Idaho Falls, ID
Idaho National Laboratory, Advanced Test Reactor, Equipment Seismic Qualification
Scope/Solutions
The Department of Energy uses the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory to test nuclear fuel systems and materials. SGH engineers performed the experienced-based seismic qualification of Seismic Category I equipment at the ATR to Performance Category 4 (PC-4) seismic criteria specified by DOE-STD-1020-2002.
SGH engineers screened the equipment following experience-based procedures of DOE/EH-0545 and through field walkdowns, quantitative analytical evaluations, and engineering judgment. Our experience-based equipment seismic qualification included comparison of seismic capacity and seismic demand, equipment caveat screening, anchorage verification, and interaction screening.
Equipment components not satisfying the DOE/EH-0545 screening procedures were designated as outliers. We subsequently seismically-qualified many of the outliers for PC-4 seismic criteria by implementing other methods, including further review of earthquake experience data beyond that implicit in DOE/EH-0545, additional seismic analysis, and engineering judgment.
We documented the Seismic Category I equipment seismic qualification and a series of supporting calculations. In addition, we developed a cross-referenced, sortable database of all information generated throughout the project, including extractable Screening Evaluation Work Sheets (SEWS) for all equipment items with hyperlinks to photos.