Revision 1: Availability of Reactor Vessel Integrity Database

                                 UNITED STATES
                         NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                     OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
                         WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555-0001

                                 July 10, 1996


NRC ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 95-03, Revision 1:  AVAILABILITY OF REACTOR 
                                              VESSEL INTEGRITY DATABASE


Addressees


All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power
reactors.


Purpose


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this administrative
letter to inform addressees of the availability of Revision 1 of the Reactor
Vessel Integrity Database (RVID).  This administrative letter does not
transmit or imply any new or changed requirements or staff positions.  No
specific action or written response is required.


Background


As a result of the NRC staff review of licensee responses to Generic Letter
(GL) 92-01, Revision 1, "Reactor Vessel Structural Integrity, 10 CFR
50.54(f)," a comprehensive database was developed to compile and record
summaries of the materials properties of the reactor vessel beltline materials
for each plant.  This database is known as the RVID.  Version 1.1 was issued
in July 1995.  

In addition to the licensee responses to GL 92-01, the following documents
were included in the review process and development of the RVID:  surveillance
capsule reports, documents referenced in the GL 92-01 submittals, and, as
applicable, pressurized thermal shock (PTS) submittals, pressure-temperature
(P/T) limits reports and responses to NRC staff requests for additional
information (RAIs).  The staff reviewed the data from these source documents
and documented them in the RVID tables.  For many units, responses to the
close-out letters to GL 92-01 are not reflected in this version, but will be
included in a future version of the RVID.

Discussion

The RVID has been set up so that there are four tables for each plant:  a
background information table, a chemistry data table, an upper-shelf-energy
table, and a pressure-temperature limits table for boiling-water reactors or a
PTS table for pressurized-water reactors.  The information categories in each
table are either direct inputs or values calculated from these inputs. 
Explanations for each of the information categories are contained in the user 
manual.  References follow each table to document the original sources of data
and to provide additional information.


9607030343.
                                                            AL 95-03, Rev. 1
                                                            July 10, 1996
                                                            Page 2 of 4 


The RVID includes sort and data search capabilities.  The user can select a
desired grouping of plants and then specify up to 10 information categories to
search and list.  Features to allow updating of the information by users have
not been included.

The original RVID code was revised, and the user manual was expanded as a
result of the staff assessment of the database and comments from database
users.  The database containing the current changes will be issued as 
Revision 1 in June 1996.  A summary of the revisions follows:

The code for determining the percent drop in upper shelf energy (USE) was
modified to correctly calculate USE values for beltline materials with very
high copper values.

The table headings for the PTS summary files were revised to read "Summary
File for PTS" (for PWRs) and "Summary File for  Pressure/Temperature Limits"
(for BWRs) in order to reflect that BWRs do not have PTS evaluations. 
Pressure-temperature limits information for BWR beltline materials, and not
PTS evaluations, are contained in the RVID.

A means of identifying surveillance data as credible ("Y") or 
      non-credible ("N") has been added to the database.  Eight units were
      assessed by the staff because the RVID reflected that surveillance data
      was being used to calculate the chemistry factor for the limiting
      material in the reactor vessel.  Six units were confirmed to have
      credible surveillance data and two were determined to have 
      non-credible data.  The staff will continue to review surveillance data
      and the appropriate changes for non-credible surveillance data will be
      made accordingly in future versions of the RVID.    

Several changes were made to the user manual in response to comments from
database users:
      
      The appropriate configuration of the "config.sys" file that is needed to
      properly run the RVID was outlined with an explanation of why the file
      and buffer configurations are important.  
      
      The RVID was not designed to work in a networked environment.  Although
      it can function under this scenario, error messages will appear when
      multiple users are logged into the system.  The problems that
      simultaneous access of the system can cause are described in the manual.
.
                                                            AL 95-03, Rev. 1
                                                            July 10, 1996
                                                            Page 3 of 4

      
      Instructions on how to create the batch file needed to successfully run
      the RVID are outlined for users who do not already have the batch file
      in the RVID directory.

      The manual was revised to clarify that P/T limits reports and not just
      PTS reports are available in the RVID.   

      Expanded information was provided on how to find a specific plant record
      while in the plant information screen.
                                                      
      A paragraph stating that the database can contain information that is
      not docketed was added to the manual.

It is not NRC staff intent to provide assistance with the computerized aspects
of operating the RVID.  In addition to the detailed explanations given in the
manual, "help" features have been included throughout the RVID.  Also, at the
public workshop between NRC and the Nuclear Energy Institute on reactor
pressure vessel integrity, held July 13, 1995, there was an RVID
demonstration.  The staff encourages comments from users regarding the RVID. 
The RVID will be updated periodically, as NRC resources allow, to reflect the
latest information available.

The information submitted by licensees in their responses to the staff
GL 92-01 closeout letters (for many units) and to GL 92-01, Supplement 1 will
not be included in Revision 1.  Licensees have joined with owner groups in
order to address the issues raised in Supplement 1.  The new information is
expected to be available at the end of 1997, and the RVID will be updated
accordingly.

The RVID diskettes (5) and the RVID user manual are currently available on the
NRC world wide web homepage.  To access the homepage, one must have an 
Internet account and a web browser such as Mosaic, Lynx, or Netscape.   

System requirements for running the RVID are a 386 personal computer 
(486 preferred), DOS version 6.0 or above, and 6 to 8 megabytes RAM.  A color
monitor and mouse are also preferred.  

This administrative letter requires no specific action or written response. 
If you have any questions about this letter, please call the contact listed
below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project
manager.
.
                                                            AL 95-03, Rev. 1
                                                            July 10, 1996
                                                            Page 4 of 4 


Disclaimer Notice                                           

The RVID was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the
United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor any agency
thereof, or any of its employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or
assumes any legal liability of responsibility for any third party's use, or
the results of such use, of any information, apparatus, product, or process
disclosed in this database, or represents that its use by such third party
would not infringe privately owned rights.

                                          signed by

                                    Brian K. Grimes, Acting Director
                                    Division of Reactor Program Management    
                                    Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Contact:  Andrea Lee, NRR
          (301) 415-2735
          E-mail:  adw1@nrc.gov