Abstract
This chapter describes the surveillance scpchemes that supported safe operation of C–Mn steel pressure vessels in UK Magnox reactors from the late 1950s to 2006. Development of irradiation hardening and embrittlement in vessel plates, forgings and welds was determined from reactor-exposed samples. Submerged-arc welds became the most critical materials requiring integrity assessment using fracture mechanics. Dose–damage equations, incorporating exposure temperature and neutron spectrum terms, successfully overcame several critical issues. Sophisticated statistical methods analysing weld embrittlement were developed and validated using weld data from a decommissioned vessel. This enabled continued safe operation of the remaining vessels for ~40years.
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