Effectiveness of Inservice Inspection Requirements of Prestressed Concrete Containments - U.S. Experience

Abstract

In the United States, the prestressing tendon components of all the prestressed concrete containments are required to undergo periodic inspections. The paper describes various provisions of these inspections, and the changes thereof which have been implemented since the beginning of the use of prestressed concrete in containments of the commercial nuclear power plants. The paper discusses, in some detail, the regulatory concerns and the impact of public input in promulgating the provisions of the inspections. It describes briefly the provisions developed for inspecting the containments whose prestressing tendons are protected from corrosion by means of cement grout. It describes the effectiveness of these provisions in terms of assessing the continued integrity of the containments. It also describes some of the difficulties associated with the inspection of greased prestressing tendons. In addition, the authors have indicated how new designs can benefit from the experience with the use of prestressed concrete in U.S. containments.