Title:
Development of Structural Integrity Assessment Technologies for a Concrete Containment Structure under Ultimate Pressure Condition
Author(s):
Min Kyu Kim
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
11/3/2024
Abstract:
The containment building of a nuclear power plant is the last barrier of defense to maintain safety in the event of a severe accident, and the integrity of the containment building is the last line of defense against the release of radioactive material. Among the worst nuclear accidents in human history, the Tree Mile Island nuclear power plant accident in 1979, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the TMI nuclear power plant accident was able to prevent the leakage of radioactive substances even though a severe accident occurred because the containment building remained sound. This proves the importance of containment buildings. Nuclear power plant containment buildings are most commonly constructed of prestressed concrete, but there are also some constructed of steel. In the case of PS concrete containment building, in order to prepare for the increase in internal pressure in the event of a severe accident, compression force is applied using a tendon in advance to secure sufficient safety, but due to the characteristics of concrete, cracks may occur, and these cracks may become a pathway for external leakage of radioactive materials in the event of a severe accident. In addition, a number of corroded cavities and degradation of liner plates have been found in recent Korean nuclear power plants. Therefore, a study to evaluate the safety of PS concrete containment buildings began in 2022, started by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and will be conducted for eight years until 2029. Although a variety of researches are being conducted to evaluate the integrity of concrete containment buildings, the purpose of the research can be categorized into two main areas. The first is to derive the probability of failure of concrete containment buildings due to an increase in internal pressure in the event of a severe accident.