W8 Challenges and Lessons Learned in the Design and Analysis of Civil Structures for New Reactors

The process under 10 CFR Part 52, "Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants," requires that civil structures in design certification applications for new reactors be mostly completed so that combined license applicants can incorporate the design certification by reference.  The NRC staff has successfully completed safety reviews for a number of design certification applications (advanced boiling-water reactor, AP1000, economic simplified boiling water reactor) while making significant progress on others.  However, both the industry and the NRC staff are still facing significant challenges in resolving relevant safety issues in an effective and efficient manner.  This session will cover the key lessons learned with respect to challenges in seismic analyses, structural designs, closure of inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria (ITAAC); and technical issues with the computer code SASSI (the System of Analysis for Soil-Structure Interaction).  Panelists will include representatives from the NRC staff, academia, and industry.  Insights learned from these key challenges will help facilitate the safety review of civil structures for new reactor applications and may be of importance for implementation of structural design aspects of the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident.

SESSION CHAIR:

Mohammed Shuaibi, Deputy Director, Division of Engineering, NRC/NRO

SPEAKERS/PANELISTS:

• Challenges in Review of Seismic and Civil Structural Designs for New Reactors
  Jim Xu, Sr. Structural Engineer, Division of Engineering, NRC/NRO
• Lessons learned in Design Certification of Civil Structures for the U.S. EPR
  Darrell Gardner, Manager, Regulatory Affairs, U.S. EPR Licensing Projects, AREVA, Inc.
• Vogtle COL Applicant Perspective of Challenges and Lessons Learned
  Donald Moore, Principal and Consulting Engineer, Southern Nuclear Operating Company
• Challenges in the Design and Review of Civil Structures for the South Texas Project ABWR
  Steven Thomas, Engineering Manager, STP Units 3&4, Nuclear Innovation North America
• Specification for Steel-Concrete Composite Structures for Safety Related Nuclear Facilities: Development and Current Progress
  Amit Varma, Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University

SESSION COORDINATOR(S):

Milton Valentin, Structural Engineer, Division of Engineering, NRC/NRO, tel: 301-415-4061, e-mail: Milton.Valentin@nrc.gov