Rationale for Incorporating Inservice Inspection Requirements During Nuclear Power Plant Design/Fabrication

Section XI, “Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components,” of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code contains the requirements for inservice inspection (ISI) of commercial nuclear reactors. This inspection code covers ISI of nuclear vessels, piping, pumps, valves, and their supports; it also includes inservice testing of pumps and valves for assessing operational readiness. Experience indicates that greater efficiency and reliability would result if ISI requirements were factored in earlier in the product development cycle, particularly in the design and fabrication stages. Furthermore, strong motivational factors exist from the plant owners’ viewpoint to encourage awareness of ISI requirements.