Information Notice No. 86-25: Traceability and Material Control of Material and Equipment, Particularly Fasteners
SSINS No: 6835
IN 86-25
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20555
April 11, 1986
Information Notice No. NO 86-25: TRACEABILITY AND MATERIAL CONTROL OF
MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY
FASTENERS
Addressees:
All nuclear power reactor facilities holding a construction permit (CP) or
an operating license (OL)
Purpose:
This notice is provided to alert recipients of potentially significant
problems identified during NRC Construction Appraisal Team (CAT) inspections
of licensee programs for the inspection of material and equipment,
particularly fasteners, to prevent the use of incorrect or defective
materials, parts and components It is expected that the recipients will
review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider
actions, if appropriate, to preclude similar problems from occurring at
their facilities However, suggestions contained in this notice do not
constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written
response is required
Description of Circumstances:
During NRC CAT inspections conducted since 1982, deficiencies in material
traceability and control of fasteners were identified at 11 sites This
raised questions regarding the adequacy of controls to prevent the use of
incorrect or defective fastener materials A brief summary of findings for
each site is attached See Attachment 1
Discussion
The deficiencies in material traceability and control of fasteners
identified at 11 sites mentioned above were attributed to ineffective site
inspection programs and vendor surveillance activities by the licensees
Deficiencies were found in fasteners for large vendor-supplied mechanical
and electrical equipment (eg, pump-motor assemblies mounted on skids) and
in bolting for battery racks and electrical equipment cabinets at many
sites These and other deficiencies are described in Attachment I
Because fastener deficiencies, if uncorrected, could adversely affect
operational safety and/or safety in case of seismic events, recipients of
this notice should review the information presented to avoid similar
deficiencies at their facilities
8604090451
IN 86-25
April 11, 1986
Page 2 of 2
It is important that particular attention be given to licensee programs for
ensuring the traceability of material and equipment and to prevent the use
of incorrect or defective materials, parts and components It is important
that the licensee be aware of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B, Criterion VIII -
Identification and Control of Materials, Parts and Components and applicable
codes and specifications and that measures have been established and
implemented for identification and control of materials, parts and
components and for traceability both to the approved design basis and to the
source It is important that required identification of the item is
maintained by heat number, part number, serial number, or other appropriate
means, either on the item or on records traceable to the item as required,
and that required markings are on the item
The licensee has the responsibility to use qualified individuals to examine
markings on material arid equipment and verify that the markings represent
material and equipment as specified by the design drawings and
specifications In the case of fasteners, compliance with the applicable
material specification (eg, ASTM or ASME material and grade) is verified
by required markings on bolts and nuts and certified material test reports
or certificates of conformance as required by the applicable procurement
drawings and specifications and/or by the applicable codes and
specifications In the case of vendor-supplied equipment assemblies
containing fasteners, it is important to verify compliance with approved
vendor drawings and specifications and other information such as materials
used for equipment qualification tests and/or analyses It is important that
caution be exercised to ensure that the required markings on material and
equipment, including fasteners, not only exist but that the markings
indicate the correct material and grade as specified
No specific action or written response is required by this information
notice If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the
Regional Administrator of the appropriate NRC Regional Office, or this
office
Edward L Jordan Director
Division of Emergency Preparedness
and Engineering Response
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contact: Henry Phillips, IE
(301) 492-4531
Attachments:
1 Summary of Deficiencies Found During
NRC CAT Inspections at Various Sites
2 List, of Recently Issued IE Information Notices
Attachment 1
IN 86-25
April 11, 1986
Page 1 of 3
SUMMARY OF DEFICIENCIES FOUND DURING
NRC CAT INSPECTIONS AT VARIOUS SITES
South Texas Project Units 1 and 2
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the South Texas Project in
October and November 1985, lack of traceability was found for fastener
materials for certain vendor-supplied large mechanical equipment assemblies
mounted on skids and for certain electrical equipment It also was found
that engineering had deleted the requirement of the specified national
standard for manufacturers marking of fasteners intended for electrical
cable tray and conduit supports, which contributed to the resulting
uncertainty of fastener control and traceability during and after
installation For details refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection
Report 50-498/85-21 and 50-499/85-19
Byron Unit 2 Station
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Byron Unit 2 Station in
August and September 1985, significant lack of traceability was found for
fastener materials, including assembly and mounting bolts for large
vendor-supplied pumps/motors; bolts for battery racks, electrical switchgear
and other equipment; and bolts attaching heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) duct sections For details refer to Construction
Appraisal Team Inspection Report 50-455/85-27
Clinton Power Station
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Clinton Power Station in May
and June 1985, lack of traceability was found for some vendor-supplied
fastener materials, including bolts for large pump-motor and skid-mounted
pump-turbine assemblies, and mounting bolts for HVAC control cabinets For
details refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection Report 50-461/85-30
Millstone Unit 3
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Millstone Unit 3 site in
February and March 1985, significant lack of traceability was found for
vendor-supplied fastener materials, including bolts for mounting large pump
motors, bolts for battery racks, and bolts for interconnecting adjacent
motor control center cabinets For details refer to Construction Appraisal
Team Inspection Report 50-423/85-04
Attachment 1
IN 86-25
April 11, 1986
Page 2 of 3
Shearon Harris Unit 1
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Shearon Harris Unit 1 site in
October and November 1984, problems were identified regarding traceability
of fastener materials, including large embedded anchor bolts and equipment
mounting bolts and nuts It was noted that both the applicant and the NRC
Region II had previously identified such deficiencies and corrective actions
were in progress by the applicant For details refer to Construction
Appraisal Team Inspection Report 50-400/84-41
River Bend Unit 1
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the River Bend Unit 1 site in
July and August 1984, deficiencies were found in material traceability and
control of some safety-related fasteners, piping flange components, and
environmental control of weld filler material storage ovens Also, work or
rework of some flange joints was being accomplished without QC or
engineering knowledge or concurrence, which also resulted in a loss of
material control For details refer to Construction Appraisal Team
Inspection Report 50-458/84-23
Seabrook Station
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Seabrook Station in April and
May 1984, problems were identified regarding traceability of embedded anchor
bolt/nut assemblies, equipment mounting bolts and nuts, flange fasteners and
the use of indeterminate fastening materials in seismic bolting
applications For details refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection
Report 50-443/84-07
Waterford Steam Electric Station Unit 3
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Waterford Steam Electric
Station Unit 3 in February and March 1984, traceability deficiencies were
found for such fastener items as embedded anchor bolts; equipment mounting
bolts/studs, nuts and washers; and flange joint studs and nuts For details
refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection Report 50-382/84-07
Nine Mile Point Station Unit 2
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Nine Mile Point Station Unit
2 in November and December 1983, material traceability deficiencies were
found for ASME III Class 1 linear NF hanger parts for the reactor coolant
recirculation system, and a number of examples of deficiencies in material
control for safety-related fasteners and unused weld material were found in
the plant For details refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection
Report 50-410/83-18
Attachment 1
IN 86-25
April 11, 1986
Page 3 of 3
Perry Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant
Units 1 and 2 in August and September 1983, deficiencies were found in
traceability and material control for fasteners and small components For
details refer to Construction Appraisal Team Inspection Report 50-440/83-31,
50-441/83-30
Washington Nuclear Plant Number 2 (WNP-2)
During the NRC CAT inspection conducted at WNP-2 in May and June 1983,
problems were identified in the area of fastener traceability Specifically,
improper or uncontrolled material substitutions were noted with respect to
fastener quality on pipe flanges, valve bonnets, mechanical connections, and
pump couplings For details refer to Construction Appraisal Inspection
Report 50-397/83-29
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, March 09, 2021