ASME BPVC.III.2-2023 PDF
Section III – Division 2 contains requirements for the material, design, construction, fabrication, testing, examination, and overpressure protection of concrete containment structures, pre-stressed or reinforced. These requirements are applicable only to those components that are designed to provide a pressure retaining or containing barrier. They are not applicable to other support structures, except as they directly affect the components of the systems. This Section contains appendices, both mandatory and nonmandatory, for Division 2 construction.
Careful application of this Section will help users to comply with applicable regulations within their jurisdictions, while achieving the operational, cost and safety benefits to be gained from the many industry best-practices detailed within these volumes.
INTRODUCTION TO SECTION III, DIVISION 2
This document has been prepared by the Joint ACI-ASME Technical Committee on Concrete Pressure Components for Nuclear Service under the sponsorship of the American Concrete Institute and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The two Societies have agreed that it will be published as Section III, Division 2, of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Any changes to it shall be subject to the standardization procedures of the two sponsoring Societies.
The basic materials for this document were provided by two committee reports, one by ACI and the other by ASME. The ACI Committee 349, Criteria for Nuclear Containment Vessels, and the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Committee,
Section Il Division 2, Subgroup on Concrete Components, submitted their completed committee reports in September 1971 to ACI and ASME, respectively.
These two documents were melded intoa single document dated January 17, 1972, and entitled Proposed Standard — Code for Concrete Reactor Vesselsand Containments. A second draft was published August 1, 1972, thatincluded new and revised technical material plus administrative agreements reached by the two Societies. Finally, after approval was received from the two Societies, a third and final draft was published in April 1973 for public “trial use and comment” for a period of about one year. During that year numerous public comments and suggestions were received from different segments of industry and regulatory agencies. In addition, two public hearings were held on the Code: the frst on October 10, 1973, in Ottawa, Canada, the second on November 26, 1973, in Atlanta, Georgia. The consideration of all comments received as of November 28, 1973, resulted ina series of six Committee Addenda which were incorporated in the Code. The results of these three years of effort by the Committee have culminated in the present document.
The Joint Committee, whose membership includes individuals from both ACl and ASME and many others actively involved in the field, was formed in September 1971. The three primary goals established for the Committee are
(a) to establish rules in the form of a code for the design, construction, inspection, and testing of reinforced and prestressed concrete containments, including metallic liner, for nuclear power reactors
(b) to interpret these rules when questions arise regarding their intent
(c) to periodically update code provisions, making full use of the expedited procedure for revision of standards as necessary
Itisexpected that comments and discussions will continue to be received by the Joint Committee for review. Comments. shall state clearly which area and wording of the Code is being discussed. Suggested revisions shall be worded as parallel text, giving both the present wording and showing how the proposed changed paragraphs should read, and shall be accompanied by a commentary (including references where appropriate) to support the proposed recommendations. Discussions, commentaries, and committee actions will be printed in the publications of the two Societies. Discussions may be sent to either the ACI or ASME headquarters marked to the attention of the Joint ACI-ASME Committee.