Critical Section Selection Methodology for the U.S. EPRTM Standard Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

A three-tier critical section selection methodology that is used to identify critical sections for the U.S. EPRTM standard nuclear power plant (NPP) is presented. The critical section selection methodology includes three complementary approaches: qualitative, quantitative, and supplementary. These three approaches are applied to Seismic Category I structures in a complementary fashion to identify the most critical portions of the building whose structural integrity needs to be maintained for postulated design basis events and conditions. Once the design of critical sections for a particular Seismic Category I structure is complete, the design for that structure is essentially complete for safety evaluation purposes. Critical sections, taken as a whole, are analytically representative of an “essentially complete” U.S. EPRTM design; their structural design adequacy provides reasonable assurance of overall U.S. EPRTM structural design adequacy.