Abstract
Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessels (PCCVs) refer to a popular type of containment used in the United States for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). This paper presents analytically predicted ultimate pressures and seismic levels for PCCVs, considering various modes of failures. Results for six containments are presented, and correlated with the available test data. The analytical methods use either classical techniques or finite element analyses. The ultimate capacity calculations are based upon conservative deterministic estimates of strength of the structure, under both internal pressure and earthquake loads. The results indicate the following: internal pressure capacities of PCCVs built in the US are almost uniformly equal to 2.5 times the design pressure; seismic capacities are at least two times the design level, but they vary widely among the PCCVs depending on the foundation characteristics; seismic capacity of a PCCV decreases with internal pressure; and a PCCV is expected to contribute very little to the overall seismic risk of a nuclear power plant.
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