Report a Safety Concern
Search

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of rescinding or revising guidance and policies posted on this webpage in accordance with Executive Order 14151 Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Executive Order 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. In the interim, any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded that is inconsistent with these Executive Orders.

Home NRC Library Document Collections NUREG-Series Publications Publications Prepared by NRC Contractors

A Summary of Aging Effects and Their Management in Reactor Spent Fuel Pools, Refueling Cavities, Tori, and Safety-Related Concrete Structures (NUREG/CR-7111, ORNL/TM-2011/410)

On this page:

Download complete document

Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: November 2011
Date Published: January 2012

Prepared by:
D.A. Copinger,1 C.B. Oland,2 and D.J. Naus1

1Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Managed by UT-Battelle, LLC
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6165

2XCEL Engineering
1066 Commerce Park Drive
Oak Ridge, TN 37830-8026

A.H. Sheikh and A. Prinaris, NRC Program Managers

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

Availability Notice

Abstract

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted an independent review of operating experience at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants regarding spent fuel pool and reactor cavity leakage, boiling-water reactor Mark I containment torus corrosion and cracking, and aging degradation of safety-related concrete structures. The review was restricted to information in publicly available sources, including license renewal applications submitted by the licensees and safety evaluation reports prepared by the staff. Information compiled for spent fuel pool and reactor refueling cavity leakage focused on the cause and extent of leakage, the effects of borated water on materials, the effects on concrete and steel degradation, corrective actions, and the effects of material degradation on load-carrying capacity. The review of boiling-water reactor Mark I containment information involved identification of the causes of torus corrosion and cracking, the locations of corrosion and cracking, and engineering evaluations and acceptance criteria. The review of operating experience for age-related degradation of concrete structures concentrated on corrosion; loss of prestressing force; concrete cracking, scaling, and spalling, including freeze-thaw; loss of bond between the concrete and embedded steel reinforcement; loss of strength; and increase in porosity and permeability. The results of the review are summarized in a series of degradation occurrence tables and discussed in plant-specific case studies.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021