at the same time, prevent the release of radiation due to the Design Basis Accident and Design Basis Earthquake. It is well known that the prestressed concrete loses its prestressing force over the age, and the shrinkage and creep of the concrete significantly contributes to these long term prestressing losses. In this study, an evaluations of long term behaviors of the concrete such as creep and shrinkage have been performed for two types of concretes : Ordinary Portland Cement containing fly-ash used for the Shin- Kori 1 and 2 NPP and Type V cement used for the Ul- Chin 5 and 6 NPP

Long-Term Behaviors of the OPC Concrete with Fly-ash and Type V Concrete Applied on Reactor Containment Building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Eui Sik; Lee, Hee Taik; Paek, Yong Lak [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Young Soo [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2010-10-15

The prestressed concrete has been used extensively in the construction of Reactor Containment Buildings (RCBs) in Korea in order to strengthen the RCBs and at the same time, prevent the release of radiation due to the Design Basis Accident and Design Basis Earthquake. It is well known that the prestressed concrete loses its prestressing force over the age, and the shrinkage and creep of the concrete significantly contributes to these long term prestressing losses. In this study, an evaluations of long term behaviors of the concrete such as creep and shrinkage have been performed for two types of concretes : Ordinary Portland Cement containing fly-ash used for the Shin- Kori 1 and 2 NPP and Type V cement used for the Ul- Chin 5 and 6 NPP

Application of high strength steel to nuclear reactor containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susukida, H.; Sato, M.; Takano, G.; Uebayashi, T.; Yoshida, K.

1976-01-01

Nuclear reactor containment vessels are becoming larger in size with the increase in the power generating capacity of nuclear power plants. For example, a containment vessel for a PWR power plant with an output of 1,000 MWe becomes an extremely large one if it is made of the conventional JIS SGV 49 (ASTM A 516 Gr. 70) steel plates less than 38 mm in thickness. In order to design the steel containment vessel within the conventional dimensional range, therefore, it is necessary to use a high strength steel having a higher tensile strength than SGV 49 steel, good weldability and a higher fracture toughness and moreover, possessing satisfactory properties without undergoing post-weld heat treatment. The authors conducted a series of verification tests on high strength steel developed by modifying the ASTM A 543 Grade B Class 1 steel with a view to adopting it as a material for the nuclear reactor containment vessels. As the result of evaluation of the test results from various angles, we confirmed that the high strength steel is quite suitable for the manufacture of nuclear reactor containment vessels. (auth.)

Design and analysis of reactor containment of steel-concrete composite laminated shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, K.; Isobata, O.; Kawamata, S.

1977-01-01

A new scheme of containment consisting of steel-concrete laminated shell is being developed. In the main part of a cylindrical vessel, the shell consists of two layers of thin steel plates located at the inner and outer surfaces, and a layer of concrete core into which both the steel plates are anchored. Because of the compressive and shearing resistance of the concrete core, the layers behave as a composite solid shell. Membrane forces are shared by steel plates and partly by concrete core. Bending moment is effectively resisted by the section with extreme layers of steel. Therefore, both surfaces can be designed as extremely thin plates: the inner plate, which is a load carrying members as well as a liner, can be welded without the laborious process of stress-relieving, and various jointing methods can be applied to the outer plate which is free from the need for leak tightness. The capability of the composite layers of behaving as a unified solid shell section depends largely on the shearing rigidity of the concrete core. However, as its resisting capacity to transverse shearing force is comparatively low, a device for reducing the shearing stress at the junction to the base mat is needed. In the new scheme, this part of the cylindrical shell is divided into multiple layers of the same kind of composite shell. This device makes the stiffness of the bottom of the cylindrical shell to lateral movement minimum while maintaining the proper resistance to membrane forces. The analysis shows that the transverse shearing stress can be reduced to less than 1√n of the ordinary case by dividing the thickness of the shell into n layers which are able to slip against each other at the contact surface. In order to validate the feasibility and safety of this new design, the results of analysis on the basis of up-to-date design loads are presented

Float level switch for a nuclear power plant containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, J.G.

1993-01-01

This invention is a float level switch used to sense rise or drop in water level in a containment vessel of a nuclear power plant during a loss of coolant accident. The essential components of the device are a guide tube, a reed switch inside the guide tube, a float containing a magnetic portion that activates a reed switch, and metal-sheathed, ceramic-insulated conductors connecting the reed switch to a monitoring system outside the containment vessel. Special materials and special sealing techniques prevent failure of components and allow the float level switch to be connected to a monitoring system outside the containment vessel. 1 figures

Float level switch for a nuclear power plant containment vessel

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, James G.

1993-01-01

This invention is a float level switch used to sense rise or drop in water level in a containment vessel of a nuclear power plant during a loss of coolant accident. The essential components of the device are a guide tube, a reed switch inside the guide tube, a float containing a magnetic portion that activates a reed switch, and metal-sheathed, ceramic-insulated conductors connecting the reed switch to a monitoring system outside the containment vessel. Special materials and special sealing techniques prevent failure of components and allow the float level switch to be connected to a monitoring system outside the containment vessel.

Nonlinear failure analysis of a reinforced concrete containment under internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, S.; Wang, Y.K.; Reich, M.

1984-01-01

A detailed nonlinear finite element model is used to investigate the failure response of the Indian Point containment building under severe accident pressures. Refined material models are used to describe the complex stress-strain behavior of the liner and rebar steels, the plain concrete and the reinforced concrete. Structural geometry of the containment is idealized by eight layers of axisymmetric finite elements through the wall thickness in order to closely model the actual placement of the rebars. Soil stiffness under the containment base mat is modeled by a series of nonlinear spring elements. Numerical results presented in the paper describe cracking and plastic deformation (in compression) of the concrete, yielding of the liner and rebar steels and eventual loss of the load carrying capacity of the containment. The results are compared with available data from the previous studies for this containment. 8 references, 9 figures

NPP containment pre-stress loss - summary statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Principal Working Group 3 of the CSNI deals with the integrity of structures and components, and has three sub-groups, dealing with the integrity of metal structures and components, ageing of concrete structures, and the seismic behaviour of structures. A status report on the ageing of concrete structures was prepared during 1995 by a task group to initiate activities in this field under PWG3. Tendon prestress loss was the first topic addressed by the group, with a workshop organised jointly by IPSN and EDF, and sponsored jointly by WANO and OECD-NEA. RILEM, FIB and IASMiRT also co-sponsored the workshop. Present experience suggests that the current methods for the prediction of the loss of tendon prestress are generally satisfactory. The nuclear industry has adopted regulatory and codified methods for predicting the loss of prestress in nuclear power plant (NPP) prestressed concrete containments from international and national standards that are not necessarily specific to nuclear design. The application of the different methods to a specific case is likely to lead to significant differences in the predicted losses. Theoretical and experimental research have established the importance of understanding how chemical, hygro, mechanical and thermal factors influence the short term and long term behaviour of prestressed concrete. Improved and simplified simulations of creep and shrinkage phenomena that can account for the environment and loading history of prestressed concrete containments and pressure vessels will assist: the development of design regulations/standards; the choice of concrete mix; the development of relevant monitoring programmes, and ageing management including plant life extension. Prestressed concrete containments and pressure vessels use both grouted (bonded) tendons and un-grouted (un-bonded) tendons. The workshop considered the relative merits of both systems. Experience presented at the workshop indicates that comprehensive and regular

Design of radial reinforcement for prestressed concrete containments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Shen, E-mail: swang@bechtel.com [Bechtel Power Corporation, 5275 Westview Drive, BP2-2C3, Frederick, MD 21703 (United States); Munshi, Javeed A., E-mail: jamunshi@bechtel.com [Bechtel Power Corporation, 5275 Westview Drive, BP2-2C3, Frederick, MD 21703 (United States)

2013-02-15

Highlights: ► A rigorous formulae is proposed to calculate radial stress within prestressed concrete containments. ► The proposed method is validated by finite element analysis in an illustrative practical example. ► A partially prestressed condition is more critical than a fully prestressed condition for radial tension. ► Practical design consideration is provided for detailing of radial reinforcement. -- Abstract: Nuclear containments are critical components for safety of nuclear power plants. Failure can result in catastrophic safety consequences as a result of leakage of radiation. Prestressed concrete containments have been used in large nuclear power plants with significant design internal pressure. These containments are generally reinforced with prestressing tendons in the circumferential (hoop) and meridional (vertical) directions. The curvature effect of the tendons introduces radial tensile stresses in the concrete shell which are generally neglected in the design of such structures. It is assumed that such tensile radial stresses are small as such no radial reinforcement is provided for this purpose. But recent instances of significant delaminations in Crystal River Unit 3 in Florida have elevated the need for reevaluation of the radial tension issue in prestressed containment. Note that currently there are no well accepted industry standards for design and detailing of radial reinforcement. This paper discusses the issue of radial tension in prestressed cylindrical and dome shaped structures and proposes formulae to calculate radial stresses. A practical example is presented to illustrate the use of the proposed method which is then verified by using state of art finite element analysis. This paper also provides some practical design consideration for detailing of radial reinforcement in prestressed containments.

Experimental investigations concerning the suitability of channel systems for liner leak detection and drainage of a prestressed concrete vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickel, M.; Breitbach, G.; Altes, J.; Escherich, K.H.; Wolters, J.

1985-02-01

The iternal surfaces of prestressed concrete pressure vessels are fitted with a steel liner to preserve the gas tightness of the primary circuit. Because of the high quality manufacture and the loading conditions a linear failure can be practically excluded. However, if it is hypothetically assumed, that a leak develops during reactor operation, it may be difficult to determine the position of the leak, because the linear area is very large. For tightness surveillance and for venting channel systems installed in close proximity to the linear are suitable. The suitability of such channels for leak detection, localisation and venting was investigated experimentally. A concrete wall (length 2.5 m, height 2.0 m, thickness 0.5 m) was constructed, covered on one side with a steel liner. Behind the liner two different channel systems have been installed. For the simulation of leaks holes were drilled into the liner. The experimental programm contained the following measurements: determination of gas flow rates into the different leaks, distribution of leakage gas over the array of channels and determination of pressures into the concrete and immediately behind the liner. The experiments have shown, that channel arrays immediately adjacent to the liner are the most suitable systems for localisation and controlled exhaust of leakage gas. The suitability decreases, if the channels are set into the concrete somewhat distant from the liner. (orig.) [de

Plant life management of the ACR-1000 Concrete containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrishami, H.H.; Ricciuti, R.; Elgohary, M.

2009-01-01

The Ageing of reinforced concrete structures due to service conditions, aggressive environments, or accidents may cause their strength, serviceability and durability to decrease over time. For a new plant, a Plant Life Management (PLiM) program should start in the design process and then continues through the plant operation and decommissioning. Hence, PLiM must provide not only Ageing Management program (AMP) but also provide requirements on material characteristic and design criteria as well. The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of the ACR-10001 (Advanced CANDU Reactor) designed by AECL. The ACR-1000 is designed for a 100-year plant life including 60-year operating life and an additional 40-year decommissioning period. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) ageing management program. During the design phase, in addition to strength and serviceability, durability, throughout the service life and decommissioning phase of the ACR-1000 structure, is a major consideration. Factors affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) consideration of environmental conditions. In addition to addressing the design methodology and material performance requirements, a systematic approach for the ageing management program for the concrete containment structure is presented. (authors)

Viscosities of corium-concrete mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seiler, J.M.; Ganzhorn, J.

1997-01-01

Severe accidents on nuclear reactors involve many situations such as pools of molten core material, melt spreading, melt/concrete interactions, etc. The word 'corium' designates mixtures of materials issued from the molten core at high temperature; these mixtures involve mainly: UO2, ZrO2, Zr and, in small amounts, Ni, Cr, Ag, In, Cd. These materials, when flowing out of the reactor vessel, may interact with the concrete of the reactor building thus introducing decomposition products of concrete into the original mixture. These decomposition products are mainly: SiO 2 , FeO, MgO, CaO and Al 2 O 3 in different amounts depending on the nature of the concrete being considered. Siliceous concrete is rich in SiO 2 , limestone concrete contains both SiO 2 and CaO. Liquidus temperatures of such mixtures are generally obove 2300 K whereas solidus temperatures are ∝1400 K. (orig.)

Pressurization of Containment Vessels from Plutonium Oxide Contents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensel, S.

2012-01-01

Transportation and storage of plutonium oxide is typically done using a convenience container to hold the oxide powder which is then placed inside a containment vessel. Intermediate containers which act as uncredited confinement barriers may also be used. The containment vessel is subject to an internal pressure due to several sources including; (1) plutonium oxide provides a heat source which raises the temperature of the gas space, (2) helium generation due to alpha decay of the plutonium, (3) hydrogen generation due to radiolysis of the water which has been adsorbed onto the plutonium oxide, and (4) degradation of plastic bags which may be used to bag out the convenience can from a glove box. The contributions of these sources are evaluated in a reasonably conservative manner.

Overview of concrete containment design practice in the U.S.A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, J.D.

1976-01-01

This paper presents a historical summary of the engineering practices and their evolution applied to the design of concrete containment structures in the U.S.A. during the period 1965 to 1974. It reviews the broad spectrum of concrete containment designs developed for the three major Nuclear Steam Supply Systems, Pressurized Water Reactor, Boiling Water Reactor and High Temperature Gas Reactor employed or planned in the U.S.A. during this period. The development of deformed rebar and one way prestress as well as fully prestressed reinforced concrete containment is discussed. Particular attention is paid to base mat-containment shell joint design details as well as the design of reinforcement around large penetrations and those penetrations subject to large pipe thrust loads. In addition to the historical summary, current trends in containment design are identified and projections of future developments are presented. Finally, potential innovations such as plastic liners are discussed. (author)

Dismantling method for reactor pressure vessel and system therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Makoto; Enomoto, Kunio; Kurosawa, Koichi; Saito, Hideyo.

1994-01-01

Upon dismantling of a reactor pressure vessel, a containment building made of concretes is disposed underground and a spent pressure vessel is contained therein, and incore structures are contained in the spent pressure vessel. Further, a plasma-welder and a pressing machine are disposed to a pool for provisionally placing reactor equipments in the reactor building for devoluming the incore structures by welding and compression. An overhead-running crane and rails therefor are disposed on the roof and the outer side of the reactor building for transporting the pressure vessel from the reactor building to the containment building. They may be contained in the containment building after incorporation of the incore structures into the pressure vessel at the outside of the reactor building. For the devoluming treatment, a combination of cutting, welding, pressing and the like are optically conducted. A nuclear power plant can be installed by using a newly manufactured nuclear reactor, with no requirement for a new site and it is unnecessary to provide a new radioactive waste containing facility. (N.H.)

Evaluation of calculational and material models for concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunham, R.S.; Rashid, Y.R.; Yuan, K.A.

1984-01-01

A computer code utilizing an appropriate finite element, material and constitutive model has been under development as a part of a comprehensive effort by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop and validate a realistic methodology for the ultimate load analysis of concrete containment structures. A preliminary evaluation of the reinforced and prestressed concrete modeling capabilities recently implemented in the ABAQUS-EPGEN code has been completed. This effort focuses on using a state-of-the-art calculational model to predict the behavior of large-scale reinforced concrete slabs tested under uniaxial and biaxial tension to simulate the wall of a typical concrete containment structure under internal pressure. This paper gives comparisons between calculations and experimental measurements for a uniaxially-loaded specimen. The calculated strains compare well with the measured strains in the reinforcing steel; however, the calculations gave diffused cracking patterns that do not agree with the discrete cracking observed in the experiments. Recommendations for improvement of the calculational models are given. (orig.)

The design, fabrication, and testing of WETF high-quality, long-term-storage, secondary containment vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, Kane J.

2000-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory's Weapons Engineering Tritium Facility (WETF) requires secondary containment vessels to store primary tritium containment vessels. The primary containment vessel provides the first boundary for tritium containment. The primary containment vessel is stored within a secondary containment vessel that provides the secondary boundary for tritium containment. WETF requires high-quality, long-term-storage, secondary tritium containment vessels that fit within a Mound-designed calorimeter. In order to qualify the WETF high-quality, long-term-storage, secondary containment vessels for use at WETF, steps have been taken to ensure the appropriate design, adequate testing, quality in fabrication, and acceptable documentation

Influence of temperature on strain monitoring of degradation in concrete containment buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Y.; Jaffer, S.; Angell, P.

2015-01-01

Concrete containment buildings (CCBs) are important safety structures in a nuclear power plant (NPP). The CCBs can be made of reinforced and post-tensioned (P-T) concrete. Post-tensioning concrete induces compressive stresses, which have to be overcome for the concrete to crack under tensile loads. However, post-tensioned CCBs may undergo pre-stressing losses as they age, which could affect their performance under accident conditions. CANDU 6 reactor buildings contain grouted post-tensioned tendons as the primary reinforcement. The grouting of the tendons makes direct monitoring of pre-stressing losses via lift-off testing impossible. Therefore, instruments have been installed on an existing reactor building to measure and monitor strains and stresses in the concrete and the deformation of the concrete structure to detect aging degradation and indirectly evaluate the pre-stressing losses. However, the instrumentation readings are affected by temporary volume changes in the concrete caused by the influence of environmental factors, particularly temperature, on concrete. In this work, the focus is on developing an understanding of the effect of temperature on the interpretation of instrumentation data from a reactor building. Vibrating Wire Strain Gauge (VWSG) data has been analysed. The influence of concrete coefficient of thermal expansion and temperature distribution within the reactor building walls, on VWSG data, is discussed based on the analysis of the available instrumentation data and available numerical simulation results. The present study demonstrates that temperature distribution within the containment concrete has a significant impact on the VWSG measurements and the coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete is an important factor in the correction of VWSG data for thermal strain. It is recommended that VWSG data obtained over small temperature variations be considered for interpretation to assess pre-stressing losses. (authors)

Concrete containers in radioactive waste management: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tavares, Bárbara L.; Tello, Clédola Cássia O. de, E-mail: barbaralacerdat@gmail.com [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte/MG (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Nuclear power is considered a clean energy, because it does not produce the gases responsible for greenhouse effect. However, like all human activities, it is susceptible to waste generation. With increasing demand for energy in Brazil, the use of nuclear power is being expanded, as a result, the implementation of correct treatment and disposal are a necessity, in order to ensure the non-contamination of the public or environment and that exposure doses are lower than limits by legislation. Most of waste produced in Brazil are classified as low and intermediate radiation level; consequently, the national repository will be near surface, in accordance with the legislation. Considering the multi-barrier concept for the repository, the radioactive waste product is the first barrier. To have a qualified radioactive waste product, it should be solid or solidified using an inert material. With the intention of standardize the disposal process, all radioactive waste products will be placed in concrete containers. These containers will be settled in a concrete cell, the final engineered barrier of the repository. The state of the art is the first part of the study of the concrete containers and its specific criteria acceptation. Since the repository’s operational and surveillance period is 60 and 300 years, respectively, tests still need to be fulfilled in order to ensure the stability and resistance of the material. (author)

Concrete containers in radioactive waste management: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavares, Bárbara L.; Tello, Clédola Cássia O. de

2017-01-01

Nuclear power is considered a clean energy, because it does not produce the gases responsible for greenhouse effect. However, like all human activities, it is susceptible to waste generation. With increasing demand for energy in Brazil, the use of nuclear power is being expanded, as a result, the implementation of correct treatment and disposal are a necessity, in order to ensure the non-contamination of the public or environment and that exposure doses are lower than limits by legislation. Most of waste produced in Brazil are classified as low and intermediate radiation level; consequently, the national repository will be near surface, in accordance with the legislation. Considering the multi-barrier concept for the repository, the radioactive waste product is the first barrier. To have a qualified radioactive waste product, it should be solid or solidified using an inert material. With the intention of standardize the disposal process, all radioactive waste products will be placed in concrete containers. These containers will be settled in a concrete cell, the final engineered barrier of the repository. The state of the art is the first part of the study of the concrete containers and its specific criteria acceptation. Since the repository’s operational and surveillance period is 60 and 300 years, respectively, tests still need to be fulfilled in order to ensure the stability and resistance of the material. (author)

Elements of thought on corium containment strategy in reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

As accidents with core fusion are taken into account for the design of third-generation nuclear reactors, this brief document presents the corium containment strategy for a reactor vessel, its limitations, as well as research programs undertaken by the IRSN in this field. The report describes the controlled management of a severe accident, the major objective being to minimise releases in the environment, that which requires to maintain the reactor containment enclosure tightness. Practical actions are briefly indicated. Key points indicating the feasibility of a strategy of containment in vessel are discussed. The impact of reactor power on the robustness of an approach with containment in vessel is also discussed. An overview of technological evolutions and contributions of researches made by the IRSN is finally proposed

Design and construction of a prestressed concrete pressure vessel for a working pressure of 69N/mm2 (10,000 p.s.i)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, P.

1977-01-01

Construction is nearing completion of a pressure vessel with a chamber 9.15 m (30 ft.) high and 3.05 m (10 ft.) internal diameter for hydraulic tests on marine components up to 69 N/mm 2 (10,000 p.s.i.) working pressure. The chamber comprises a steel cylinder, with independent end plates contained within a prestressed concrete structure. The cylinder is constructed in two halves, each consisting of three forged rings, 170 mm thick, shrink-fitted onto a 90 mm thick liner. It rests on a 100 mm thick bottom plate, provided with a band of hard-facing overlay on which the cylinder slides in response to changes of test medium pressure. Models to be tested within the chamber are hung from a removeable 150 mm thick top plate. A central elliptical hatch provides access into the chamber. Special sealing assemblies are fitted at the junction of the cylinder sections and between the cylinder and end plates. These seals are capable of accepting radial expansion of the cylinder and corresponding vertical movements at the upper seal arising from elastic movements of the enclosing structure. The top plate is restrained by a wire-wound prestressed concrete closure plug, itself located by twelve bifurcated inclined steel struts which transfer the load on the top plate into the concrete structure. The struts are retractable to allow removal of the closure plug and top plate. The enclosing concrete structure is 25 m (82 ft.) high and 11 m (36 ft.) diameter. It is vertically prestressed by 180 no. 540 Tonne tendons and circumferentially prestressed by 5 mm wire laid under tension in pre-cast concrete channels by the Taylor Woodrow Wire-Winding System. The structure was analysed, using limit state principles, by computerised elastic and non-elastic dynamic relaxation techniques. The results were evaluated against triaxial stress criteria established from relevant research work and experience obtained from nuclear prestressed concrete pressure vessels

Failure strength and elastic limit for concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robutti, G.; Ronzoni, E.; Ottosen, N.S.

1979-01-01

Due to increased demand for realistic analysis of structures such as prestressed concrete reactor vessels and reactor containments, the formulation of general constitutive equations for concrete is of considerable importance. In the field of constitutive equations the correct definition of the limit state represented by the concrete failure surface is a fundamental need. In this paper carried out by a Danish-Italian cooperation, several failure criteria obtained by different authors are compared with failure experimental data obtained with triaxial tests on concrete specimens. Such comparison allow to carry out conclusive considerations on the characteristics of the concrete failure surface and on the advantages and disadvantages of the different criteria. Considerations are also reported on the definition of a limit elastic surface, whose knowledge is of fundamental importance for designers of complex structures in concrete. (orig.)

Reinforced concrete containment structures in high seismic zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, T.S.

1977-01-01

A new structural concept for reinforced concrete containment structures at sites where earthquake ground motions in terms of the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) exceeds 0.3 g is presented. The structural concept is based on: (1) an inner steel-lined concrete shell which houses the reactor and provides shielding and containment in the event of loss of coolant accident; (2) an outer annular concrete shell structure which houses auxilary reactor equipment and safeguards systems. These shell structures are supported on a common foundation mat which is embeded in the subgrade. Under stipulated earthquake conditions the two shell structures interact to resist lateral inertia forces. Thus the annular structure which is not a pressure boundary acts as a lateral support for the inner containment shell. The concept is practical, economically feasible and new to practice. An integrated configuration which includes the interior shell, the annular structure and the subgrade is analyzed for several static and dynamic loading conditions. The analysis is done using a finite difference solution scheme for the static loading conditions. A semi-analytical three-dimensional finite element scheme combined with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm is used for the dynamic loading conditions. The effects of cracking of the containment structure due to pressurization in conjunction with earthquake loading are discussed. Analytical results for both the finite difference and the finite element schemes are presented and the sensitivity of the results to changes in the input parameters is studied. General recommendations are given for plant configurations where high seismic loading is a major design consideration

Computational experiences with variable modulus, elastic-plastic, and viscoelastic concrete models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.A.

1981-01-01

Six years ago the Reactor Safety Research Division of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approached the Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop a comprehensive concrete structural analysis code to predict the static and dynamic behavior of Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessels (PCRVs) that serve as the containment structure of a High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor. The PCRV is a complex concrete structure that must be modeled in three dimensions and posseses other complicating features such as a steel liner for the reactor cavity and woven cables embedded vertically in the PCRV and wound circumferentially on the outside of the PCRV. The cables, or tendons, are used for prestressing the reactor vessel. In addition to developing the computational capability to predict inelastic three dimensional concrete structural behavior, the code response was verified against documented experiments on concrete structural behavior. This code development/verification effort is described

Concrete containment integrity program at EPRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkleblack, R.K.; Tang, Y.K.

1984-01-01

Many in the nuclear power plant business believe that the catastrophic failure mode for reactor containment structures is unrealistic. One of the goals of the EPRI containment integrity program is to demonstrate that this is true. The objective of the program is to provide the utility industry with an experimental data base and a test-validated analytical method for realistically evaluating the actual over-pressure capability of concrete containment buildings and to predict leakage behavior if higher pressures were to occur. The ultimate goal of this research effort is to characterize the containment leakage mode and rate as a function of internal pressure and time so that the risk can be realistically assessed for hypothetical degraded core accidents. Progress in the first and second phases of the three-phase analytical and testing efforts is discussed

System for cooling the containment vessel of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costes, Didier.

1982-01-01

The invention concerns a post-accidental cooling system for a nuclear reactor containment vessel. This system includes in series a turbine fed by the moist air contained in the vessel, a condenser in which the air is dried and cooled, a compressor actuated by the turbine and a cooling exchanger. The cold water flowing through the condenser and in the exchanger is taken from a tank outside the vessel and injected by a pump actuated by the turbine. The application is for nuclear reactors under pressure [fr

Improved nuclear reactor construction with bottom supported reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharbaugh, J.E.

1987-01-01

An improved liquid metal nuclear reactor construction has a reactor core and a generally cylindrical reactor vessel for holding liquid metal coolant and housing the core within the pool. A generally cylindrical concrete containment structure surrounds the reactor vessel and a central support pedestal is anchored to the containment structure base mat and supports the bottom wall of the reactor vessel and the reactor core. The periphery of the reactor vessel bore is supported by an annular structure which allows thermal expansion but not seismic motion of the vessel, and a bed of thermally insulating material uniformly supports the vessel base whilst allowing expansion thereof. A guard ring prevents lateral seismic motion of the upper end of the reactor vessel. The periphery of the core is supported by an annular structure supported by the vessel base and keyed to the vessel wall so as to be able to expand but not undergo seismic motion. A deck is supported on the containment structure above the reactor vessel open top by annular bellows, the deck carrying the reactor control rods such that heating of the reactor vessel results in upward expansion against the control rods. (author)

Research requirements for improved design of reinforced concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, A.K.; Holley, M.J. Jr.

1978-01-01

Reinforced concrete is a competitive material for the construction of nuclear power plant containment structures. However, the designer is constrained by limited data on the behavior of certain construction details which require him to use what may be excessive rebar quantities and lead to difficult and costly construction. This paper discusses several design situations where research is recommended to increase the designer's options, to facilitate construction, and to extend the applicability of reinforced concrete to such changing containment requirements as may be imposed by an evolving nuclear technology. (Auth.)

High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor steam-cycle/cogeneration lead plant reactor vessel: system design description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The Reactor Vessel System contains the primary coolant inventory within a gas-tight pressure boundary, and provides the necessary flow paths and overpressure protection for this pressure boundary. The Reactor Vessel System also houses the components of the Reactor System, the Heat Transport System, and the Auxiliary Heat Removal System. The scope of the Reactor Vessel System includes the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) structure with its reinforcing steel and prestressing components; liners, penetrations, closures, and cooling water tubes attached to the concrete side of the liner; the thermal barrier (insulation) on the primary coolant side of the liner; instrumentation for structural monitoring; and a pressure relief system. Specifications are presented

Reliability-based inspection of prestressed concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, M.D.

1996-03-01

A study was undertaken to develop a reliability-based approach to the planning of inspection programs for prestressed concrete containment structures. The main function of the prestressing system is to ensure the leak integrity of the containment by maintaining a compressive state of stress under the tensile forces which arise in a hypothesized loss of coolant accident. Prestressing force losses (due to creep and shrinkage, stress relaxation or tendon corrosion) can lead to tensile stresses under accident pressure, resulting in loss of containment leak integrity due to concrete cracking and tensile yielding of the non-prestressed reinforcement. Therefore, the evaluation of prestressing inspection programs was based on their effectiveness in maintaining an acceptable reliability level with respect to a limit state representing yeilding of non-prestressed reinforcement. An annual target reliability of 10 -4 was used for this limit state. As specified in CSA-N287.7, the evaluation of prestressing systems for containment structures is based on the results of lift-off tests to determine the prestressing force. For unbonded systems the tests are carried out on a randomly selected sample from each tendon group in the structure. For bonded systems, the test is carried out on an unbonded test beam that matches the section geometry and material properties of the containment structure. It was found that flexural testing is useful in updating the probability of concrete cracking under accident pressure. For unbonded systems, the analysis indicated that the sample size recommended by the CSA Standard (4% of the tendon population) is adequate. The CSA recommendation for a five year inspection interval is conservative unless severe degradation of the prestressing system, characterized by a high prestressing loss rate (>3%) and a large coefficient of variation of the measured prestressing force (>15%), is observed

Containment vessel for a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanari, Sh.; Horiuchi, T.; Sugisaki, T.; Tominaga, K.

1985-01-01

A containment vessel for a nuclear reactor having a dry well for mounting therein a pressure vessel for containing the nuclear reactor, a pressure suppressing chamber having a pool of coolant therein, and a vent pipe device for releasing therethrough into the pool of coolant within the pressure suppressing chamber steam which will be produced as a result of the occurrence of an accident and escape into the dry well. The vent pipe device includes a plurality of vent pipe members inserted in the pool of coolant within the pressure suppressing chamber and each having at least one exhaust port opening in the coolant. The vent pipe members are divided into a plurality of groups in such a manner that the vent pipe members of different groups differ from one another in the length of submerged portions of the vent pipe members interposed between the liquid of the coolant within the pressure suppressing chamber and the exhaust ports of the vent pipe members

Proceedings of the joint WANO/OECD-NEA workshop on pre-stress loss in NPP containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This joint WANO/OECD-NEA workshop on pre-stress loss in NPP containments started with Opening Remarks (by OECD and EDF) and two presentations on 'Creep and Shrinkage of Concrete: Physical Origins, Practical Measurements', and 'Past, Present and Future Techniques for Predicting Creep and Shrinkage of Concrete'. It was then followed by papers and presentations from 12 countries, which titles are: Assessment of Creep Methodologies for Predicting Prestressing Forces Losses in Nuclear Power Plant Containments; Prestress Behaviour in Belgian NPP Containments; Presentation of Gentilly 2 NPP Containment (abstract only); Containment Structure Monitoring and Prestress Losses; Experience from Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant (China); Prestress losses in NPP containments - the EDF experience; Prestress Force Monitoring on the THTR Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessel During 19 Years; NPP Containment Design: Evolution and Indian Experience; In-Service Inspections and R and D of PCCVs in Japan; Comparison of Grouted and Un-grouted Tendons in NPP Containments; Prestress Losses in Containment of VVER 1000 Units; Prestressing in Nuclear Power Plants; Anchor Lift-off Measuring System for 37 T 15 Tendons; Monitoring of Stressed-Strained State and Forces in Reinforcing Cables of Prestressed Containment Shells of Nuclear Power Plants; Long-Term In-Service Monitoring of Pre-stressing in Magnox Pre-stressed Concrete Pressure Vessels; The Measurement of Un-bonded Tendon Loads in PCPV and Primary Containment Buildings; The Long Term In-service Performance of Corrosion Protection to Prestressing Tendons in AGR Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessels; Prestress Force Losses in Containments of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants. Discussions and a synthesis are also presented

Leakage detecting method and device for water tight vessel of wet-type container apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Yoshimi.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a method of and a device for detecting leakage of a water tight vessel of a wet-type container apparatus for containing a reactor pressure vessel while immersing it water in a reactor container. Namely, in the wet-type container apparatus, the periphery of the pressure vessel is coated with a heat insulation material and the periphery of the heat insulation material is coated with a water tight vessel. The water tight vessel is immersed under water in the reactor container. As a method of detecting leakage of the wet-type container apparatus, gases mixed with helium are supplied into the water tight vessel at a pressure higher than the inner pressure of the reactor container at a lowest position of the reactor pressure vessel. A water level in the reactor container is determined so as to form a space at the top portion of the inside of the reactor container. The helium at the top portion is detected to monitor the leakage of the water tight vessel. With such procedures, even if the water tight vessel is ruptured at any position, helium mixed to the gases is released to water in the reactor container and rise up to the top space and detected by a helium leakage detection device. (I.S.)

EDS V25 containment vessel explosive qualification test report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rudolphi, John Joseph

2012-04-01

The V25 containment vessel was procured by the Project Manager, Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel (PMNSCM) as a replacement vessel for use on the P2 Explosive Destruction Systems. It is the first EDS vessel to be fabricated under Code Case 2564 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, which provides rules for the design of impulsively loaded vessels. The explosive rating for the vessel based on the Code Case is nine (9) pounds TNT-equivalent for up to 637 detonations. This limit is an increase from the 4.8 pounds TNT-equivalency rating for previous vessels. This report describes the explosive qualification tests that were performed in the vessel as part of the process for qualifying the vessel for explosive use. The tests consisted of a 11.25 pound TNT equivalent bare charge detonation followed by a 9 pound TNT equivalent detonation.

Proving Test on the Reliability for Reactor Containment Vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takumi, K.; Nonaka, A.

1988-01-01

NUPEC (Nuclear Power Engineering Test Center) has started an eight-year project of Proving Test on the Reliability for Reactor Containment Vessel since June 1987. The objective of this project is to confirm the integrity of containment vessels under severe accident conditions. This paper shows the outline of this project. The test Items are (1) Hydrogen mixing and distribution test, (2) Hydrogen burning test, (3) Iodine trapping characteristics test, and (4) Structural behavior test. Based on the test results, computer codes are verified and as the results of analysis and evaluation by the computer codes, containment integrity is to be confirmed

Prestressed concrete reactor vessel for the HHT-670 MW(e) demonstration plant. Pt.2. Three-dimensional analysis of the temperature and stress fields in a HHT vessel, including effects of the thermal creep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, C.; Rebora, B.

1979-01-01

The thermal rheological calculation of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel for the HHT-670 MW(e) Demonstration Plant is presented in the paper. The main aim of this calculation is to evaluate the effects of the elevated temperature and various loads on the liner as well as on the hot concrete

Concrete benchmark experiment: ex-vessel LWR surveillance dosimetry; Experience ``Benchmark beton`` pour la dosimetrie hors cuve dans les reacteurs a eau legere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ait Abderrahim, H.; D`Hondt, P.; Oeyen, J.; Risch, P.; Bioux, P.

1993-09-01

The analysis of DOEL-1 in-vessel and ex-vessel neutron dosimetry, using the DOT 3.5 Sn code coupled with the VITAMIN-C cross-section library, showed the same C/E values for different detectors at the surveillance capsule and the ex-vessel cavity positions. These results seem to be in contradiction with those obtained in several Benchmark experiments (PCA, PSF, VENUS...) when using the same computational tools. Indeed a strong decreasing radial trend of the C/E was observed, partly explained by the overestimation of the iron inelastic scattering. The flat trend seen in DOEL-1 could be explained by compensating errors in the calculation such as the backscattering due to the concrete walls outside the cavity. The `Concrete Benchmark` experiment has been designed to judge the ability of this calculation methods to treat the backscattering. This paper describes the `Concrete Benchmark` experiment, the measured and computed neutron dosimetry results and their comparison. This preliminary analysis seems to indicate an overestimation of the backscattering effect in the calculations. (authors). 5 figs., 1 tab., 7 refs.

Leakage of pressurized gases through unlined concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizkalla, S.H.; Simmonds, S.H.

1983-01-01

Eight reinforced concrete specimens were fabricated and subjected to tensile membrane forces and air pressure to study the air leakage characteristics in cracked reinforced concrete members. A mathematical expression for the rate of pressurized air flowing through an idealized crack is presented. The mathematical expression is refined by using the experimental data to describe the air flow rate through any given crack pattern. Graphical charts are also presented for the calculation of the air leakage rate through concrete cracks. The concept of equivalent crack width for a given crack pattern is introduced. The mathematical expression and graphical charts are modified to include this equivalent crack width concept. The proposed technique is applicable for the prediction of the leakage from concrete containment structures or any similar structures due to high internal pressure sufficient to initiate cracking. (orig.)

Development and application of a material law for steel-fibre-reinforced concrete with regard to its use for pre-stressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schimmelpfennig, K.; Borgerhoff, M.

1995-01-01

On the basis of the evaluation of many publications on the mechanical behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) and on the results of experiments using an SFRC especially developed for pre-stressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs), a material law for SFRC including general multiaxial stress conditions has been developed. From fibre pull-out tests described in the literature and by use of the experimental results, relations describing the capable tensile stress in SFRC after cracking, as a function of crack width, have been derived. There is a significant increase in the biaxial compressive strength of SFRC compared with plain concrete. The improved behaviour under multiaxial stress conditions, with one of the principal stresses being tensile, is outlined in comparison with different formulations of failure envelopes of plain concrete. For the purpose of verifying the material law implemented in the computer program used, analyses have been carried out for experiments with SFRC beams. After some modification concerning the shear behaviour, load-displacement curves and realistic crack propagations which correspond well have been obtained. In the stand-tube area in the centre of a PCRV top cap the use of SFRC is advantageous because of the difficulties concerning the arrangement of reinforcement in the concrete between the tubes. (orig.)

High stress monitoring of prestressing tendons in nuclear concrete vessels using fibre-optic sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perry, M., E-mail: marcus.perry@strath.ac.uk [Institute for Energy and Environment, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW (United Kingdom); Yan, Z.; Sun, Z.; Zhang, L. [Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET (United Kingdom); Niewczas, P. [Institute for Energy and Environment, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW (United Kingdom); Johnston, M. [Civil Design Group, EDF Energy, Nuclear Generation, East Kilbride G74 5PG (United Kingdom)

2014-03-15

Highlights: • We weld radiation-resistant optical fibre strain sensors to steel prestressing tendons. • We prove the sensors can survive 1300 MPa stress (80% of steel's tensile strength). • Mechanical relaxation of sensors is characterised under 1300 MPa stress over 10 h. • Strain transfer between tendon and sensor remains at 69% after relaxation. • Sensors can withstand and measure deflection of tendon around a 4.5 m bend radius. - Abstract: Maintaining the structural health of prestressed concrete nuclear containments is a key element in ensuring nuclear reactors are capable of meeting their safety requirements. This paper discusses the attachment, fabrication and characterisation of optical fibre strain sensors suitable for the prestress monitoring of irradiated steel prestressing tendons. The all-metal fabrication and welding process allowed the instrumented strand to simultaneously monitor and apply stresses up to 1300 MPa (80% of steel's ultimate tensile strength). There were no adverse effects to the strand's mechanical properties or integrity. After sensor relaxation through cyclic stress treatment, strain transfer between the optical fibre sensors and the strand remained at 69%. The fibre strain sensors could also withstand the non-axial forces induced as the strand was deflected around a 4.5 m bend radius. Further development of this technology has the potential to augment current prestress monitoring practices, allowing distributed measurements of short- and long-term prestress losses in nuclear prestressed-concrete vessels.

Modeling basic creep in concrete at early-age under compressive and tensile loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hilaire, Adrien, E-mail: adrien.hilaire@ens-cachan.fr [ENS Cachan/CNRS UMR8535/UPMC/PRES UniverSud Paris, Cachan (France); Benboudjema, Farid; Darquennes, Aveline; Berthaud, Yves [ENS Cachan/CNRS UMR8535/UPMC/PRES UniverSud Paris, Cachan (France); Nahas, Georges [ENS Cachan/CNRS UMR8535/UPMC/PRES UniverSud Paris, Cachan (France); Institut de radioprotection et de sureté nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

2014-04-01

A numerical model has been developed to predict early age cracking for massive concrete structures, and especially concrete nuclear containment vessels. Major phenomena are included: hydration, heat diffusion, autogenous and thermal shrinkage, creep and cracking. Since studied structures are massive, drying is not taken into account. Such modeling requires the identification of several material parameters. Literature data is used to validate the basic creep model. A massive wall, representative of a concrete nuclear containment, is simulated; predicted cracking is consistent with observation and is found highly sensitive to the creep phenomenon.

Tests on model of a prestressed concrete nuclear pressure vessel with multiple cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favre, R.; Koprna, M.; Jaccoud, J.P.

1977-01-01

The prestressed concrete pressure vessel (prototype) is a cylinder having a diameter of 48 m and a height of 39 m. It has 25 vertical cavities (reactor, heat exchangers, heat recuperators) and 3 horizontal cavities (gas turbines of 500 kw). The cavities are closed by plugs, and their tightness is ensured by a steel lining. A model, on a scale of 1/20, made of microconcrete, was loaded in several cycles, by a uniform inner pressure in the cavities, increasing to the point of failure. The three successive stages were examined: stage of globally elastic behavior, cracking stage, ultimate stage. The behavior of the model is globally elastic up to an inner pressure of 120 to 130 kp/cm 2 , corresponding to about twice the maximum pressure of service, equal to 65 kp/cm 2 . The prestressed tendons at this stage show practically no stress increase. The first detectable cracks appear on the lateral side half-way up the model, as soon as the pressure exceeded 120 kp/cm 2 . From 150-165 kp/cm 2 , the cracking stage can be considered as achieved and the main crack pattern entirely formed. A horizontal crack continues in the middle of the barrel, as well as vertical cracks at each outer cavity. Beyond a pressure of 150-165 kp/cm 2 the ultimate stage begins. The strains of the stresses in the tendons grow more rapidly. The steel lining is highly solicited. Above about 210 kp/cm 2 the model behaves like a structure composed of a group of concrete blocks bound by the tendons and the lining. The failure (240 kp/cm 2 ) occurred through a mechanism of ejection and bending of the concrete ring at the periphery of the barrel of the vessel, which was solicited mainly in tension

Fiber reinforced concrete as a material for nuclear reactor containment buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallikarjuna; Banthia, N.; Mindess, S.

1991-01-01

The fiber reinforced concrete as a constructional material for nuclear reactor containment buildings calls for an examination of its individual characteristics and potentialities due to its inherent superiority over normal plain and reinforced concrete. In the present investigation, first, to study the static behavior of straight, hooked-end and crimped fibers, recently developed nonlinear three-dimensional interface (contact) element has been used in conjunction with the eight nodded hexahedron and two nodded bar elements for concrete and steel fiber respectively. Then impact tests were carried out on fiber reinforced concrete beams with an instrumented drop weight impact machine. Two different concrete mixes were tested: normal strength and high strength concrete specimens. Fibers in the concrete mix found to significantly increase the ductility and the impact resistance of the composite. Deformed fibers increase peak pull-out load and pull-out distance, and perform better in the steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) structures. (author)

Containment vessel stability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harstead, G.A.; Morris, N.F.; Unsal, A.I.

1983-01-01

The stability analysis for a steel containment shell is presented herein. The containment is a freestanding shell consisting of a vertical cylinder with a hemispherical dome. It is stiffened by large ring stiffeners and relatively small longitudinal stiffeners. The containment vessel is subjected to both static and dynamic loads which can cause buckling. These loads must be combined prior to their use in a stability analysis. The buckling loads were computed with the aid of the ASME Code case N-284 used in conjunction with general purpose computer codes and in-house programs. The equations contained in the Code case were used to compute the knockdown factors due to shell imperfections. After these knockdown factors were applied to the critical stress states determined by freezing the maximum dynamic stresses and combining them with other static stresses, a linear bifurcation analysis was carried out with the aid of the BOSOR4 program. Since the containment shell contained large penetrations, the Code case had to be supplemented by a local buckling analysis of the shell area surrounding the largest penetration. This analysis was carried out with the aid of the NASTRAN program. Although the factor of safety against buckling obtained in this analysis was satisfactory, it is claimed that the use of the Code case knockdown factors are unduly conservative when applied to the analysis of buckling around penetrations. (orig.)

Biaxial behavior of plain concrete of nuclear containment building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang-Keun E-mail: sklee0806@bcline.com; Song, Young-Chul; Han, Sang-Hoon

2004-01-01

To provide biaxial failure behavior characteristics of concrete of a standard Korean nuclear containment building, the concrete specimens with the dimensions of 200 mmx200 mmx60 mm were tested under different biaxial load combinations. The specimens were subjected to biaxial load combinations covering the three regions of compression-compression, compression-tension, nd tension-tension. To avoid a confining effect due to friction in the boundary surface between the concrete specimen and the loading platen, the loading platens with Teflon pads were used. The principal deformations in the specimens were recorded, and the failure modes along with each stress ratio were examined. Based on the strength data, the biaxial ultimate strength envelopes were developed and the biaxial stress-strain responses in three different biaxial loading regions were plotted. The test results indicated hat the concrete strength under equal biaxial compression, f{sub 1}=f{sub 2}, is higher by about 17% on the average than that under the uniaxial compression and the concrete strength under biaxial tension is almost independent of the stress ratio and is similar to that under the uniaxial tension.

Aging of concrete containment structures in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.; Ellingwood, B.; Mori, Yasuhiro; Arndt, E.G.

1992-01-01

Concrete structures play a vital role in the safe operation of all light-water reactor plants in the US Pertinent concrete structures are described in terms of their importance design, considerations, and materials of construction. Degradation factors which can potentially impact the ability of these structures to meet their functional and performance requirements are identified. Current inservice inspection requirements for concrete containments are summarized. A review of the performance history of the concrete components in nuclear power plants is provided. A summary is presented. A summary is presented of the Structural Aging (SAG) Program being conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The SAG Program is addressing the aging management of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants for the purpose of providing improved bases for their continued service. The program consists of a management task and three technical tasks: materials property data base, structural component assessment/repair technologies, and quantitiative methodology for continued service conditions. Objectives and a summary of accomplishments under each of these tasks are presented

Biaxial behavior of plain concrete of nuclear containment building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang-Keun; Song, Young-Chul; Han, Sang-Hoon

2004-01-01

To provide biaxial failure behavior characteristics of concrete of a standard Korean nuclear containment building, the concrete specimens with the dimensions of 200 mmx200 mmx60 mm were tested under different biaxial load combinations. The specimens were subjected to biaxial load combinations covering the three regions of compression-compression, compression-tension, nd tension-tension. To avoid a confining effect due to friction in the boundary surface between the concrete specimen and the loading platen, the loading platens with Teflon pads were used. The principal deformations in the specimens were recorded, and the failure modes along with each stress ratio were examined. Based on the strength data, the biaxial ultimate strength envelopes were developed and the biaxial stress-strain responses in three different biaxial loading regions were plotted. The test results indicated hat the concrete strength under equal biaxial compression, f 1 =f 2 , is higher by about 17% on the average than that under the uniaxial compression and the concrete strength under biaxial tension is almost independent of the stress ratio and is similar to that under the uniaxial tension

Assessment of mass fraction and melting temperature for the application of limestone concrete and siliceous concrete to nuclear reactor basemat considering molten core-concrete interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ho Jae; Kim, Do Gyeum [Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jae Leon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ulsan (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Eui Sik [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Myung Suk [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

Severe accident scenarios in nuclear reactors, such as nuclear meltdown, reveal that an extremely hot molten core may fall into the nuclear reactor cavity and seriously affect the safety of the nuclear containment vessel due to the chain reaction caused by the reaction between the molten core and concrete. This paper reports on research focused on the type and amount of vapor produced during the reaction between a high-temperature molten core and concrete, as well as on the erosion rate of concrete and the heat transfer characteristics at its vicinity. This study identifies the mass fraction and melting temperature as the most influential properties of concrete necessary for a safety analysis conducted in relation to the thermal interaction between the molten core and the basemat concrete. The types of concrete that are actually used in nuclear reactor cavities were investigated. The H2O content in concrete required for the computation of the relative amount of gases generated by the chemical reaction of the vapor, the quantity of CO2 necessary for computing the cooling speed of the molten core, and the melting temperature of concrete are evaluated experimentally for the molten core-concrete interaction analysis.

9 CFR 91.26 - Concrete flooring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Concrete flooring. 91.26 Section 91.26... LIVESTOCK FOR EXPORTATION Inspection of Vessels and Accommodations § 91.26 Concrete flooring. (a) Pens aboard an ocean vessel shall have a 3 inch concrete pavement, proportioned and mixed to give 2000 psi...

Sand Cement Brick Containing Recycled Concrete Aggregate as Fine-Aggregate Replacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheikh Khalid Faisal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the usage amount of the concrete is increasing drastically. The construction industry is a huge consumer of natural consumer. It is also producing the huge wastage products. The usage of concrete has been charged to be not environmentally friendly due to depletion of reserve natural resources, high energy consumption and disposal issues. The conservation of natural resources and reduction of disposal site by reuse and recycling waste material was interest possibilites. The aim of this study is to determine the physical and mechanical properties of sand cement brick containing recycled concrete aggregate and to determine the optimum mix ratio containing recycled concrete aggregate. An experiment done by comparing the result of control specimen using 100% natural sand with recycled concrete aggregate replacement specimen by weight for 55%, 65%, and 75%. The sample was tested under density, compressive strength, flexural strength and water absorption to study the effect of using recycled concrete aggregate on the physical and mechanical properties of bricks. The result shows that the replacement of natural sand by recycled concrete aggregate at the level of 55% provide the highest compressive and flexural strength compared to other percentage and control specimen. However, if the replacement higher than 55%, the strength of brick was decreased for compressive and flexural strength, respectively. The relationship of compressive-flexural strength is determined from statistical analysis and the predicted result can be obtained by using equation ff,RCA = 0.5375 (fc0.3272.

Precooling of concrete with flake ice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Katsuhiro; Shigenobu, Manabu; Soejima, Kenji; Noguchi, Hiroshi; Noda, Youichi; Sakaguchi, Tohru.

1989-01-01

The buildings in nuclear power stations are the reinforced concrete structures which are constructed with the massive members having much rein forcing bar quantity and relatively high strength due to the requirement of aseismatic capability, shielding and others. Also their scale is large, and in the case of a power station of one million kW class, concrete as much as 300,000 m 3 is used for one plant. Accordingly, at the time of construction, the case of stably supplying the concrete of high quality in large quantity by installing the facilities of manufacturing ready mixed concrete at construction sites is frequent. Moreover, electric power companies carry out thorough quality control to undergo the inspection before use by the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy from the aspects of materials, structures and strength. Since prestressed concrete containment vessels were adopted for No.3 and No.4 plants, the quality of concrete and the facilities for manufacturing ready mixed concrete were examined in detail. The precooling facilities for concrete and the effect of precooling are reported. (Kako, I.)

Development and investigation of the prestressed reinforced concrete vessels for the water cooled reactors in the FRG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medovikov, A.I.; Bogopol'skij, V.G.; Nikolaev, Yu.B.; Konevskij, V.N.

1980-01-01

An analysis of calculation results for characteristics of stress-strained state of reactor vessel made of prestressed reinforced concrete is presented. Experimental data obtained during the investigation into a model of reactor vessel top cover are given. Thermal shielding system both for boiling water and pressurized-water reactors has been considered and its working capacity has been evaluated. An analysis of experimental data show correctness of the method assumed for calculation of the reactor top cover which permits to exactly determine its stressed-strained state as well as the nature of crack propagation in the vessel and the structure supporting power. Ceramics is suggested to be used as a heat-insulating material

HECLA experiments on interaction between metallic melt and hematite-containing concrete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sevon, Tuomo, E-mail: tuomo.sevon@vtt.f [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo (Finland); Kinnunen, Tuomo; Virta, Jouko; Holmstroem, Stefan; Kekki, Tommi; Lindholm, Ilona [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo (Finland)

2010-10-15

In a hypothetical severe accident in a nuclear power plant, molten materials may come into contact with concrete, causing concrete ablation. In five HECLA experiments the interaction between metallic melt and concrete was investigated by pouring molten stainless steel at almost 1800 {sup o}C into cylindrical concrete crucibles. The tests were transient, i.e. no decay heat simulation was used. The main objective was to test the behavior of the FeSi concrete, containing hematite (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and siliceous aggregates. This special concrete type is used as a sacrificial layer in the Olkiluoto 3 EPR reactor pit, and very scarce experimental data is available about its behavior at high temperatures. It is concluded that no clear differences between the ablation of FeSi concrete and ordinary siliceous concrete were observed. The ablation depths were small, 25 mm at maximum. No dramatic effects, such as cracking of large pieces of concrete due to the thermal shock, took place. An important side result of the test series was gaining knowledge of the properties of the special concrete type. Chemical analyses were conducted and mechanical properties were measured.

Plant Life Management of the EC6 Concrete Containment Structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abrishami, Homayoun; Ricciuti, Rick; Khan, Azhar [CANDU Energy Inc., Mississauga (Canada)

2012-03-15

Aging of reinforced concrete structures due to service conditions, aggressive environments, or accidents may cause their strength, serviceability and durability to decrease over time. Due to the complex nature of safety-related structures in nuclear power plants in comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them unique. These characteristics are: thick concrete cross-sections, heavy reinforcement, often one-side access only, subjected to such ageing stresses as irradiation and elevated temperature, in addition to other typical ageing mechanisms (i. e., exposure to freeze/thaw cycles, aggressive chemicals, etc.) that typically affects other types of non-nuclear structures. For a new plant, the Plant Life Management Program (PLiM) should start in the design process and then continues through construction, plant operation and decommissioning. Hence PLiM must provide not only Ageing Management program (AMP) but also provide requirements on material characteristic and the design criteria as well. The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of EC6 (Enhanced CANDU 6) Nuclear Power Plant designed by CANDU Energy Inc. The EC6 is designed for 100-year plant life including a 60-year operating life and an additional 40-year decommissioning period of time. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) life cycle management and ageing management program. In addition to strength and serviceability, durability is a major consideration during the design phase, service life and up to the completion of decommissioning. Factors affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) consideration of environmental

Plant Life Management of the EC6 Concrete Containment Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrishami, Homayoun; Ricciuti, Rick; Khan, Azhar

2012-01-01

Aging of reinforced concrete structures due to service conditions, aggressive environments, or accidents may cause their strength, serviceability and durability to decrease over time. Due to the complex nature of safety-related structures in nuclear power plants in comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them unique. These characteristics are: thick concrete cross-sections, heavy reinforcement, often one-side access only, subjected to such ageing stresses as irradiation and elevated temperature, in addition to other typical ageing mechanisms (i. e., exposure to freeze/thaw cycles, aggressive chemicals, etc.) that typically affects other types of non-nuclear structures. For a new plant, the Plant Life Management Program (PLiM) should start in the design process and then continues through construction, plant operation and decommissioning. Hence PLiM must provide not only Ageing Management program (AMP) but also provide requirements on material characteristic and the design criteria as well. The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of EC6 (Enhanced CANDU 6) Nuclear Power Plant designed by CANDU Energy Inc. The EC6 is designed for 100-year plant life including a 60-year operating life and an additional 40-year decommissioning period of time. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) life cycle management and ageing management program. In addition to strength and serviceability, durability is a major consideration during the design phase, service life and up to the completion of decommissioning. Factors affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) consideration of environmental

Containment integrity analysis with SAMPSON/DCRA module

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosoda, Seigo; Shirakawa, Noriyuki; Naitoh, Masanori

2006-01-01

The integrity of PWR containment under a severe accident is analyzed using the debris concrete reaction analysis code. If core fuels melt through the pressure vessel and the debris accumulates on the reactor cavity of a lower part of containment, its temperature continues to rise due to decay heat and the debris ablates the concrete floor. In case that cooling water is issued into the containment cavity and the amount of debris is limited to 30% of core fuels, our analyses showed that the debris could be cooled and frozen so that integrity of containment could hold. (author)

Monitoring of prestressed concrete pressure vessels. II. performance of selected concrete embedment strain meters under normal and extreme environmental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.; Hurtt, C.C.

1978-10-01

Unique types of instrumentation are used in prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCPVs) to measure strains, stresses, deflections, prestressing forces, moisture content, temperatures, and possibly cracking. Their primary purpose is to monitor these complex structures throughout their 20- to 30-year operating lifetime in order to provide continuing assurance of their reliability and safety. Numerous concrete embedment instrumentation systems are available commercially. Since this instrumentation is important in providing continuing assurance of satisfactory performance of PCPVs, the information provided must be reliable. Therefore, laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the reliability of these commercially available instrumentation systems. This report, the second in a series related to instrumentation embedded in concrete, presents performance-reliability data for 13 types of selected concrete embedment strain meters which were subjected to a variety of loading environments, including unloaded, thermally loaded, simulated PCPV, and extreme environments. Although only a limited number of meters of each type were tested in any one test series, the composite results of the investigation indicate that the majority of these meters would not be able to provide reliable data throughout the 20- to 30-year anticipated operating life of a PCPV. Specific conclusions drawn from the study are: (1) Improved corrosion-resistant materials and sealing techniques should be developed for meters that are to be used in PCPV environments. (2) There is a need for the development of meters that are capable of surviving in concretes where temperatures in excess of 66 0 C are present for extended periods of time. (3) Research should be conducted on other measurement techniques, such as inductance, capacitance, and fluidics

Towards Better Understanding of Concrete Containing Recycled Concrete Aggregate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hisham Qasrawi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA on the basic properties of normal concrete is studied. First, recycled aggregate properties have been determined and compared to those of normal aggregates. Except for absorption, there was not a significant difference between the two. Later, recycled aggregates were introduced in concrete mixes. In these mixes, natural coarse aggregate was partly or totally replaced by recycled aggregates. Results show that the use of recycled aggregates has an adverse effect on the workability and air content of fresh concrete. Depending on the water/cement ratio and on the percent of the normal aggregate replaced by RCA, the concrete strength is reduced by 5% to 25%, while the tensile strength is reduced by 4% to 14%. All results are compared with previous research. As new in this research, the paper introduces a simple formula for the prediction of the modulus of elasticity of RCA concrete. Furthermore, the paper shows the variation of the air content of RAC.

Calculation of Prestressed Pressure Vessel Taking into Account the Concrete Temperature Inhomogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Andreev, Vladimir

2018-03-01

The paper deals with the problem of determining the stress state of the pressure vessel (PV) with considering the concrete temperature inhomogeneity. Such structures are widely used in heat power engineering, for example, in nuclear power engineering. The structures of such buildings are quite complex and a comprehensive analysis of the stress state in them can be carried out either by numerical or experimental methods. However, a number of fundamental questions can be solved on the basis of simplified models, in particular, studies of the effect on the stressed state of the inhomogeneity caused by the temperature field.

Composite containment for nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harstead, G.A.; Soeoet, O.

1977-01-01

Fundamentally, a nuclear reactor containment structure provides three major functions; namely, (1), to withstand loads due to pressure and temperature increase due to Design Basis Accident (DBA) (2), to withstand environmental loads such as seismic, tornado and normal loads, and (3) act as a radiation shield. Conventional design practise is to employ either a steel vessel and concrete shield building or a steel lined concrete structure. This paper deals with a new concept in which a steel liner is employed which carries much of the primary membrane loads. This type of structure is similar in some aspects to the previously described systems: a) A mat, lined with a thin plate on its top surface, is similar to concrete containment. b) A cylinder and hemispherical dome, made up of steel plate and concrete, is about 2.5 feet thick (the minimum required for radiation shielding). Although the steel plate and concrete are in contact, as in concrete containment, the steel plate in composite containment is much thicker than the liner. There are two main advantages over present practise; namely reduction of materials and therefore reduced capital cost and even more significantly a shortened construction schedule which will permit more flexibility in overall plant construction schedule and will benefit the cash flow situation. (Auth.)

Properties of slag concrete for low-level waste containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langton, C.A.; Wong, P.B.

1991-01-01

Ground granulated blast furnace slag was incorporated in the concrete mix used for construction of low-level radioactive waste disposal vaults. The vaults were constructed as six 100 x 100 x 25 ft cells with each cell sharing internal walls with the two adjacent cells. The vaults were designed to contain a low-level radioactive wasteform called saltstone and to isolate the saltstone from the environment until the landfill is closed. Closure involves backfilling with native soil, installation of clay cap, and run-off control. The design criteria for the slag-substituted concrete included compressive strength, 4000 psi after 28 days; slump, 6 inch; permeability, less than 10 -7 cm/sec; and effective nitrate, chromium and technetium diffusivities of 10 -8 , 10 -12 and 10 -12 cm 2 /sec, respectively. The reducing capacity of the slag resulted in chemically reducing Cr +6 to Cr +3 and Tc +7 to Tc +4 and subsequent precipitation of the respective hydroxides in the alkaline pore solution. Consequently, the concrete vault enhances containment of otherwise mobile waste ions and contributes to the overall protection of the groundwater at the disposal site

Structural optimization of reinforced concrete container for radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, M.

1984-01-01

A structural optimization study of reinforced concrete container for transportation and disposal of the low level radioactive waste generated in Brazilian nuclear power plants. The code requires the structural integrity of these containers when subjected to fall from specified height, avoiding environmental contamination. The structural optimization allows material and transportation cost reduction by container wall thickness reduction. The structural analysis is performed by tridimensional mathematical model using finite element method. (Author) [pt

Prediction of Splitting Tensile Strength of Concrete Containing Zeolite and Diatomite by ANN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Gülbandılar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to investigate with two different artificial neural network (ANN prediction model for the behavior of concrete containing zeolite and diatomite. For purpose of constructing this model, 7 different mixes with 63 specimens of the 28, 56 and 90 days splitting tensile strength experimental results of concrete containing zeolite, diatomite, both zeolite and diatomite used in training and testing for ANN systems was gathered from the tests. The data used in the ANN models are arranged in a format of seven input parameters that cover the age of samples, Portland cement, zeolite, diatomite, aggregate, water and hyper plasticizer and an output parameter which is splitting tensile strength of concrete. In the model, the training and testing results have shown that two different ANN systems have strong potential as a feasible tool for predicting 28, 56 and 90 days the splitting tensile strength of concrete containing zeolite and diatomite.

Optimization and influence of parameter affecting the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate: using full factorial design approach

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Thulasirajan; Purushothaman, Revathi

2017-07-01

There are several parameters that influence the properties of geopolymer concrete, which contains recycled concrete aggregate as the coarse aggregate. In the present study, the vital parameters affecting the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate are analyzedby varying four parameters with two levels using full factorial design in statistical software Minitab® 17. The objective of the present work is to gain an idea on the optimization, main parameter effects, their interactions and the predicted response of the model generated using factorial design. The parameters such as molarity of sodium hydroxide (8M and 12M), curing time (6hrs and 24 hrs), curing temperature (60°C and 90°C) and percentage of recycled concrete aggregate (0% and 100%) are considered. The results show that the curing time, molarity of sodium hydroxide and curing temperature were the orderly significant parameters and the percentage of Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) was statistically insignificant in the production of geopolymer concrete. Thus, it may be noticeable that the RCA content had negligible effect on the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete. The expected responses from the generated model showed a satisfactory and rational agreement to the experimental data with the R2 value of 97.70%. Thus, geopolymer concrete comprising recycled concrete aggregate can solve the major social and environmental concerns such as the depletion of the naturally available aggregate sources and disposal of construction and demolition waste into the landfill.

Fast Generation of Container Vessel Stowage Plans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pacino, Dario

that the vessel is stable and seaworthy, and at the same time arrange the cargo such that the time at port is minimized. Moreover, stowage coordinators only have a limited amount of time to produce the plan. This thesis addresses the question of whether it is possible to automatically generate stowage plans...... test instances provided by a major liner shipping company. Improvements to the modeling of vessel stability and an analysis of its accuracy together with an analysis of the computational complexity of the container stowage problem are also included in the thesis, resulting in an overall in...

Design and construction of the prestressed concrete boiler closures for the Hartlepool and Heysham pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crowder, R.; Howells, R.M.; Paton, A.A.

1976-01-01

At a relatively late stage in the station design, the boiler closures for the reactor vessels at Hartlepool and Heysham were changed from steel to prestressed concrete. This paper sets out the criteria which were finally evolved for the new style of closure and describes the way in which the prestressed concrete closure's parts were designed to satisfy these criteria. With both the civil and mechanical components of the closure having their own specific requirements, close co-operation was necessary between these disciplines to ensure that a compatible and practical closure design resulted. This close interrelationship has been carried through into the construction stage and a special concreting and prestressing factory has been built adjacent to the works of the mechanical component fabricator. This enabled an optimum manufacturing cycle to be followed and the important aspects of this are described in the paper. (author)

Ex-Vessel Core Melt Modeling Comparison between MELTSPREAD-CORQUENCH and MELCOR 2.1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robb, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Farmer, Mitchell [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Francis, Matthew W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2014-03-01

System-level code analyses by both United States and international researchers predict major core melting, bottom head failure, and corium-concrete interaction for Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 (1F1). Although system codes such as MELCOR and MAAP are capable of capturing a wide range of accident phenomena, they currently do not contain detailed models for evaluating some ex-vessel core melt behavior. However, specialized codes containing more detailed modeling are available for melt spreading such as MELTSPREAD as well as long-term molten corium-concrete interaction (MCCI) and debris coolability such as CORQUENCH. In a preceding study, Enhanced Ex-Vessel Analysis for Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1: Melt Spreading and Core-Concrete Interaction Analyses with MELTSPREAD and CORQUENCH, the MELTSPREAD-CORQUENCH codes predicted the 1F1 core melt readily cooled in contrast to predictions by MELCOR. The user community has taken notice and is in the process of updating their systems codes; specifically MAAP and MELCOR, to improve and reduce conservatism in their ex-vessel core melt models. This report investigates why the MELCOR v2.1 code, compared to the MELTSPREAD and CORQUENCH 3.03 codes, yield differing predictions of ex-vessel melt progression. To accomplish this, the differences in the treatment of the ex-vessel melt with respect to melt spreading and long-term coolability are examined. The differences in modeling approaches are summarized, and a comparison of example code predictions is provided.

Experimental analysis of a nuclear reactor prestressed concrete pressure vessels model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vallin, C.

1980-01-01

A comprehensible analysis was made of the performance of each set of sensors used to measure the strain and displacement of a 1/20 scale Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessel (PCPV) model tested at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Among the three Kinds of sensors used (strain gage, displacement transducers and load cells) the displacement transducers showed the best behavior. The displacemente transducers data was statistically analysed and a linear behavior of the model was observed during the first pressurizations tests. By means of a linear statistical correlation between experimental and expected theoretical data it was found that the model looses the linearity at a pressure between 110-125 atm. (Author) [pt

Corrosion Measurements in Reinforced Fly Ash Concrete Containing Steel Fibres Using Strain Gauge Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. M. Sounthararajan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Corrosion of steel bars in concrete is a serious problem leading to phenomenal volume expansion and thereby leading to cover concrete spalling. It is well known that the reinforced concrete structures subjected to chloride attack during its service life cause these detrimental effects. The early detection of this damage potential can extend the service life of concrete. This study reports the comprehensive experimental studies conducted on the identification of corrosion mechanism in different types of reinforced concrete containing class-F fly ash and hooked steel fibres. Fly ash replaced concrete mixes were prepared with 25% and 50% fly ash containing steel fibres at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% by volume fraction. Corrosion process was investigated in an embedded steel bar (8 mm diameter reinforced in concrete by passing an impressed current in sodium chloride solution. Strain gauge attached to the rebars was monitored for electrical measurements using strain conditioner. Strain gauge readings observed during the corrosion process exhibited the volume changes of the reinforcement embedded inside the concrete. The corrosion potential of different steel fibre reinforced concrete mixes with fly ash addition showed higher resistance towards the corrosion initiation.

Concrete as secondary containment for interior wall embedded waste lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, C.L.

1993-01-01

Throughout the Department of Energy (DOE) complex are numerous facilities that handle hazardous waste solutions. Secondary containment of tank systems and their ancillary piping is a major concern for existing facilities. The Idaho Division of Environmental Quality was petitioned in 1990 for an Equivalent Device determination regarding secondary containment of waste lines embedded in interior concrete walls. The petition was granted, however it expires in 1996. To address the secondary containment issue, additional studies were undertaken. One study verified the hypothesis that an interior wall pipe leak would follow the path of least resistance through the naturally occurring void found below a rigidly supported pipe and pass into an adjacent room where detection could occur, before any significant deterioration of the concrete takes place. Other tests demonstrated that with acidic waste solutions rebar and cold joints are not an accelerated path to the environment. The results from these latest studies confirm that the subject configuration meets all the requirements of secondary containment

Simulation of heat and mass transfer processes in molten core debris-concrete systems. [LMFBR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felde, D K

1979-01-01

The heat and mass transport phenomena taking place in volumetrically-heated fluids have become of interest in recent years due to their significance in assessments of fast reactor safety and post-accident heat removal (PAHR). Following a hypothetical core disruptive accident (HCDA), the core and reactor internals may melt down. The core debis melting through the reactor vessel and guard vessel may eventually contact the concrete of the reactor cell floor. The interaction of the core debris with the concrete as well as the melting of the debris pool into the concrete will significantly affect efforts to prevent breaching of the containment and the resultant release of radioactive effluents to the environment.

Proof testing of CANDU concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, M.D.

1996-05-01

Prior to commissioning of a CANDU reactor, a proof pressure test is required to demonstrate the structural integrity of the containment envelope. The test pressure specified by AECB Regulatory Document R-7 (1991) was selected without a rigorous consideration of uncertainties associated with estimates of accident pressure and conatinment resistance. This study was undertaken to develop a reliability-based philosophy for defining proof testing requirements that are consistent with the current limit states design code for concrete containments (CSA N287.3).It was shown that the upodated probability of failure after a successful test is always less than the original estimate

Properties of concrete containing coconut shell powder (CSP) as a filler

Science.gov (United States)

Leman, A. S.; Shahidan, S.; Nasir, A. J.; Senin, M. S.; Zuki, S. S. Mohd; Ibrahim, M. H. Wan; Deraman, R.; Khalid, F. S.; Azhar, A. T. S.

2017-11-01

Coconut shellsare a type of agricultural waste which can be converted into useful material. Therefore,this study was conducted to investigate the properties of concrete which uses coconut shell powder (CSP) filler material and to define the optimum percentage of CSP which can be used asfiller material in concrete. Comparisons have been made between normal concrete mixes andconcrete containing CSP. In this study, CSP was added into concrete mixes invaryingpercentages (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%). The coconut shell was grounded into afine powder before use. Experimental tests which have been conducted in this study include theslump test, compressive test and splitting tensile strength test. CSP have the potential to be used as a concrete filler and thus the findings of this study may be applied to the construction industry. The use of CSP as a filler in concrete can help make the earth a more sustainable and greener place to live in.

Assessment of Mass Fraction and Melting Temperature for the Application of Limestone Concrete and Siliceous Concrete to Nuclear Reactor Basemat Considering Molten Core–Concrete Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hojae Lee

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Severe accident scenarios in nuclear reactors, such as nuclear meltdown, reveal that an extremely hot molten core may fall into the nuclear reactor cavity and seriously affect the safety of the nuclear containment vessel due to the chain reaction caused by the reaction between the molten core and concrete. This paper reports on research focused on the type and amount of vapor produced during the reaction between a high-temperature molten core and concrete, as well as on the erosion rate of concrete and the heat transfer characteristics at its vicinity. This study identifies the mass fraction and melting temperature as the most influential properties of concrete necessary for a safety analysis conducted in relation to the thermal interaction between the molten core and the basemat concrete. The types of concrete that are actually used in nuclear reactor cavities were investigated. The H2O content in concrete required for the computation of the relative amount of gases generated by the chemical reaction of the vapor, the quantity of CO2 necessary for computing the cooling speed of the molten core, and the melting temperature of concrete are evaluated experimentally for the molten core–concrete interaction analysis.

Design criteria for prestressed concrete pressure vessels for high temperature reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schimmelpfennig, K.

1991-01-01

This paper summarizes the work on design criteria for concrete structures of Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessels (PCRVs), which has been carried out since 1984 by a couple of competent institutions. After some basic considerations on the safety demands on PCRVs, especially their Prestressed Concrete Structure (PCS), and the consequences for an elevated level of quality to be ensured by the design criteria, an impression is given, first, by what means a higher quality standard is gained with respect to selection of materials and specification of material data in comparison to the usual building industry and what kind of criteria on this behalf should be fixed in a PCRV code. As a further quality increasing feature, the specific demands on design analysis as practised according to the present state of science and as to be treated within a code are discussed. This concerns analyses for steady state and transient temperatures as well as stress and strain analyses for service and ultimate load conditions. It is outlined to what degree calculation models should be detailed, which includes statements about admissible idealizations. As a central topic the question is discussed in what way the ultimate load capacity has to be evaluated, thereby presenting results of some investigations pointing out the conditions under which the design is determined by the different kinds of ultimate load conditions. Finally, some reflections on the demands on monitoring the PCS behaviour during its lifetime and on several questions still to be answered in this field are expressed. (orig.)

Structure of liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor with loops and steady vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costes, D.

1990-01-01

This structure comprises, in a vessel containing liquid metal, a nuclear core steadied on an alimentation diagrid and external loops comprising heat exchanger and reinjection pump of sodium in the diagrid. The vessel has the bottom resting on the concrete surround with a thermal stratification of the sodium between the bottom and the diagrid. This disposition has for advantage to allow a vertical connection of the sodium reinjection channel. This channel is contained in a metal sheath with a sliding leak tightness [fr

The study on the mechanical characteristics of concrete of nuclear reactor containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, W. S.; Kwon, K. J.; Cho, M. S.; Song, Y. C.

2000-01-01

Reactor containment structure of nuclear power plant designed by prestressed concrete causes time-dependent prestress loss due to the mechanical characteristics of concrete. Prestress loss strongly affects to the safety factor of structure under the circumstances of designing, construction and inspection. Thus, this study is to investigate the mechanical characteristics of reactor containment concrete structure of Yonggwang No. 5 and 6. In this study, the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, poisson's ratio and creep test followed by ASTM code are performed to investigate the mechanical characteristics of concrete made by V type cement. Additionally, since creep causes more time-dependent prestress loss than the other, the measurement value from the creep test is compared with the results from the creep prediction equations by KSCE, JSCE, Hansen, ACI and CEB-FIP model for the effective application. Hereafter, the results of this study may enable to assist the calculation effective stress considering time-dependent prestress loss of the prestressed concrete structures

Physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing superplasticizer and metakaolin

Science.gov (United States)

Shahidan, Shahiron; Tayeh, Bassam A.; Jamaludin, A. A.; Bahari, N. A. A. S.; Mohd, S. S.; Zuki Ali, N.; Khalid, F. S.

2017-11-01

The development of concrete technology shows a variety of admixtures in concrete to produce special concrete. This includes the production of self-compacting concrete which is able to fill up all spaces, take formwork shapes and pass through congested reinforcement bars without vibrating or needing any external energy. In this study, the main objective is to compare the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing metakaolin with normal concrete. Four types of samples were produced to study the effect of metakaolin towards the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete where 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of metakaolin were used as cement replacement. The physical properties were investigated using slump test for normal concrete and slump flow test for self-compacting concrete. The mechanical properties were tested for compressive strength and tensile strength. The findings of this study show that the inclusion of metakaolin as cement replacement can increase both compressive and tensile strength compared to normal concrete. The highest compressive strength was found in self-compacting concrete with 15% metakaolin replacement at 53.3 MPa while self-compacting concrete with 10% metakaolin replacement showed the highest tensile strength at 3.6 MPa. On top of that, the finishing or concrete surface of both cube and cylinder samples made of self-compacting concrete produced a smooth surface with the appearance of less honeycombs compared to normal concrete.

Non-linear analysis up to rupture of a model of a multi-cavity prestressed concrete pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebora, B.; Uffer, F.; Zimmermann, T.

1977-01-01

Within the frame of a German-Swiss agreement concerning the project of a high-temperature nuclear plant (HHT), the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research (EIR, in Wuerlingen) has developed an integrated variant of an helium-cooled high temperature reactor of 3x500 Mwe. A test on a model (1:20) of this prestressed concrete nuclear vessel with multiple cavities has been carried out under the supervision of 'Bonnard et Gardel ingenieurs-conseils SA (BG). The aim of this analysis is to determine the mechanism of ruin and ultimate load of the structure. In addition, comparison with the results of the test emphasizes the mathematical model with a view to its utilisation for the analysis of any prestressed concrete nuclear vessel. The principal interest of this paper is to show the accuracy of non-linear analysis of a complex massive structure with the test results and the evolution of the behaviour of the structure from the apparition of the first crack up to the ruin by rupture of the steel wires. (Auth.)

Current state of knowledge on the behavior of steel liners in concrete containments subjected to overpressurization loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

von Riesemann, W.A.; Parks, M.B.

1993-01-01

In the United States, concrete containment buildings for commercial nuclear power plants have steel liners that act as the intemal pressure boundary. The liner abuts the concrete, acting as the interior concrete form. The liner is attached to the concrete by either studs or by a continuous structural shape (such as a T-section or channel) that is either continuously or intermittently welded to the liner. Studs are commonly used in reinforced concrete containments, while prestressed containments utilize a structural element as the anchorage. The practice in some countries follows the US practice, while in other countries the containment does not have a steel liner. In this latter case, there is a true double containment, and the annular region between the two containments is vented. This paper will review the practice of design of the liner system prior to the consideration of severe accident loads (overpressurization loads beyond the design conditions)

Parametric model to estimate containment loads following an ex-vessel steam spike

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, R.; Hernandez, J.; Huerta, A.

1998-01-01

This paper describes the use of a relatively simple parametric model to estimate containment loads following an ex-vessel steam spike. The study was motivated because several PSAs have identified containment loads accompanying reactor vessel failures as a major contributor to early containment failure. The paper includes a detailed description of the simple but physically sound parametric model which was adopted to estimate containment loads following a steam spike into the reactor cavity. (author)

Waste container and method for containing waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Akira; Matsushita, Mitsuhiro; Doi, Makoto; Nakatani, Seiichi.

1990-01-01

In a waste container, water-proof membranes and rare earth element layers are formed on the inner surface of a steel plate concrete container in which steel plates are embedded. Further, rear earth element detectors are disposed each from the inner side of the steel plate concrete container by way of a pressure pipe to the outer side of the container. As a method for actually containing wastes, when a plurality of vessels in which wastes are fixed are collectively enhoused to the waste container, cussioning materials are attached to the inner surface of the container and wastes fixing containers are stacked successively in a plurality of rows in a bag made of elastic materials. Subsequently, fixing materials are filled and tightly sealed in the waste container. When the waste container thus constituted is buried underground, even if it should be deformed to cause intrusion of rain water to the inside of the container, the rare earth elements in the container dissolved in the rain water can be detected by the detectors, the containers are exchanged before the rain water intruding to the inner side is leached to the surrounding ground, to previously prevent the leakage of radioactive nuclides. (K.M.)

Reactor containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochiai, Kanehiro; Hayagumo, Sunao; Morikawa, Matsuo.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To safety and simplify the structure in a reactor containment vessel. Constitution: Steam flow channels with steam jetting ports communicating to coolants are provided between a communication channel and coolants in a pressure suppression chamber. Upon loss of coolant accidents, pressure in a dry well will increase, then force downwards water in an annulus portion and further flow out the water through steam jetting ports into a suppression pool. Thus, the steam flow channel is filled with steams or airs present in the dry well, which are released through the steam jetting ports into the pressure suppression chamber. Even though water is violently vibrated owing to the upward movement of air bubbles and condensation of steam bubbles, the annular portion and the steam jetting ports are filled with steams or the like, direct dynamic loads onto the structures such as communication channels can be avoided. (J.P.N.)

Energy release and its containment within thin-walled, backed vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, D.I.

1983-01-01

The problem adressed is the containment of a sudden release of energy of a magnitude up to 4 x 10 11 joules in a reusable vessel. The design process began by formulating dynamic models for both the input to such a vessel and the vessel itself and using these models to generate a general response. Modifications to the input and a more specific response are discussed. Computer codes used in calculations are described and listed

Modeling of delayed strains of concrete under biaxial loadings. Application to the reactor containment of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benboudjema, F.

2002-12-01

The prediction of delayed strains is of crucial importance for durability and long-term serviceability of concrete structures (bridges, containment vessels of nuclear power plants, etc.). Indeed, creep and shrinkage cause cracking, losses of pre-stress and redistribution of stresses, and also, rarely, the ruin of the structure. The objective of this work is to develop numerical tools, able to predict the long-term behavior of concrete structures. Thus, a new hydro mechanical model is developed, including the description of drying, shrinkage, creep and cracking phenomena for concrete as a non-saturated porous medium. The modeling of drying shrinkage is based on an unified approach of creep and shrinkage. Basic and drying creep models are based on relevant chemo-physical mechanisms, which occur at different scales of the cement paste. The basic creep is explicitly related to the micro-diffusion of the adsorbed water between inter-hydrates and intra-hydrates and the capillary pores, and the sliding of the C-S-H gel at the nano-porosity level. The drying creep is induced by the micro-diffusion of the adsorbed water at different scales of the porosity, under the simultaneous effects of drying and mechanical loadings. Drying shrinkage is, therefore, assumed to result from the elastic and delayed response of the solid skeleton, submitted to both capillary and disjoining pressures. Furthermore, the cracking behavior of concrete is described by an orthotropic elastoplastic damage model. The coupling between all these phenomena is performed by using effective stresses which account for both external applied stresses and pore pressures. This model has been incorporated into a finite element code. The analysis of the long-term behavior is also performed on concrete specimens and prestressed concrete structures submitted to simultaneous drying and mechanical loadings. (author)

Concrete containment tests: Phase 2, Structural elements with liner plates: Interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanson, N.W.; Roller, J.J.; Schultz, D.M.; Julien, J.T.; Weinmann, T.L.

1987-08-01

The tests described in this report are part of Phase 2 of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) program. The overall objective of the EPRI program is to provide a test-verified analytical method of estimating capacities of concrete reactor containment buildings under internal overpressurization from postulated degraded core accidents. The Phase 2 testing included seven large-scale specimens representing structural elements from reinforced and prestressed concrete reactor containment buildings. Six of the seven test specimens were square wall elements. Of these six specimens, four were used for biaxial tension tests to determine strength, deformation, and leak-rate characteristics of full-scale wall elements representing prestressed concrete containment design. The remaining two square wall elements were used for thermal buckling tests to determine whether buckling of the steel liner plate would occur between anchorages when subjected to a sudden extreme temperature differential. The last of the seven test specimens for Phase 2 represented the region where the wall and the basemat intersect in a prestressed concrete containment building. A multi-directional loading scheme was used to produce high bending moments and shear in the wall/basemat junction region. The objective of this test was to determine if there is potential for liner plate tearing in the junction region. Results presented include observed behavior and extensive measurements of deformations and strains as a function of applied load. The data are being used to confirm analytical models for predicting strength and deformation of containment structures in a separate parallel analytical investigation sponsored by EPRI

Biaxial failure criteria and stress-strain response for concrete of containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S. K.; Woo, S. K.; Song, Y. C.; Kweon, Y. K.; Cho, C. H.

2001-01-01

Biaxial failure criteria and stress-strain response for plain concrete of containment structure on nuclear power plants are studied under uniaxial and biaxial stress(compression-compression, compression-tension, and tension-tension combined stress). The concrete specimens of a square plate type are used for uniaxial and biaxial loading. The experimental data indicate that the strength of concrete under biaxial compression, f 2 /f 1 =-1/-1, is 17 percent larger than under uniaxial compression and the poisson's ratio of concrete is 0.1745. On the base of the results, a biaxial failure envelope for plain concrete that the uniaxial strength is 5660 psi are provided, and the biaxial failure behaviors for three biaxial loading areas are plotted respectively. And, various analytical equations having the reliability are proposed for representations of the biaxial failure criteria and stress-strain response curves of concrete

Flexural Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Containing Expanded Glass As Lightweight Aggregates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khatib Jamal

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The flexural properties of reinforced concrete beams containing expanded glass as a partial fine aggregate (sand replacement are investigated. Four concrete mixes were employed to conduct this study. The fine aggregate was replaced with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% (by volume expanded glass. The results suggest that the incorporation of 50% expanded glass increased the workability of the concrete. The compressive strength was decreasing linearly with the increasing amount of expanded glass. The ductility of the concrete beam significantly improved with the incorporation of the expanded glass. However, the load-carrying capacity of the beam and load at which the first crack occurs was reduced. It was concluded that the inclusion of expanded glass in structural concrete applications is feasible.

Prestressed concrete nuclear reactor containment structures. Revision 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, H.R.; Chang-Lo, P.L.C.; Pfeifer, B.W.; Shah, G.H.; Whitcraft, J.S.

1975-02-01

A discussion of the techniques and procedures used for the design of prestressed concrete nuclear reactor containment structures is presented. A physical description of Bechtel designed containment structures is presented. The design bases and load combinations are given for anticipated conditions of service. Reference design documents which include industry codes, specifications, AEC Regulatory Guides, Bechtel Topical Reports and additional criteria as appropriate to containment design are listed. Stepwise procedures typically followed by Bechtel for design of containments is discussed and design examples are presented. A description of currently used analytical methods and the practical application of these methods for containment design is also presented. The principal containment construction materials are identified and codes of practice pertaining to construction procedures are listed. Preoperational structural testing procedures and post-operational surveillance programs are furnished along with results of tests on completed containment structures. (U.S.)

Current state of knowledge on the behavior of steel liners in concrete containments subjected to overpressurization loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riesemann, W.A. von; Parks, M.B.

1995-01-01

In the US, concrete containment buildings for commercial nuclear power plants have steel liners that act as the internal pressure boundary. The liner abuts the concrete, acting as the interior concrete form. The liner is attached to the concrete by either studs or by a continuous structural shape (such as a T-section or channel) that is either continuously or intermittently welded to the liner. Studs are commonly used in reinforced concrete containments, while prestressed containments utilize a structural element as the anchorage. The practice in some countries follows the US practice, while in other countries the containment does not have a steel liner. In this latter case, there is a true double containment, and the annular region between the two containments is vented.This paper will review the practice of design of the liner system prior to the consideration of severe accident loads (overpressurization loads beyond the design conditions).An overpressurization test of a 1:6 scale reinforced concrete containment at Sandia National Laboratories resulted in a failure mechanism in the liner that was not fully anticipated. Post-test analyses and experiments have been conducted to understand the failure better. This work and the activities that followed the test are reviewed. Areas in which additional research should be conducted are given. (orig.)

Aging management of light water reactor concrete containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, V.N.; Hookhman, C.J.

1994-01-01

This paper evaluates aging of light water reactor concrete containments and identifies three degradation mechanisms that have potential to cause widespread aging damage after years of satisfactory experience: alkali-silica reaction, corrosion of reinforcing steel, and sulfate attack. The evaluation is based on a comprehensive review of the relevant technical literature. Low-alkali cement and slow-reacting aggregates selected according to ASTM requirements cause deleterious alkali-silica reactions. Low concentrations of chloride ions can initiate corrosion of the reinforcing steel if the hydroxyl ions are sufficiently reduced by carbonation, leaching, or magnesium sulfate attack. Magnesium sulfate attack on concrete can cause loss of strength and cementitious properties after long exposure. Techniques to detect and mitigate these long-term aging effects are discussed

Test of workability of concrete for PCCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Tadayoshi; Nagase, Tetsuo; Yoshimori, Yoshinari

1987-01-01

The construction of the prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) for Tsuruga No.2 plant of Japan Atomic Power Co. is the first case in Japan, and since the concrete having high strength and low slump is placed, the test of concrete placing by taking out a part of a full size test wall and the test of workability regarding the vibration compacting of concrete using a vibrator were carried out beforehand, and the results were reflected to the actual construction works. In this report, the workability test on the concrete is described. As difficulty is expected in the actual placing of the concrete having high strength and low slump, for the purpose of confirming the property of placing of the concrete in the cylindrical wall, and obtaining the basic data for the management of the actual concrete works and the quality control, the concrete placing test was carried out. At the time of concrete placing, the compacting of concrete is important, therefore, the basic data on the effect that the type, diameter, vibrating time and vibration propagation range of vibrators exert on the compacting of concrete were obtained, and reflected to the actual compacting. The purpose, testing method, results and the reflection to the actual works of these tests are reported. (Kako, I.)

Analytical capability for predicting structural response of NPP concrete containments to severe loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Planas, J.; Guinea, G.; Trbojevic, V.M.; Marti, J.; Martinez, F.; Cortes, P.

1989-12-01

A survey has been conducted on the state-of-the-art of analytical techniques for predicting the structural response of concrete containment buildings under severe accident conditions. The validity of inelastic analysis is often limited by the inadequacy of the material models adopted. This is specially true in the case of materials which undergo localization phenomena in the course of the deformation process. Because of this, the Joint Research Centre at Ispra has given a high priority to the review of existing constitutive models for concrete. Such models must be able to describe concrete behaviour with and without steel reinforcement across the complete stress range, from initial elastic behaviour to and beyond the point of failure. For reinforced and prestressed concrete, segregated models (where concrete and steel are independently simulated) are preferred. A review of existing constitutive models for mass concrete has been conducted. The review focused on necessary features for describing the near-peak and post-peak stages of deformation. Special attention was dedicated to the localization of strains in tension and the post-peak softening behaviour. Existing models for representing the concrete steel bond were also reviewed. These models are still relatively simplistic and incorporate seldom a number of effects of considerable importance: sustained, dynamic and cyclic loading, environmental effects, etc. Finally, the computational procedures currently available for modelling problems involving the ultimate capacity of concrete containments have also been reviewed. This includes methodologies for modelling amongst other mass concrete, cracking procedures, bond behaviour, in existing computer codes

Ultimate internal pressure capacity of a reinforced concrete Mark III containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGaughy, J.P. Jr.; Lin, F.T.; Sen, S.K.

1983-01-01

The static ultimate capacity of a Mark III BWR pressure suppression type containment has been investigated with a view to determine its capability to withstand the internal pressure associated with a postulated hydrogen burn. The reinforced concrete containment consists of a right circular cylinder covered by a hemispherical dome and supported on a flat circular foundation mat. A 1/4'' thick welded steel liner plate covers the inside surface of the containment shell. The cylinder is a 3.5 ft. thick shell with an inside radius of 62.0 feet. The thickness of the dome is 3.5 feet. Reinforcement in the shell is comprised of multi-layers of circumferential, meridional and diagonal rebars. Major containment penetrations consists of a circular equipment hatch and two personnel airlock assemblies. The containment ultimate capacity is determined by performing a non-linear analysis using the proprietary finite element computer code 'FINEL'. The code has the capability of modelling concrete cracking in tension and redistribution forces and moments to account for such phenomenon. For analysis purposes, the finite element model included the containment dome and the upper portion of the containment cylinder with appropriate boundary conditions applied at the model cut off region. This portion of the containment structure is selected because the segment of the cylinder that is included in the model has the least amount of hopp reinforcement, and when the general yield state is reached, the hoop reinforcement will be the limiting element. The containment structure has been treated as an axisymmetric shell using axisymmetric quadrilateral finite elements in the radial plane to model the liner plate and concrete. The reinforcing steel have been idealized by finite elements with unidirectional stiffness. (orig./RW)

Sensitivity analysis of numerical model of prestressed concrete containment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bílý, Petr, E-mail: petr.bily@fsv.cvut.cz; Kohoutková, Alena, E-mail: akohout@fsv.cvut.cz

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • FEM model of prestressed concrete containment with steel liner was created. • Sensitivity analysis of changes in geometry and loads was conducted. • Steel liner and temperature effects are the most important factors. • Creep and shrinkage parameters are essential for the long time analysis. • Prestressing schedule is a key factor in the early stages. - Abstract: Safety is always the main consideration in the design of containment of nuclear power plant. However, efficiency of the design process should be also taken into consideration. Despite the advances in computational abilities in recent years, simplified analyses may be found useful for preliminary scoping or trade studies. In the paper, a study on sensitivity of finite element model of prestressed concrete containment to changes in geometry, loads and other factors is presented. Importance of steel liner, reinforcement, prestressing process, temperature changes, nonlinearity of materials as well as density of finite elements mesh is assessed in the main stages of life cycle of the containment. Although the modeling adjustments have not produced any significant changes in computation time, it was found that in some cases simplified modeling process can lead to significant reduction of work time without degradation of the results.

Ultimate pressure capacity of CANDU 6 containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radulescu, J.P.; Pradolin, L.; Mamet, J.C.

1997-01-01

This paper summarizes the analytical work carried out and the results obtained when determining the ultimate pressure capacity (UPC) of the containment structures of CANDU 6 nuclear power plants. The purpose of the analysis work was to demonstrate that such containment structures are capable of meeting design requirements under the most severe accident conditions. For this concrete vessel subjected to internal pressure, the UPC was defined as the pressure causing through cracking in the concrete. The present paper deals with the overall behaviour of the containment. The presence of openings, penetrations and the ultimate pressure of the airlocks were considered separately. (author)

Analysis of radioactivity increase of rad waste filled in fibre-reinforced concrete container regarding external exposure of workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baratova, D.; Hrncir, T.; Necas, V.

2012-01-01

The paper deals with the assessment of the external radiation exposure of workers performing the individual tasks associated with disposal of the fibre-reinforced concrete containers in the National Radioactive Waste Repository in Mochovce. Models for fibre-reinforced concrete containers with maximum activity allowable for transport and for fibre-reinforced concrete containers contained radionuclides at the common level of activity concentration were created in order to analyze the option of fibre-reinforced concrete containers radioactivity increase. Calculations of individual effective doses have been carried out for three workers who work in the control area of the waste disposal facility dosimetrist, assistant and crane worker. (Authors)

Carbonation of ternary cementitious concrete systems containing fly ash and silica fume

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eehab Ahmed Badreldin Khalil

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Carbonation is quite a complex physical negative effect phenomenon on concrete especially in the ones containing ternary blends of Portland Cement, fly ash, and silica fume. Nine selected concrete mixtures were prepared with various water to cementitious materials’ ratios and various cementitious contents. The concrete mixtures were adapted in such a way to have the same workability and air content. The fresh concrete properties were kept near identical in slump, air content, and unit weight. The variation was in the hardened concrete mechanical properties of compression and tension strength. The carbonation phenomenon was studied for these mixes showing at which mixes of ternary cementitious content heavy carbonation attacks maybe produced. The main components of such mixes that do affect the carbonation process with time were presented.

The durability of concrete containing recycled tyres as a partial replacement of fine aggregate

Science.gov (United States)

Syamir Senin, Mohamad; Shahidan, Shahiron; Syazani Leman, Alif; Othman, Nurulain; Shamsuddin, Shamrul-mar; Ibrahim, M. H. W.; Zuki, S. S. Mohd

2017-11-01

Nowadays, uncontrolled disposal of waste materials such as tyres can affect the environment. Therefore, careful management of waste disposal must be done in order to conserve the environment. Waste tyres can be use as a replacement for both fine aggregate and coarse aggregate in the production of concrete. This research was conducted to assess the durability of concrete containing recycled tyres which have been crushed into fine fragments to replace fine aggregate in the concrete mix. This study presents an overview of the use of waste rubber as a partial replacement of natural fine aggregate in a concrete mix. 36 concrete cubes measuring 100mm × 100mm × 100mm and 12 concrete cubes measuring 150mm × 150mm × 150mm were prepared and added with different percentages of rubber from recycled tyres (0%, 3%, 5% and 7%) as fine aggregate replacement. The results obtained show that the replacement of fine aggregate with 7% of rubber recorded a compressive strength of 43.7MPa while the addition of 3% of rubber in the concrete sample recorded a high compressive strength of 50.8MPa. This shows that there is a decrease in the strength and workability of concrete as the amount of rubber used a replacement for fine aggregate in concrete increases. On the other hand, the water absorption test indicated that concrete which contains rubber has better water absorption ability. In this study, 3% of rubber was found to be the optimal percentage as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in the production of concrete.

KAPOOL experiments to simulate molten corium - sacrificial concrete interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eppinger, B.; Fieg, G.; Tromm, W.

2001-01-01

In future Light Water Reactors special devices (core catchers) might be required to prevent containment failure by basement erosion after reactor pressure vessel melt-through during a core meltdown accident. In the planned European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) the core melt is retained in the reactor cavity for ∼ 1 h to pick up late melts after the failure of the reactor pressure vessel. The reactor cavity is protected by a layer of sacrificial concrete and closed by a melt gate at the bottom towards the spreading compartment. After erosion of the sacrificial concrete and melt-through of the gate the core melt should be distributed homogeneously into the spreading compartment. There the melt is cooled by flooding with water. The knowledge of the sacrificial concrete erosion phase in the reactor cavity is essential for the severe accident assessment. Several KAPOOL experiments have been performed to investigate the erosion of two possible compositions of sacrificial concretes using alumina-iron thermite melts as a simulant for the core melt. Erosion rates as a function of the melt temperature and the inhomogeneity of the melt front are presented in this paper. (authors)

Storage vessel for containing radiation contaminated material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Kazuya.

1995-01-01

A container pipe and an outer pipe are coaxially assembled integrally in a state where securing spacers are disposed between the container pipe and the outer pipe, and an annular flow channel is formed around the container pipe. Radiation contaminated material-containing body (glass solidified package) is contained in the container pipe. The container pipe and the outer pipe in an integrated state are suspended from a ceiling plug of a cell chamber of a storage vessel, and supporting devices are assembled between the pipes and a support structure. A shear/lug mechanism is used for the supporting devices. The combination of the shear/lug allows radial and vertical movement but restrict horizontal movement of the outer tube. The supporting devices are assembled while visually recognizing the state of the shear/lug mechanism between the outer pipe and the support mechanism. Accordingly, operationability upon assembling the container pipe and the outer pipe is improved. (I.N.)

A study on the improvement of ISI methods for a prestressed concrete containment building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jeong Moon; Choi, In Kil

2001-12-01

The ISI (In-Service Inspection) of a PCCV (Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessel) consists of the tendon ISI and the SIT (Structural Integrity Test) which evaluate the effective or residual prestress in the post-tensioned prestress system, and of the ILRT (Integrated Leakage Rate Test) which ensures the leak-tightness of a PCCV. The tendon system adopted in Korean PCCVs is either grouted or ungrouted one. The grouted tendon system was used in the Ulchin Unit 1 and 2 and the Wolsong Units 1-4, whereas the rest NPPs except Kori Unit 1 and 2 adopted an ungrouted tendon system. In this report, the issues were identified on the ISI of ungrouted tendon system and on the SIT of all the PCCVs. The ILRT issues are implicitly included in the SIT issues as the ILRT is performed in parallel with the SIT. Improvements were suggested on the issues identified after the analyses of the domestic and foreign experiences and researches.

Radiolytic gas production from concrete containing Savannah River Plant waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibler, N.E.

1978-01-01

To determine the extent of gas production from radiolysis of concrete containing radioactive Savannah River Plant waste, samples of concrete and simulated waste were irradiated by 60 Co gamma rays and 244 Cm alpha particles. Gamma radiolysis simulated radiolysis by beta particles from fission products in the waste. Alpha radiolysis indicated the effect of alpha particles from transuranic isotopes in the waste. With gamma radiolysis, hydrogen was the only significant product; hydrogen reached a steady-state pressure that increased with increasing radiation intensity. Hydrogen was produced faster, and a higher steady-state pressure resulted when an organic set retarder was present. Oxygen that was sealed with the wastes was depleted. Gamma radiolysis also produced nitrous oxide gas when nitrate or nitrite was present in the concrete. With alpha radiolysis, hydrogen and oxygen were produced. Hydrogen did not reach a steady-state pressure at 137 Cs and 90 Sr), hydrogen will reach a steady-state pressure of 8 to 28 psi, and oxygen will be partially consumed. These predictions were confirmed by measurement of gas produced over a short time in a container of concrete and actual SRP waste. The tests with simulated waste also indicated that nitrous oxide may form, but because of the low nitrate or nitrite content of the waste, the maximum pressure of nitrous oxide after 300 years will be 238 Pu and 239 Pu will predominate; the hydrogen and oxygen pressures will increase to >200 psi

NOx photocatalytic degradation employing concrete pavement containing titanium dioxide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ballari, M.M.; Hunger, Martin; Hüsken, Götz; Brouwers, Jos

2010-01-01

In the present work the degradation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by concrete paving stones containing TiO2 to be applied in road construction is studied. A kinetic model is proposed to describe the photocatalytic reaction of NOx (combining the degradation of NO and the appearance and disappearance of

Method of detecting water leakage in radioactive waste containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishioka, Hitoshi; Takao, Yoshiaki; Hayakawa, Kiyoshige.

1989-01-01

Lower level radioactive wastes formed upon operation of nuclear facilities are processed by underground storage. In this case, a plurality of drum cans packed with radioactive wastes are contained in a vessel and a water soluble dye material is placed at the inside of the vessel. The method of placing the water soluble dye material at the inside of the vessel includes a method of coating the material on the inner surface of the vessel and a method of mixing the material in sands to be filled between each of the drum cans. Then, leakage of water soluble dye material is detected when water intruding from the outside into the vessel is again leached out of the vessel, to detect the water leakage from the inside of the vessel. In this way, it is possible to find a water-invaded vessel before corrosion of the drum can by water intruded into the vessel and leakage of nuclides in the drum can. Accordingly, it is possible to apply treatment such as repair before occurrence of accident and can maintain the safety of radioactive water processing facilities. (I.S.)

Dynamic testing of MFTF containment-vessel structural system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, H.J.; McCallen, D.B.; Eli, M.W.

1982-01-01

Dynamic (modal) testing was performed on the Magnetic Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) containment vessel. The seismic design of this vessel was heavily dependent upon the value of structural damping used in the analysis. Typically for welded steel vessels, a value of 2 to 3% of critical is used. However, due to the large mass of the vessel and magnet supported inside, we felt that the interaction between the structure and its foundation would be enhanced. This would result in a larger value of damping because vibrational energy in the structure would be transferred through the foundation into the surrounding soil. The dynamic test performed on this structure (with the magnet in place) confirmed this later theory and resulted in damping values of approximately 4 to 5% for the whole body modes. This report presents a brief description of dynamic testing emphasizing the specific test procedure used on the MFTF-A system. It also presents an interpretation of the damping mechanisms observed (material and geometric) based upon the spatial characteristics of the modal parameters

Analysis of failures in concrete containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno-Gonzalez, A.

1989-09-01

The function of Containment, in an accident event, is to avoid the release of radioactive substances into the surroundings. Containment failure, therefore, is defined as the appearance of leak paths to the external environment. These leak paths may appear either as a result of loss of leaktightness due to degradation of design conditions or structural failure with containment material break. This document is a survey of the state of the art of Containment Failure Analysis. It gives a detailed description of all failure mechanisms, indicating all the possible failure modes and their causes, right from failure resulting from degradation of the materials to structural failure and linear breake failure. Following the description of failure modes, possible failure criteria are identified, with special emphasis on structural failure criteria. These criteria have been obtained not only from existing codes but also from the latest experimental results. A chapter has been dedicated exclusively to failure criteria in conventional structures, for the purpose of evaluating the possibility of application to the case of containment. As the structural behaviour of the containment building is very complex, it is not possible to define failure through a single parameter. It is therefore advisable to define a methodology for containment failure analysis which could be applied to a particular containment. This methodology should include prevailing load and material conditions together with the behaviour of complex conditions such as the liner-anchorage-cracked concrete interaction

Some Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Magnetic Reactive Powder Concrete Containing Nano Silica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zain El-Abdin Raouf

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study involves the design of 24 mixtures of fiber reinforced magnetic reactive powder concrete containing nano silica. Tap water was used for 12 of these mixtures, while magnetic water was used for the others. The nano silica (NS with ratios (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 % by weight of cement, were used for all the mixtures. The results have shown that the mixture containing 2.5% NS gives the highest compressive strength at age 7 days. Many different other tests were carried out, the results have shown that the carbon fiber reinforced magnetic reactive powder concrete containing 2.5% NS (CFRMRPCCNS had higher compressive strength, modulus of rupture, splitting tension, stress in compression and strain in compression than the corresponding values for the carbon fiber reinforced nonmagnetic reactive powder concrete containing the same ratio of NS (CFRNRPCCNS. The percentage increase in these values for CFRMRPCCNS were (22.37, 17.96, 19.44, 6.44 and 25.8 % at 28 days respectively, as compared with the corresponding CFRNRPCCNS mixtures.

A study on physical properties of concrete and reinforcement at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanazu, Tsutomu

2002-01-01

Reinforced concrete structures such as a containment vessel, a support of the reactor, piping systems and facilities for storing high level radioactive waste in a nuclear power plant are exposed to a high temperature condition. Changes of physical properties of concrete and reinforcement caused by high temperature influence on mechanical behavior of these structures and internal stresses are induced by difference of thermal coefficients between concrete and reinforcement that was reported in the previous paper by the author. These are the special features in high temperature conditions. Temperature dependence of physical properties of concrete and reinforcement are summarized in the paper based on the experimental results. (author)

Utilization of crushed radioactive concrete for mortar to fill waste container void space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikura, Takeshi; Ohnishi, Kazuhiko; Oguri, Daiichiro; Ueki, Hiroyuki

2004-01-01

Minimizing the volume of radioactive waste generated during dismantling of nuclear power plants is a matter of great importance. In Japan waste forms buried in a shallow burial disposal facility as low level radioactive waste must be solidified by cement or other materials with adequate strength and must provide no harmful opening. The authors have developed an improved method to minimize radioactive waste volume by utilizing radioactive concrete for fine aggregate for mortars to fill void space in waste containers. Tests were performed with pre-placed concrete waste and with filling mortar using recycled fine aggregate produced from concrete. It was estimated that the improved method substantially increases the waste fill ratio in waste containers, thereby decreasing the total volume of disposal waste. (author)

Behaviour of prestressed concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacGregor, J.G.; Murray, D.W.; Simmonds, S.H.

1980-05-01

The most significant finds from a study to assess the response of prestressed concrete secondary containment structures for nuclear reactors under the influence of high internal overpressures are presented. A method of analysis is described for determining the strains and deflections including effects of inelastic behaviour at various points in the structure resulting from increasing internal pressures. Experimentally derived relationships between the strains and crack spacing, crack width and leakage rate are given. These procedures were applied to the Gentilly-2 containment building to obtain the following results: (1) The first through-the-wall cracks would occur in the dome at 48 psi or 2.3 times the proof test pressure. (2) At this pressure leakage would begin and would increase exponentially as the pressure increases such that at 93% of the predicted failure load the calculated leakage rate would be approximately equal to the volume of the containment each second. (3) Assuming the pressurizing medium could be supplied sufficiently rapidly, failure would occur due to rupture of the horizontal tendons at approximately 77 psi. (author)

Safety Research Experiment Facility Project. Conceptual design report. Volume IV. Reactor containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-12-01

The principal purpose of the SAREF Reactor Containment Building (RCB) is to prevent the uncontrolled release of radioactive materials to the atmosphere as a result of accidental occurrences inside the containment. The RCB houses numerous reactor systems and components including the Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessel (PCRV). The design of the RCB is of reinforced concrete (steel-lined). The containment building is embedded nearly 100 feet in lava rock. It has therefore been necessary to independently formulate an appropriate and conservative design approach

Ageing degradation in the Gentilly-1 concrete containment building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaffer, S.; Pentecost, S.; Angell, P.; Shenton, B.

2015-01-01

Concrete containment buildings (CCBs) are designed for a service life up to 40 years, but nuclear power plant (NPP) refurbishment can extend service life beyond 60 years. Only limited testing can be conducted on an in-service CCB. The Gentilly-1 (G-1) NPP is in a safe, sustainable shutdown state and the G-1 CCB was available for testing to determine age-related degradation that may be relevant to operating CCBs. Visual observation of the G-1 CCB helped to identify various signs of degradation. However, field testing, via concrete removal, was performed to: (i) examine reinforcing bars and concrete to determine their condition and in-situ stresses and (ii) examine condition of post-tensioned (P-T) wires. The concrete was also subjected to laboratory tests to evaluate its physical, mechanical and chemical properties such as compressive strength, carbonation depth, chloride content and presence of internal degradation. The degradation mechanisms that were clearly visible include macro- and micro-cracking, efflorescence, and weathering. The reinforcing bars in the perimeter wall and dome exposed during the program showed no evidence of active corrosion. Corrosion products were observed on the surfaces of most exposed P-T wires in the perimeter wall, but none were present on P-T wires exposed in the dome. Laboratory testing on the concrete cores extracted from the CCB revealed compressive strength in excess of the design requirements, low carbonation depths (< 10 mm) and no appreciable chlorides. Micro-cracking was observed in the samples recovered from the wall and dome. To date, the observed micro-cracking has had no apparent visible affect on the performance of the CCB concrete. (authors)

Concrete for PCRV's: Mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and residual mechanical behaviour after triaxial preloading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aschl, H.; Moosecker, W.

1979-01-01

During the lifetime of reactor vessels stress states will change as a result of changes in loading and heating, shrinkage and creep. For the design of prestressed concrete reactor vessels information is required about the behaviour of concrete under multiaxial short- and long-term loading at elevated temperatures. Therefore, tests were carried out at the Institut fuer Massivbau of the Technical University of Munich to study the properties of mass concrete under uniaxial loading at 353 K. Additionally, biaxial creep of concrete up to 368 K was investigated. Some of the uniaxial test specimens were sealed with a copper foil to avoid drying. The concrete contained calzite gravel. The thermal expansion coefficient of predried concrete was 9.5 x 10 -6 , of sealed concrete 13.6 x 10 -6 and of unsealed concrete 13.2 x 10 -6 . The modulus of elasticity at 353 K (393 K) was reduced by 10 (13)% for sealed and by 15 (22)% for unsealed specimens. Total shrinkage deformations of heated concrete were 190 to 225 microstrains for sealed and 250 to 350 microstrains for unsealed specimens. Creep deformations were highly dependent upon temperature being about 3 times higher at 353 K for sealed and unsealed concrete. (orig.)

Radioactivity concentration measuring device for radiation waste containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Tetsuo.

1994-01-01

The device of the present invention can precisely and accurately measure a radioactive concentration of radioactive wastes irrespective of the radioactivity concentration distribution. Namely, a Ge detector having a collimator and a plurality of radiation detectors are placed at the outside of the radioactive waste containing vessel in such a way that it can rotate and move vertically relative to the vessel. The plurality of radiation detectors detect radiation coefficient signals at an assumed segment unit of a predetermined length in vertical direction and for every predetermined angle unit in the rotational direction. A weight measuring device determines the weight of the vessel. A computer calculates an average density of radioactivity for the region filled with radioactivity based on the determined net weight and radiation coefficient signals assuming that the volume of the radioactivity is constant. In addition, the computer calculates the amount of radioactivity in the assumed segment by conducting γ -ray absorption compensation calculation for the material in the vessel. Each of the amount of radioactivity is integrated to determine the amount of radioactivity in the vessel. (I.S.)

Strength and deformational characteristics of three-way reinforced concrete containment models subjected to lateral forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyagi, Y.; Yamada, K.; Takahashi, T.

1981-01-01

With a view to investigating the earthquake resistance characteristics of reinforced concrete containments two cylindrical models with three-way system of bars were made and loaded laterally up to failure combined with or without internal pressures, simulating the conditions in which containments were subjected to earthquake forces at a simultaneous LOCA or at normal operation. The main conclusions obtained withing the limit of the experiments are as follows. (1) Stresses in reinforcements in three-way reinforced concrete plate elements can reasonably be estimated by the equations proposed by Baumann. It is, however, necessary to take into consideration the contributions of concrete between cracks to the deformation in order to accurately estimate the average strains in the plate elements, applying such a formula as CEB as reformed by the authors. (2) The strength capacity of three-way reinforced concrete containments against lateral forces combined with internal pressure is somewhat inferior to that of orthogonally reinforced one if compared on the condition that the volumetric reinforcement ratios are the same for the two cases of reinforcement arrangements. However, three-way reinforcement improves initial shear rigidity as well as ultimate horizontal deformability for lateral forces. (3) The ability for three-way reinforced concrete containment to absorb strain energy in the range of large deformations is superior to that of orthogonally reinforced one. The equivalent viscous damping coefficient for the former is markedly larger than that for the latter, especially at the increased deformational stages. These experimental evidences suggent that three-way system of reinforcement may constitute one of the prospective measures to improve the earthquake resistance of reinforced concrete containments. (orig./HP)

Pressure vessel for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The invention applies to a pressure vessel for nuclear reactors whose shell, made of cast metal segments, has a steel liner. This liner must be constructed to withstand all operational stresses and to be easily repairable. The invention solves this problem by installing the liner at a certain distance from the inner wall of the pressure vessel shell and by filling this clearance with supporting concrete. Both the concrete and the steel liner must have a lower prestress than the pressure vessel shell. In order to avoid damage to the liner when prestressing the pressure vessel shell, special connecting elements are provided which consist of welded-on fastening elements projecting into recesses in the cast metal segments of the pressure vessel. Their design is described in detail. (TK) [de

Preliminary results of steel containment vessel model test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, T.; Komine, K.; Arai, S.

1997-01-01

A high pressure test of a mixed-scaled model (1:10 in geometry and 1:4 in shell thickness) of a steel containment vessel (SCV), representing an improved boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II containment, was conducted on December 11-12, 1996 at Sandia National Laboratories. This paper describes the preliminary results of the high pressure test. In addition, the preliminary post-test measurement data and the preliminary comparison of test data with pretest analysis predictions are also presented

Structure simulation of a pre-stressed concrete containment model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grebner, H.; Sievers, J.

2004-01-01

An axisymmetric Finite-Element-Model of the 1:4 pre-stressed containment model tested at SANDIA was developed. The model is loaded by the pre-stressing of the tendons and by increasing internal pressure (up to 1.3 MPa). The analyses results in terms of displacements and strains in the liner, the rebars, the tendons and the concrete of the cylindrical part agree well with measured data up to about 0.6 MPa internal pressure (i.e. 1.5 times design pressure). First circumferential micro-cracks in the concrete are found at about 0.75 MPa. With increasing pressure micro-cracks are present through the whole wall. Above about 0.9 MPa the formation of micro-cracks in radial and meridional direction is calculated. At the maximum load (1.3 MPa) almost all concrete parts of the model have micro-cracks which may cause leaks. Nevertheless the failure of the containment model is not expected for loads up to 1.3 MPa without consideration of geometric inhomogeneities due to penetrations in the wall. Although the calculated strains in liner, rebars and tendons show some plastification, the maximum values are below the critical ones. The safety margin against failure is smallest in some hoop tendons. At present parametric studies are performed to investigate the differences between calculations and measured data. Furthermore three-dimensional models are developed for a better simulation of the meridional tendons in the dome region. (orig.)

Delayed behaviour of concrete in nuclear power plant containment: analysis and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granger, L.

1995-02-01

The containment of French nuclear power plant of the 1300 and 1400 MWe PWR type are made of prestressed concrete and their delayed behaviour is systematically monitored by a very complete instrumentation. In an accidental phase, the tightness of the 1.2 m thick structure, dimensioned to withstand an internal absolute pressure of 0.5 MPa depends mainly on the residual prestress of concrete. But surveillance devices reveal substantial differences from one site to another, from which the regulation calculation models cannot make satisfactory allowance. For the purpose of improving the management of the population of power stations, EDF in 1992 initiated a large study aimed at predicting the true creep behaviour of the containments already built. This study, more material oriented, includes numerous shrinkage and creep tests on reconstructed concrete in laboratory as well as on cement paste and aggregate. The main results are presented in part one. In the second part, we consider the different delayed strains of concrete one by one. A precise analysis of the physico-chemical phenomena at the origin of the delayed behaviours, leads us to propose a practical modelling of concrete in an overall equivalent continuous material approach. Secondly, the few parameters of the model are determined on the experimental results. In order to do so, two particular finite element programs in CESAR-LCPC have been developed. The first one permits to take into account the non linear diffusion of humidity in concrete as a function of temperature. The diffusion coefficient D(C) (C = water content) is fitted on the loss of weight tests as a function of time. The second step is a creep calculation; first, the program reads back the temperature and humidity results of the previous computations and then calculates the different delayed strains in time. For basic creep, we have chosen a viscoelastic model function of temperature and humidity. The numerical scheme uses the principle of

Review of current practices and requirements for the inspection of prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimann, K.J.

1980-12-01

Code requirements for pre- and in-service inspection of prestressed concrete pressure vessels as utilized in gas-cooled reactors are reviewed and compared with practices and experiences during construction, commissioning, and operation of such reactors. The pre-service inspection relies heavily on embedded instrumentation for measurements of stresses, temperatures, and displacements. The same instrumentation is later used for in-service surveillance, which additionally includes visual examination of exposed surfaces, monitoring of tendon conditions, and measurement of tendon loads. Improvement of present monitoring instrumentation and/or techniques, rather than development of new in-service inspection methods, is recommended

Compilation of three-dimensional coordinates and specific data of the instrumentation of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel/high temperature helium test rig

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klausinger, D.

1977-04-01

The positions of the thermoelements, strain gauges of various types, and of Gloetzl instruments installed by SGAE in the model vessel of the Common Project Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessel/High Temperature Helium Test Rig are defined in cylindrical coordinates. The specific data of the instruments are given like configuration of multiple instruments; type, group and number of the instrument; number of cable and of channel; calibration factors; resistances of instruments and cables. (author)

Durability of heavyweight concrete containing barite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binici, Hanifi

2010-01-01

The supplementary waste barite aggregates deposit in Osmaniye, southern Turkey, has been estimated at around 500 000 000 tons based on 2007 records. The aim of the present study is to investigate the durability of concrete incorporating waste barite as coarse and river sand (RS), granule blast furnace slag (GBFS), granule basaltic pumice (GBP) and ≤ 4 mm granule barite (B) as fine aggregates. The properties of the fresh concrete determined included the air content, slump, slump loss and setting time. They also included the compressive strength, flexural and splitting tensile strengths and Young's modulus of elasticity, resistance to abrasion and sulphate resistance of hardened concrete. Besides these, control mortars were prepared with crushed limestone aggregates. The influence of waste barite as coarse aggregates and RS, GBFS, GBP and B as fine aggregates on the durability of the concretes was evaluated. The mass attenuation coefficients were calculated at photon energies of 1 keV to 100 GeV using XCOM and the obtained results were compared with the measurements at 0.66 and 1.25 MeV. The results showed the possibility of using these waste barite aggregates in the production of heavy concretes. In several cases, some of these properties have been improved. Durability of the concrete made with these waste aggregates was improved. Thus, these materials should be preferably used as aggregates in heavyweight concrete production. (orig.)

Stress analysis of LOFT containment vessel attachments for the mainsteam and feedwater piping support structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finicle, D.P.

1977-01-01

The LOFT Containment Vessel attachments for the Mainsteam and Feedwater Piping Support Structures have been analyzed for operating and faulted loading conditions. This report contains the analysis of the connections to the containment vessel for the most current design and loading. Also contained in this report is the analysis of the piping supports

Seismic damage assessment of reinforced concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, HoHyun; Koh, Hyun-Moo; Hyun, Chang-Hun; Kim, Moon-Soo; Shin, Hyun Mock

2003-01-01

This paper presents a procedure for assessing seismic damage of concrete containment structures using the nonlinear time-history numerical analysis. For this purpose, two kinds of damage index are introduced at finite element and structural levels. Nonlinear finite element analysis for the containment structure applies PSC shell elements using a layered approach leading to damage indices at finite element and structural levels, which are then used to assess the seismic damage of the containment structure. As an example of such seismic damage assessment, seismic damages of the containment structure of Wolsong I nuclear power plant in Korea are evaluated against 30 artificial earthquakes generated with a wide range of PGA according to US NRC regulatory guide 1.60. Structural responses and corresponding damage index according to the level of PGA and nonlinearity are investigated. It is also shown that the containment structure behaves elastically for earthquakes corresponding to or lower than DBE. (author)

Material test of concrete for PCCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, Katsuya; Kamiyama, Yukio; Iwasawa, Jiro.

1987-01-01

The concrete used for the prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) for Tsuruga No.2 plant of Japan Atomic Power Co. has the design standard strength as high as 420 kg/cm 2 , but for the purpose of preventing the cracking due to hydration heat at the time of concrete hardening, the medium heat cement mixed with flyash was adopted. The example of using the cement of this kind for high strength concrete has been few, and the data on its various properties have been scarce. First, the various mixing proportion for the high strength concrete using the medium heat cement mixed with flyash was experimented, and the basic mixing proportion for satisfying the design standard strength 420 kg/cm 2 was determined. Next, about this basic mixing proportion, the tests on the crrep characteristics and the thermal characteristics required for the design of PCCVs were carried out. In this report, the results of these tests on the concrete are described. By combining the concrete materials available in Tsuruga district, the test on unsolidified concrete and hardened concrete was carried out. The experimental method and the results are reported. Uniaxial compression creep test was carried out on the concrete having the selected mixing proportion to evaluate the propriety of the design creep factor. In the test of the thermal characteristics, the heat conductivity, heat diffusivity, linear thermal expansion and specific heat were measured. (Kako, I.)

Hydrogen storage container

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jy-An John; Feng, Zhili; Zhang, Wei

2017-02-07

An apparatus and system is described for storing high-pressure fluids such as hydrogen. An inner tank and pre-stressed concrete pressure vessel share the structural and/or pressure load on the inner tank. The system and apparatus provide a high performance and low cost container while mitigating hydrogen embrittlement of the metal tank. System is useful for distributing hydrogen to a power grid or to a vehicle refueling station.

Seismic analysis of a containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toledo, E.M.; Jospin, R.J.; Loula, A.F.D.

1987-01-01

A seismic analysis of a nuclear power plant containment vessel is presented. Usual loads in this kind of analysis like SSE, DBE and SSB loadings are considered. With the response spectra, previously obtained, for the above mentioned loadings one uses the response spectrum techniques in order to obtain estimatives for the maximum values of the stresses. Some considerations about the problem and the approcah used herein, are initially described. Next, the analysed structure geometry and some results, compared with those obtained by using computer code ANSYS are shown. (Author) [pt

Review of concrete properties for prestressed concrete pressure vesssels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanstad, R.K.

1976-10-01

The desire for increasing power output along with safety requirements has resulted in consideration of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel (PCPV) for most current nuclear reactor systems, as well as for the very-high-temperature reactor for process heat and as primary pressure vessels for coal conversion systems. Results are presented of a literature review to ascertain current knowledge regarding plain concrete properties under conditions imposed by a mass concrete structure such as PCRV. The effects of high temperature on such properties as strength, elasticity, and creep are discussed, as well as changes in thermal properties, multiaxial behavior, and the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the observed behavior. In addition, the effects of radiation and moisture migration are discussed. It is concluded that testing results found in the technical literature show much disagreement as to the effects of temperature on concrete properties. The variations in concrete mixtures, curing and testing procedures, age at loading, and moisture conditions during exposure and testing are some of the reasons for such disagreement. Test results must be limited, in most cases, to the materials and conditions of a given test rather than applied to such a general class of materials such as concrete. It is also concluded that sustained exposure of normal concretes to current PCRV operating conditions will not result in any significant loss of properties. However, lack of knowledge regarding effects of temperatures exceeding 100 0 C (212 0 F), moisture migration, and multiaxial behavior precludes a statement advocating operation beyond current design limits. The report includes recommendations for future research on concrete for PCPVs

Leaching studies of heavy concrete material for nuclear fuel waste immobilization containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onofrei, M.; Raine, D.; Brown, L.; Hooton, R.D.

1989-08-01

The leaching behaviour of a high-density concrete was studied as part of a program to evaluate its potential use as a container material for nuclear fuel waste under conditions of deep geologic disposal. Samples of concrete material were leached in deionized distilled water, Standard Canadian Shield Saline Solution (SCSSS), SCSSS plus 20% Na-bentonite, and SCSSS plus granite and 20% Na-bentonite under static conditions at 100 degrees celsius for periods up to 365 days. The results of these leaching experiments suggest that the stability of concrete depends on the possible internal structural changes due to hydration reactions of unhydrated components, leading to the formation of C-S-H gel plus portlandite (Ca(OH) 2 ). The factors controlling the concrete leaching process were the composition of the leachant and the concentration of elements in solution capable of forming precipitates on the concrete surface, e.g., silicon, Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ . The main effect observed during leaching was an increase in groundwater pH (from 7 to 9). However, the addition of Na-bentonite suppressed the normal tendency of the pH of the groundwater in contact with concrete to rise rapidly. It was shown that the solution concentration of elements released from the concrete, particularly potassium, increased in the presence of Na-bentonite

Reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichiki, Tadaharu; Saba, Kazuhisa.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To improve the earthquake resistance as well as reduce the size of a container for a nuclear reactor with no adverse effects on the decrease of impact shock to the container and shortening of construction step. Constitution: Reinforcing profile steel materials are welded longitudinally and transversely to the inner surface of a container, and inner steel plates are secured to the above profile steel materials while keeping a gap between the materials and the container. Reactor shielding wall planted to the base concrete of the container is mounted to the pressure vessel, and main steam pipeways secured by the transverse beams and led to the outside of container is connected. This can improve the rigidity earthquake strength and the safetiness against the increase in the inside pressure upon failures of the container. (Yoshino, Y.)

Behavior of prestressed concrete subjected to low temperatures and cyclic loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berner, D.E.

1984-01-01

Concrete has exhibited excellent behavior in cryogenic containment vessels for several decades under essentially static conditions. Tests were conducted to determine the response of prestressed lightweight concrete subjected to high-intensity cyclic loading and simultaneous cryogenic thermal shock, simulating the relatively dynamic conditions encountered offshore or in seismic areas. Lightweight concrete has several attractive properties for cryogenic service including: (1) very low permeability, (2) good strain capacity, (3) relatively low thermal conductivity, and (4) a low modulus of elasticity. Experimental results indicated that the mechanical properties of plain lightweight concrete significantly increase with moisture content at low temperatures, while cyclic loading fatigue effects are reduced at low temperatures. Also, tests on uniaxially and on biaxially prestressed lightweight concrete both indicate that the test specimens performed well under severe cyclic loading and cryogenic thermal shock with only moderate reduction in flexural stiffness. Supplementary tests conducted in this study indicate that conventionally reinforced concrete degrades significantly faster than prestressed concrete when subjected to cyclic loading and thermal shock

Study on effective prestressing effects on concrete containment under the design-basis pressure condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Feng; Pan Rong; Wang Lu; Mao Huan; Yang Yu

2013-01-01

Prestressing technology is widely used in nuclear power plant containment building, and the durability of containment structure is affected directly by the distribution and loss of prestressing value under design-basis pressure. Containment structure and the distribution of prestressing system are introduced briefly. Furthermore, the calculating process of horizontal prestressing bunch loss near the equipment hatch hole is put forward in details, and the containment structure prestressing loss when 5-year pressure test is obtained. Based above analysis, the finite element model of the prestressed concrete containment structure is built by using ANSYS code, the prestressing effect on concrete containment is analysed. The results show that most of the design pressure is bore by the prestressing system under the design-basis pressure, so the containment structure is safe. These conclusions are consistent with prestressing containment system design concepts, which can provide reference to the engineering staff. (authors)

The application of external vibration monitoring to reactors with concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammill, W.J.

1979-01-01

The application of external vibration monitoring techniques to advanced gas cooled reactors (AGR) which have concrete pressure vessels is considered. A monitoring system for a particular AGR coolant circuit structure is developed, whose primary objective is to detect impacting of two components, although the detection of forced vibration response is also considered. Experimental results from instrumented components in the reactor and data from rig tests on full size units have been used together with a mathematical model of some elements of the transmission path in order to establish its dynamic characteristics and relate internal component vibration to externally measured signals. The application of external vibration monitoring to the external detection of the forced vibration response of an internal reactor assembly and the remote monitoring of circulator sound output is discussed. (author)

Design and construction of reactor containment systems of the prototype fast breeder reactor MONJU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Makinori; Kawata, Koji; Sato, Masaki; Ito, Masashi; Hayashi, Kazutoshi; Kunishima, Shigeru.

1991-01-01

The MONJU reactor containment systems consist of a reactor containment vessel, reactor cavity walls and cell liners. The reactor containment vessel is strengthened by ring stiffeners for earthquake stresses. To verify its earthquake-resistant strength, vibration and buckling tests were carried out by using 1/19 scale models. The reactor cavity walls, which form biological shield and support the reactor vessel, are constructed of steel plate frames filled with concrete. The cell liner consists of liner plates and thermal insulation to moderate the effects of sodium spills, and forms a gastight cell to maintain a nitrogen atmosphere. (author)

Analysis of chloride diffusivity in concrete containing red mud

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.V. Ribeiro

Full Text Available Red mud is a solid waste produced in the alumina production process and, due to its high pH, is classified as hazardous. Its incorporation in concrete mixtures, acting as filler due to the particles fineness, might be an interesting reuse alternative. The focus of this paper is to study the chloride diffusivity of concrete mixtures containing red-mud. The concentration of chlorides was monitored by measuring the conductivity of the anolyte, which was distilled water initially. In addition, the estimation of the chloride ions diffusion coefficients in steady and non-steady conditions, Ds and Dns, was obtained from the ''time-lag'' and ''equivalent time'' between diffusion and migration experiments. Due to superfine particle-size distribution and the "filler" effect, the red mud addition seems to assure lower chloride diffusivity.

Heissdampfreaktor (HDR) steel-containment-vessel and floodwater-storage-tank structural-dynamics tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arendts, J.G.

1982-01-01

Inertance (vibration) testing of two significant vessels at the Heissdampfreaktor (HDR) facility, located near Kahl, West Germany, was recently completed. Transfer functions were obtained for determination of the modal properties (frequencies, mode shapes and damping) of the vessels using two different test methods for comparative purposes. One of the vessels tested was the steel containment vessel (SCV). The SCV is approximately 180 feet high and 65 feet in diameter with a 1.2-inch wall thickness. The other vessel, called the floodwater storage tank (FWST), is a vertically standing vessel approximately 40 feet high and 10 feet in diameter with a 1/2-inch wall thickness. The FWST support skirt is square (in plan views) with its corners intersecting the ellipsoidal bottom head near the knuckle region

Evaluation of Ultimate Pressure Capacity of a Prestressed Concrete Containment Building with Steel or Polyamide Fiber Reinforcement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choun, Youngsun; Hahm, Daegi [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) includes thousands of small fibers that are distributed randomly in the concrete. Fibers resist the growth of cracks in concrete through their bridging at the cracks. Therefore, FRC fails in tension only when the fibers break or are pulled out of the cement matrix. For this reason, the addition of fibers in concrete mixing increases the tensile toughness of concrete and enhances the post-cracking behavior. A prevention of through-wall cracks and an increase of the post-cracking ductility will improve the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment building (PCCB). In this study, the effects of steel or polyamide fiber reinforcement on the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB are evaluated. When R-SFRC contains hooked steel fibers in a volume fraction of 1.0%, the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB can be improved by 17%. When R-PFRC contains polyamide fibers in a volume fraction of 1.5%, the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB can be enhanced by 10%. Further studies are needed to determine the strain limits acceptable for PCCBs reinforced with fibers.

Evaluation of Ultimate Pressure Capacity of a Prestressed Concrete Containment Building with Steel or Polyamide Fiber Reinforcement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Youngsun; Hahm, Daegi

2014-01-01

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) includes thousands of small fibers that are distributed randomly in the concrete. Fibers resist the growth of cracks in concrete through their bridging at the cracks. Therefore, FRC fails in tension only when the fibers break or are pulled out of the cement matrix. For this reason, the addition of fibers in concrete mixing increases the tensile toughness of concrete and enhances the post-cracking behavior. A prevention of through-wall cracks and an increase of the post-cracking ductility will improve the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment building (PCCB). In this study, the effects of steel or polyamide fiber reinforcement on the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB are evaluated. When R-SFRC contains hooked steel fibers in a volume fraction of 1.0%, the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB can be improved by 17%. When R-PFRC contains polyamide fibers in a volume fraction of 1.5%, the ultimate pressure capacity of a PCCB can be enhanced by 10%. Further studies are needed to determine the strain limits acceptable for PCCBs reinforced with fibers

The surrounding concrete structure of the containment as a safety component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alex, H.; Kuntze, W.M.

1978-01-01

This paper will briefly discuss the containments of the various types of reactors in the Federal Republic of Germany and will try to show the importance of the surrounding concrete structures with respect to safety. It will be seen that the surrounding concrete structures serve in any case - as protection against external events - as secondary shielding and must therefore be considered as a passive safety feature. The design requirements for the surrounding concrete structures with respect to protection against external events and to physical protection generally supplement each other. Reference will be made to possible alternatives, which might result from studies of underground siting of nuclear power plants. Whether or not this type of construction can lead to additional safety can only be judged when the results of all these studies - some of which are still under way - are evaluated. The concluding part of this paper will deal with the responsibilities of the civil engineering supervisory authorities and the nuclear licensing authorities with respect to the surrounding concrete structures. (orig.) [de

Economic aspect comparison between steel plate reinforced concrete and reinforced concrete technique in reactor containment wall construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuliastuti; Sriyana

2008-01-01

Construction costs of nuclear power plant were high due to the construction delays, regulatory delays, redesign requirement, and difficulties in construction management. Based on US DOE (United States Department of Energy) study in 2004, there were thirteen advanced construction technologies which were potential to reduce the construction time of nuclear power plant. Among these technologies was the application of steel-plate reinforced concrete (SC) on reactor containment construction. The conventional reinforced concrete (RC) technique were built in place and require more time to remove framework since the external form is temporary. Meanwhile, the SC technique offered a more efficient way to placing concrete by using a permanent external form made of steel. The objective of this study was to calculate construction duration and economic comparison between RC and SC technique. The result of this study showed that SC technique could reduce the construction time by 60% and 29,7% cost reduced compare to the RC technique. (author)

In-Vessel Retention via External Reactor Cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bachrata, Andrea [CTU in Prague, Faculty of nuclear sciences and physical engineering, V Holesovickach 2 180 00, Prague 8 (Czech republic)

2008-07-01

In-vessel (corium) retention (IVR) via external reactor pressure vessel (RPV) cooling is considered to be an effective severe accident management strategy for corium localisation and stabilisation. The main idea of IVR strategy consists in flooding the reactor cavity and transferring the decay heat through the wall of RPV to the recirculating water and than to the atmosphere of the containment of nuclear power plant. The aim of this strategy is to localise and to stabilise the corium inside the RPV. Not using this procedure could destroy the integrity of RPV and might cause the interaction of the corium with the concrete at the bed of the reactor cavity. Several experimental facilities and computer codes (MVITA, ASTEC module DIVA and CFD codes) were applied to simulate the IVR strategy for concrete reactor designs. The necessary technical modifications concerning the implementation of IVR concept were applied at the Loviisa NPP (VVER-440/V213). This strategy is also an important part of the advanced reactor designs AP600 and AP1000. (authors)

Optimisation by mathematical modeling of physicochemical characteristics of concrete containers in radioactive waste management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Plećaš Ilija

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A method for obtaining an optimal concrete container composition used for storing radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is developed. It is applied to the radionuclides 60Co, 137Cs, 85Sr, and 54Mn. A set of recipes for concrete composition leading to an optimal solution is given.

TEMP-STRESS analysis of a reinforced concrete vessel under internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchertas, A.H.; Kennedy, J.M.; Pfeiffer, P.A.

1987-01-01

Prediction of the response of the Sandia National laboratory 1/6-scale reinforced concrete containment model test was obtained by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) employing a computer program developed by ANL. The test model was internally pressurized to failure. The two-dimensional code TEMP-STRESS [1-5] has been developed at ANL for stress analysis of plane and axisymmetric 2-D reinforced structures under various thermal conditions. The program is applicable to a wide variety of nonlinear problems, and is utilized in the present study. The comparison of these pretest computations with test data on the containment model should be a good indication of the state of the code

The measured contribution of whipping and springing on the fatigue and extreme loading of container vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Storhaug, Gaute

2014-12-01

Whipping/springing research started in the 50'ies. In the 60'ies inland water vessels design rules became stricter due to whipping/springing. The research during the 70-90'ies may be regarded as academic. In 2000 a large ore carrier was strengthened due to severe cracking from North Atlantic operation, and whipping/springing contributed to half of the fatigue damage. Measurement campaigns on blunt and slender vessels were initiated. A few blunt ships were designed to account for whipping/springing. Based on the measurements, the focus shifted from fatigue to extreme loading. In 2005 model tests of a 4,400 TEU container vessel included extreme whipping scenarios. In 2007 the 4400 TEU vessel MSC Napoli broke in two under similar conditions. In 2009 model tests of an 8,600 TEU container vessel container vessel included extreme whipping scenarios. In 2013 the 8,100 TEU vessel MOL COMFORT broke in two under similar conditions. Several classification societies have published voluntary guidelines, which have been used to include whipping/springing in the design of several container vessels. This paper covers results from model tests and full scale measurements used as background for the DNV Legacy guideline. Uncertainties are discussed and recommendations are given in order to obtain useful data. Whipping/springing is no longer academic.

Absorption Characteristics of Cement Combination Concrete Containing Portland Cement, fly ash, and Metakaolin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Folagbade S.O.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The resistance to water penetration of cement combination concretes containing Portland cement (PC, fly ash (FA, and metakaolin (MK have been investigated at different water/cement (w/c ratios, 28-day strengths, and depths of water penetration using their material costs and embodied carbon-dioxide (eCO2 contents. Results revealed that, at equal w/c ratio, eCO2 content reduced with increasing content of FA and MK. MK contributed to the 28-day strengths more than FA. Compared with PC, FA reduced cost and increased the depth of water penetration, MK increased cost and reduced the depth of water penetration, and their ternary combinations become beneficial. At equal strengths and levels of resistance to water penetration, most of the cement combination concretes are more environmentally compatible and costlier than PC concrete. Only MK binary cement concretes with 10%MK content or more and ternary cement concretes at a total replacement level of 55% with 10%MK content or more have higher resistance to water penetration than PC concrete.

Proceedings of the CSNI workshop on International Standard Problem 48 - Analysis of 1:4-scale prestressed concrete containment vessel model under severe accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

At the CSNI meeting in June 2002, the proposal for an International Standard Problem on containment integrity (ISP 48) based on the NRC/NUPEC/Sandia test was approved. Objectives were to extend the understanding of capacities of actual containment structures based on results of the recent PCCV Model test and other previous research. The ISP was sponsored by the USNRC, and results had been made available thanks to NUPEC and to the USNRC. Sandia National Laboratory was contracted to manage the technical aspects of the ISP. At the end of the ISP48, a workshop was organized in Lyon, France on April 6-7, 2005 hosted by Electricite de France. Its overall objective was to present results obtained by participants in the ISP 48 and to assess the current practices and the state of the art with respect to the calculation of concrete structures under severe accident conditions. Experience from other areas in civil engineering related to the modelling of complex structures was greatly beneficial to all. Information obtained as a result of this assessment were utilized to develop a consensus on these calculations and identify issues or 'gaps' in the present knowledge for the primary purpose of formulating and prioritizing research needs on this topic. The ISP48 exercise was published in the report referenced NEA/CSNI/R(2005)5 in 3 volumes. Volume 1 contains the synthesis of the exercise; Volumes 2 and 3 contain individual contributions of participating organizations. The CSNI Working Group on the Integrity and Ageing and in particular its sub-group on the behaviour of concrete structures has produced extensive material over the last few years. The complete list of references is given in this document. These proceedings gather the papers and presentations given by the participants at the Lyon workshop

Examination and testing requirements for concrete containment structures for CANDU nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1993-07-01

This Standard provides the examination and testing requirements that will apply to the work of any organization participating in the construction, installation, and fabrication of parts or components of concrete containment structures, or both, that are defined as class containment. 2 tabs.

Examination and testing requirements for concrete containment structures for CANDU nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

This Standard provides the examination and testing requirements that will apply to the work of any organization participating in the construction, installation, and fabrication of parts or components of concrete containment structures, or both, that are defined as class containment. 2 tabs

Material properties characterization - concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

England, G.L.; MacLeod, J.S.

1978-01-01

A review is presented of the six contributions in the SMiRT 4 conference to Session H5 on structural analysis of prestressed concrete reactor pressure vessels. These relate to short term stress-strain aspects of concrete loaded beyond the linear range in uniaxial and biaxial stress fields, to some time and temperature dependent properties of concrete at working stress levels, and to a programme of strain-gauge testing for the assessment of concrete properties. From the information discussed, it is clear that there are difficulties in determining material properties for concrete, and these are summarised. (UK)

A Constraint Programming Model for Fast Optimal Stowage of Container Vessel Bays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delgado-Ortegon, Alberto; Jensen, Rune Møller; Janstrup, Kira

2012-01-01

Container vessel stowage planning is a hard combinatorial optimization problem with both high economic and environmental impact. We have developed an approach that often is able to generate near-optimal plans for large container vessels within a few minutes. It decomposes the problem into a master...... planning phase that distributes the containers to bay sections and a slot planning phase that assigns containers of each bay section to slots. In this paper, we focus on the slot planning phase of this approach and present a constraint programming and integer programming model for stowing a set...... of containers in a single bay section. This so-called slot planning problem is NP-hard and often involves stowing several hundred containers. Using state-of-the-art constraint solvers and modeling techniques, however, we were able to solve 90% of 236 real instances from our industrial collaborator to optimality...

Study on the shear transfer of reinforced concrete at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Hiroaki; Kanazu, Tsutomu

1989-01-01

Reinforced concrete structures in nuclear power stations, such as a containment vessel and structural members supporting a reactor vessel, are designed assuming that they may be subjected to elevated temperature. In the design code, it is specified that the temperature of concrete must not exceed the limitation, and thermal effect shall be taken into account. In this study, the shearing test using Mattock type specimens was performed to investigate into the shear behavior of the reinforced concrete subjected to elevated temperature. The test parameters studied in this program were the reinforcement ratio in a shear plane, the compressive stress normal to a shear plane and temperature. The maximum shearing load of the specimens heated to 200 degC was about 10-20 % lower than that at normal temperature, but nearly equal to that of the specimens heated to 100 degC. The equation for evaluating the shearing strength ratio was proposed. The cracking width and slip at maximum shearing load increased as temperature rose. Up to 200 degC, the same relation existed between interface shear transfer rigidity and cracking width. (K.I.)

Scenario based optimization of a container vessel with respect to its projected operating conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Jonas; Binkowski, Eva; Bronsart, Robert

2014-06-01

In this paper the scenario based optimization of the bulbous bow of the KRISO Container Ship (KCS) is presented. The optimization of the parametrically modeled vessel is based on a statistically developed operational profile generated from noon-to-noon reports of a comparable 3600 TEU container vessel and specific development functions representing the growth of global economy during the vessels service time. In order to consider uncertainties, statistical fluctuations are added. An analysis of these data lead to a number of most probable upcoming operating conditions (OC) the vessel will stay in the future. According to their respective likeliness an objective function for the evaluation of the optimal design variant of the vessel is derived and implemented within the parametrical optimization workbench FRIENDSHIP Framework. In the following this evaluation is done with respect to vessel's calculated effective power based on the usage of potential flow code. The evaluation shows, that the usage of scenarios within the optimization process has a strong influence on the hull form.

Device of connecting the metal sheet lining a concrete enclosure to a pipe opening inside the enclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petit, Guy.

1975-01-01

Said invention relates to a sealed device connecting a metal sheet anchored on the internal side of a concrete vessel containing a hot pressurized fluid, with a metallic pipe opening inside said vessel. It is intended for heat insulating structures so-called 'hot skin' used for the pressure vessels of some boiling water reactors. Said invention is intended for different types of said pipe such as: the penetrations for the inlets and outlets of the primary circuit, or anchoring cylindrical sheaths used as supports of components or other elements located inside said pressure vessel [fr

Experimental investigation on the properties of concrete containing post-consumer plastic waste as coarse aggregate replacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zasiah TAFHEEM

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The consumption of various forms of plastic has been increased in recent days due to the boost in industrialization and other human activities. Most of the plastic wastes are abandoned and require large landfill area for storage. More importantly, the low biodegradability of plastic poses a serious threat to environment protection issue. Various methods have been followed for the disposal of plastic in an attempt to reduce the negative impact of the plastic on the environment. Recently, various types of plastic have been incorporated in concrete to minimize the exposure of plastic to the environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the properties of concrete containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET, and high density polyethylene (HDPE plastic that were used as partial replacement of coarse aggregate (CA. In this study, four compositions of stone aggregate(S: plastic waste ratios have been used by volume basis: 100% S: 0% Plastic (control concrete, 90% S: 10% PET, 90% S: 10% HDPE, and 90% S: 5% PET+5% HDPE. The effects of waste plastic addition on the mechanical properties of concrete are presented in this paper. Test results reveal that minimum reduction in compressive strength has been found 35% in case of 10% PET plastic replaced concrete whereas splitting tensile strength for 10% PET replaced concrete has been increased by 21% while compared to control concrete. In addition, fresh unit weight of concrete containing plastic waste has been decreased by 4% in comparison to control concrete.

Corrosion on reinforced concrete structures. An application for the intermediate level radioactive waste container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arva, Alejandro; Alvarez, Marta G.; Duffo, Gustavo S.

2003-01-01

The behavior of steel reinforcement bars (rebars) for a high performance reinforced concrete made of sulfate resistant portland cement was evaluated from the rebars corrosion point of view. The results from the present work will be used to evaluate the materials properties to be used in the construction of the intermediate level radioactive waste disposal containers. The study is carried out evaluating the incidence of chloride and sulfate ions, as well as, concrete carbonation in the rebar corrosion process. The electrochemical parameters that characterize the corrosion process (corrosion potential [E corr ], polarisation resistance [Rp] and concrete electrical resistivity [ρ]) were monitored on specially designed reinforced concrete specimens. The results up to date (about 1000 days of exposure) reveal that the concrete under study provides to the steel reinforcement bars of a passive state against corrosion under the test conditions. An increasing tendency as a function of time of ρ is observed that corroborates the continuous curing process of concrete. The chloride and carbonation diffusion coefficients were also determined, and their values are comparable with those of high quality concrete. (author)

Development of Severe Accident Containment Analysis Package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Chang-Hwan; Kim, Dong-Min; Seo, Jea-Uk; Lee, Dea-Young; Park, Soon-Ho; Lee, Jae-Gwon; Lee, Jin-Yong; Lee, Byung-Chul [FNC Technology Co., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In safety viewpoint, the pressure and temperature of the containment is the important parameters, of course, the local hydrogen concentration is also the parameter of the major concern because of its flammability and the risk of the detonation. In addition, there are possibilities of occurrence of other relevant phenomena following the reactor core melting such as DCH(direct containment heating) due to HPME(high pressure melt ejection), steam explosion due to fuel-coolant interaction in the reactor cavity and molten core concrete interaction at the late stage. It is important to predict the containment responses during a severe accident by a reasonable accuracy for establishing of effective mitigation strategies and preparation of the safety features required. In this paper, the overview of the SACAP development status is presented. SACAP is developed so as to be able to analyze, so called, Ex-Vessel severe accident phenomena including thermal-hydraulics, combustible gas burn, direct containment heating, steam explosion and molten core-concrete interaction. At the parallel time, SACAP and In-Vessel analysis module named CSPACE are processed for integration through MPI communication coupling. Development of the integrated severe accident analysis code system will be completed in following one year to make the code revision zero to be released.

Sulphuric Acid Resistant of Self Compacted Geopolymer Concrete Containing Slag and Ceramic Waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shafiq I.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysia is a one of the developing countries where the constructions of infrastructure is still ongoing, resulting in a high demand for concrete. In order to gain sustainability factors in the innovations for producing concrete, geopolymer concrete containing granulated blast-furnace slag and ceramics was selected as a cement replacement in concrete for this study. Since Malaysia had many ceramic productions and uses, the increment of the ceramic waste will also be high. Thus, a new idea to reuse this waste in construction materials have been tested by doing research on this waste. Furthermore, a previous research stated that Ordinary Portland Cement concrete has a lower durability compared to the geopolymer concrete. Geopolymer binders have been reported as being acid resistant and thus are a promising and alternative binder for sewer pipe manufacture. Lack of study regarding the durability of the geopolymer self-compacting concrete was also one of the problems. The waste will be undergoing a few processes in the laboratory in order to get it in the best form before undergoing the next process as a binder in geopolymer concrete. This research is very significant in order to apply the concept of sustainability in the construction field. In addition, the impact of this geopolymer binder is that it emits up to nine times less CO2 than Portland Cement.

Insights for aging management of light water reactor components: Metal containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, V.N.; Sinha, U.P.; Smith, S.K.

1994-03-01

This report evaluates the available technical information and field experience related to management of aging damage to light water reactor metal containments. A generic aging management approach is suggested for the effective and comprehensive aging management of metal containments to ensure their safe operation. The major concern is corrosion of the embedded portion of the containment vessel and detection of this damage. The electromagnetic acoustic transducer and half-cell potential measurement are potential techniques to detect corrosion damage in the embedded portion of the containment vessel. Other corrosion-related concerns include inspection of corrosion damage on the inaccessible side of BWR Mark I and Mark II containment vessels and corrosion of the BWR Mark I torus and emergency core cooling system piping that penetrates the torus, and transgranular stress corrosion cracking of the penetration bellows. Fatigue-related concerns include reduction in the fatigue life (a) of a vessel caused by roughness of the corroded vessel surface and (b) of bellows because of any physical damage. Maintenance of surface coatings and sealant at the metal-concrete interface is the best protection against corrosion of the vessel

Investigation of Properties of Asphalt Concrete Containing Boron Waste as Mineral Filler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cahit GÜRER

2016-05-01

Full Text Available During the manufacture of compounds in the boron mining industry a large quantity of waste boron is produced which has detrimental effects on the environment. Large areas have to be allocated for the disposal of this waste. Today with an increase in infrastructure construction, more efficient use of the existing sources of raw materials has become an obligation and this involves the recycling of various waste materials. Road construction requires a significant amount of raw materials and it is possible that substantial amounts of boron-containing waste materials can be recycled in these applications. This study investigates the usability of boron wastes as filler in asphalt concrete. For this purpose, asphalt concrete samples were produced using mineral fillers containing 4%, 5%, 6%, 7% and 8% boron waste as well as a 6% limestone filler (6%L as the control sample. The Marshall Design, mechanical immersion and Marshall Stability test after a freeze-thaw cycle and indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM test were performed for each of the series. The results of this experimental study showed that boron waste can be used in medium and low trafficked asphalt concrete pavements wearing courses as filler.

Applicability of JIS SPV 50 steel to primary containment vessel of nuclear power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, Kunihiro; Ishikawa, Koji; Sakai, Keiichi; Onozuka, Masakazu; Sato, Makoto.

1979-01-01

The space within reactor containment vessels must be expanded in order to improve the reliability of nuclear power plants, accordingly the adoption of large reactor containment vessels is investigated. SGV 42 and 49 steels in JIS G 3118 have been used for containment vessels so far, but stress relief annealing is required when the thickness exceeds 38 mm. The time has come when the use of thicker conventional plates without stress relieving or the use of high strength steel must be examined in detail. In this study, the tests of confirming material properties were carried out on SPV 50 in JIS G 3115, Steels for pressure vessels, aiming at the method of fabrication without stress relieving. The highest and lowest temperatures in use were set at 171 deg and -8 deg C, respectively. The chemical composition and the mechanical properties of the plates tested, the method of welding, the results of tensile test on the parent metal and the welds, the required lowest preheating temperature, the fracture toughness at low temperature and the brittle fracture causing test are reported. The parent metal and the welded joints of SPV 50 have the properties suitable to reactor containment vessels, namely the sufficient fracture toughness to guarantee the prevention of unstable fracture when the method of welding without stress relieving is adopted. (Kako, I.)

Behaviour of a pre-stressed concrete pressure-vessel subjected to a high temperature gradient; Comportement d'un caisson en beton precontraint soumis a un gradient de temperature eleve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dubois, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Bonvalet, Ch; Dawance, G; Marechal, J C [Centre Experimental de Recherches et d' Etudes du Batiment et des Travaux Publics (CEBTP), 76 - Harfleur (France)

1965-07-01

After a review of the problems presented by pressure-vessels for atomic reactors (shape of the vessel, pressures, openings, foundations, etc.) the advantages of pre-stressed concrete vessels with respect to steel ones are given. The use of pre-stressed concrete vessels however presents many difficulties connected with the properties of concrete. Thus, because of the absence of an exact knowledge of the material, it is necessary to place a sealed layer of steel against the concrete, to have a thermal insulator or a cooling circuit for limiting the deformations and stresses, etc. It follows that the study of the behaviour of pre-stressed concrete and of the vessel subjected- to a high temperature gradient can yield useful information. A one-tenth scale model of a pre-stressed concrete cylindrical vessel without any side openings and without a base has been built. Before giving a description of the tests the authors consider some theoretical aspects concerning 'scale model-actual structure' similitude conditions and the calculation of the thermal and mechanical effects. The pre-stressed concrete model was heated internally by a 'pyrotenax' element and cooled externally by a very strong air current. The concrete was pre-stressed using horizontal and vertical cables held at 80 kg/cm{sup 2}; the thermal gradient was 160 deg. C. During the various tests, measurements were made of the overall and local deformations, the changes in water content, the elasticity modulus, the stress and creep of the cables and the depths of the cracks. The overall deformations observed are in line with thermal deformation theories and the creep of the cables attained 20 to 30 per cent according to their position relative to the internal surface. The dynamic elasticity modulus decreased by half but the concrete keeps its good mechanical properties. Finally, cracks 8 to 12 cm deep and 2 to 3 mms wide appeared in that part of the concrete which was not pre-stressed. The results obtained make it

Large scale model experimental analysis of concrete containment of nuclear power plant strengthened with externally wrapped carbon fiber sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Tao; Chen Xiaobing; Yue Qingrui

2005-01-01

Concrete containment of Nuclear Power Station is the last shield structure in case of nuclear leakage during an accident. The experiment model in this paper is a 1/10 large-scale model of a real-sized prestressed reinforced concrete containment. The model containment was loaded by hydraulic pressure which simulated the design pressure during the accident. Hundreds of sensors and advanced data-collect systems were used in the test. The containment was first loaded to the damage pressure then strengthened with externally wrapping Carbon fiber sheet around the outer surface of containment structure. Experimental results indicate that CFRP system can greatly increase the capacity of concrete containment to endure the inner pressure. CFRP system can also effectively confine the deformation and the cracks caused by loading. (authors)

Assessment of Containment Structures Against Missile Impact Threats

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI Q M

2006-01-01

In order to ensure the highest safety requirements,nuclear power plant structures (the containment structures,the fuel storages and transportation systems) should be assessed against all possible internal and external impact threats.The internal impact threats include kinetic missiles generated by the failure of high pressure vessels and pipes,the failure of high speed rotating machineries and accidental drops.The external impact threats may come from airborne missiles,aircraft impact,explosion blast and fragments.The impact effects of these threats on concrete and steel structures in a nuclear power plant are discussed.Methods and procedures for the impact assessment of nuclear power plants are introduced.Recent studies on penetration and perforation mechanics as well as progresses on dynamic properties of concrete-like materials are presented to increase the understanding of the impact effects on concrete containment structures.

Using An Adapter To Perform The Chalfant-Style Containment Vessel Periodic Maintenance Leak Rate Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loftin, B.; Abramczyk, G.; Trapp, D.

2011-01-01

Recently the Packaging Technology and Pressurized Systems (PT and PS) organization at the Savannah River National Laboratory was asked to develop an adapter for performing the leak-rate test of a Chalfant-style containment vessel. The PT and PS organization collaborated with designers at the Department of Energy's Pantex Plant to develop the adapter currently in use for performing the leak-rate testing on the containment vessels. This paper will give the history of leak-rate testing of the Chalfant-style containment vessels, discuss the design concept for the adapter, give an overview of the design, and will present results of the testing done using the adapter.

Scenario based optimization of a container vessel with respect to its projected operating conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonas Wagner

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper the scenario based optimization of the bulbous bow of the KRISO Container Ship (KCS is presented. The optimization of the parametrically modeled vessel is based on a statistically developed operational profile generated from noon-to-noon reports of a comparable 3600 TEU container vessel and specific development functions representing the growth of global economy during the vessels service time. In order to consider uncertainties, statistical fluctuations are added. An analysis of these data lead to a number of most probable upcoming operating conditions (OC the vessel will stay in the future. According to their respective likeliness an objective function for the evaluation of the optimal design variant of the vessel is derived and implemented within the parametrical optimization workbench FRIENDSHIP Framework. In the following this evaluation is done with respect to vessel's calculated effective power based on the usage of potential flow code. The evaluation shows, that the usage of scenarios within the optimization process has a strong influence on the hull form.

Periodic Safety Review of Tendon Pre-stress of Concrete Containment Building for a CA U-Type clear Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, Kwang Ho; Lim, Woo Sang [Korea Hydro and clear Power Co., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2009-10-15

Generally, as the tendon pre-stress of concrete containment buildings at nuclear power plants decreases as time passes due to the concrete creep, concrete shrinkage and the relaxation of tendon strands, the tendon pre-stress must secure the structural integrity of these buildings by maintaining its value higher than that of the designed pre-stress during the overall service life of the nuclear power plants. Moreover, if necessary, the degree of tendon pre-stress must also guarantee the structural integrity of concrete containment buildings over their lifetimes. This paper evaluated the changes in the tendon pre-stress of a concrete containment building subject to time-limited aging as an item in a periodic safety review (PSR) of Wolsong unit 1, a CANDU-type nuclear power plant to ensure that the structural integrity can be maintained until the next PSR period after the designed lifetime.