University of Pisa
Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering
ASME III Introduction
D. Aquaro; R. Lo Frano
rosa.lofrano@ing.unipi.it; aquaro@ing.unipi.it
DICI- University of Pisa, Italy.
1
Brief History of Steam Power
Throughout the 1800s, both boiler size and operating
pressure continued to increase
By the 1890s the number of boiler explosions was more
than one per day
Steam boiler explosions were costing thousands of lives
Examples:
The Grover Shoe Factory boiler explosion on March 20,
1905 in Brockton, Massachusetts
R. B. Grover & Company Shoe Factory
Before the boiler explosion
R. B. Grover & Company Shoe Factory
After boiler explosion
Why Develop Standards?
Its about protecting public health and safety
Following a number of explosions of this type states
began to develop their own boiler laws
This led to the development of different laws among
the states
In response, ASME issued the first Boiler Code in
1914
It provided for safe construction and promoted
commerce through consistency of requirements
Why Standards Matter
5000 psi
1600 psi
PRE
SSU
400 psi RE L
650 psi EVE
L
500 psi
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code
Covered industrial & residential boilers and pressure
vessels
Comprehensive - provides rules for materials, design,
fabrication, examination, inspection, testing,
certification, and pressure relief
Dynamic evolved and changed to reflect new
technology and industry needs
ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code
A Look at Today
Reflects industry best-practices, offering real-world
solutions developed by experts in the field
A conformity assessment program is written into the
code to assure compliance
Adopted in whole or in part by all U.S. states and
Canadian provinces
Accepted as a means to meet local pressure
equipment regulations by more than 100 nations
Nuclear Codes and Standards
ASME Codes and Standards
Nuclear Plants Alternative Energy
Fossil Plants Energy Efficiency
Renewables Environmental
Without
consistency of
requirements
you get this..
ASME Codes Categories
Nuclear Safety
Nuclear codes and A17 Elevators and Escalators
Standards Sec III & XI B20 Safety Standards for
Standards committee on conveyors and related equipment
Cranes for Nuclear facilities Rail Transit vehicle Standard
Committee
Pressure Technology Standardization & Testing
BPVC Sec I, II, IV, IX, V,
VIII, X, XII Y14 Engineering Drawings and
B31 Code related documents
Bioprocessing Equipment EA Industrial Energy Assessment
(BPE) Standards Committee
Performance Test Code
Development of Nuclear Component
Construction Code
The ASME B&PV Code for fossil plants was used in
the 50s and early 60s for nuclear components
In 1963 ASME published a new Section III dedicated
to nuclear components.
This was the first nuclear component standard in the
world
It was built off of and utilized many of the existing
Boiler & Pressure Vessel Sections
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Sections
Section I - Power Boilers
Section II - Materials
Section III - Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components
Section IV - Heating Boilers
Section V - Nondestructive Examination
Section VI - Recommended Rules for the Care and Operation of Heating Boilers
Section VII - Recommended Guidelines for the Care of Power Boilers
Section VIII Pressure Vessels
Section IX - Welding and Brazing Qualifications
Section X - Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Pressure Vessels
Section XI - Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components
Section XII - Rules for the Construction and Continued Service of Transport
Tanks
Nuclear
Construction
Sections of BPVC
Nuclear Construction Sections of BPVC
Section III - Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components
What is Section III?
Section III of the ASME Code Address the rules for construction of nuclear
facility components and supports.
The components and supports covered by section III are intended to be
installed in a nuclear power system that serves the purpose of producing and
controlling the output of thermal energy from nuclear fuel and those
associated systems essential to safety of nuclear power system.
Section III provides requirements for new construction of nuclear power
system considering mechanical and thermal stresses due to cyclic operation.
Deterioration, which may occur in service as result of radiation effects,
corrosion, or instability of the material, is typically not addressed.
Section III
Rules for Construction of Nuclear
Facility Components
Division 1
Subsection NCA - General Requirements Division 1 & 2
Subsection-NB - Class 1 Components
Subsection NC - Class 2 Components
Subsection ND - Class 3 Components
Subsection NE - Class MC Components
Subsection NF - Supports
Subsection NG - Core Support Structures
Subsection NH - Class 1 Components in Elevated
Temperature Service
Appendices
Section III
Rules for Construction of Nuclear
Facility Components
Division 2 Code for Concrete Containments
Division 3 Containment Systems and Transport Packaging
for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste
Division 4 Magnetic Confinement Fusion Energy Devices
(Under development)
Division 5 High Temperature Reactors (with support of
South Africa)
BPVC Nuclear Construction Code
Section III-Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components-Div. 1-
Appendices
This Subsection contains appendices, both mandatory and non-mandatory for Section
III, Division 1 (Subsection NCA through NG) and Division 2, including a listing of
design and design analysis methods and information, and Data Report Forms. These
appendices are referenced by and are an integral part of Subsection NCA through NG
and Division 2.
Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components-Division 1-Subsection NB-
Class 1 Components Part of fluid-retaining pressure boundary of the reactor
coolant system (Pressure vessel, generators pumps)
Subsection NC-Class 2 Component - not part of the reactor coolant pressure
boundary, but are important for reactor shutdown
Subsection ND-Class 3 Components - components that are not part of class 1 or
2 but are important to safety
Subsection NE-Class MC Components Supports (Containment Vessel)
Subsection NF-Supports (Plate and Shell Type, linear and standard supports)
Subsection NG-Core Support Structures (Core Support Structures and Reactor
Vessel Internals)
BPVC Nuclear Construction Code
Section III-Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components-Division 5-High
Temperature Reactors - Division 5 of Section III of the BPVC provides construction
rules for high-temperature reactors, including both high-temperature, gas-cooled
reactors (HTGRs) and liquid-metal reactors (LMRs).
***** Section III-Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components-Division 1-
Subsection NH-Class 1 Components in Elevated Temperature Service*****
This subsection will no longer be a stand alone book but will be relocated and
incorporated in to Section III Division 5
Section XI - Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components -
Section contains Division 1 and 3, in one volume and provides rules for the examination,
inservice testing and inspection, and repair and replacement of components and
systems in light water cooled and liquid metal cooled nuclear power plants.
The Division 2 rules for inspection and testing of components of gas cooled nuclear
power plants have been deleted in the 1995 Edition.
Section III
Division 3 Containments for Transportation and
Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level
Radioactive Material and Waste
New Subsection WD
ASME Section III, Division 3, addresses the design of transportation and storage
containment shells
Does not address the containment internal support structure that holds the spent fuel
or high level waste in place.
Subsection WD has been under development for 2 years
Development of Subsection WD, Internal Support Structures was deemed
necessary because current containment system basket construction is a piecemeal
approach using ASME Section III, Division 1, Subsection NF, Supports and/or
ASME Section III, Division 1, Subsection NG, Core Support Structures or some
other engineering method.
The issuance of Subsection WD will ensure standardization of future containment
baskets, assist the regulatory agency in the review and approval of the baskets, and
ensure that the essential criteria in the basket related to spent fuel and high level
waste storage transportation and disposal is adequately addressed. The purpose of
the basket is primarily to ensure that the radioactive components in the containment
are supported in a way as not to create a criticality event.
BPVC
Service
Sections
Service Sections of BPVC
Section II - Materials
Section V - Nondestructive Examination
Section IX - Welding and Brazing Qualifications
Section XI
Inservice Inspection of Nuclear
Power Plant Components
Preservice and inservice examination
Mostly nondestructive (NDE)
Identify degradation
Evaluation Standards
Repair/Replacement Activities
Including modifications
Aging management
Organization of Section XI
Division 1 - Light-water-cooled Nuclear Power Plants
Division 2 Non LWR Nuclear Power Plants (Under
Development as a risk informed monitoring system)
ASME Nuclear Standards
NQA-1 - Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear
Facility Applications (QA)
OM - Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear
Power Plants
QME-1 - Qualification of Active Mechanical Equipment
used in Nuclear Power Plants
RA-S - Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Nuclear
Power Plant Applications (PRA)
Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment Requirements
Cranes in Nuclear Plants
ASME Code Usage
International Usage
60 Countries ASME B&PV Code
20 Countries Section III Certificate Holders
Numerous countries use ASME Nuclear Code &
Standards
Many countries purchase items to Section III
Several Countries developed their own code, but
all were based on ASMEs technical rules
Over the years these individual standards began to
diverge
2012 Nuclear Code Comparison
The purpose was to identify the significant differences between
the AFCEN, JSME, KEA, CSA and NIKIET Codes with respect to
the ASME Code
Since the other standards had started with ASME, it was
considered the baseline standard for the comparison
All Standards Developing Organizations participated in the study
Performed in conjunction with the regulators Multinational Design
Evaluation Program, MDEP
Although this was a technical comparison it was observed that
ASME is the only code with a conformity assessment program
In most of the cases, the technical differences between the six
codes are due to individual regulations in each of the countries
Conformity Assessment
Conformity
Assessment
Programs
Quality
Product Personnel
Program Accreditation
Certification Certification
Certification
BPV NQA-1 AIA GDTP
Nuclear Nuclear
PRD QRO
Component Materials
ANDE
RTP November
BPE
Conformity Assessment
Its all about quality
Any activity concerned with determining directly or
indirectly that requirements are fulfilled
Conformity Assessment, when properly applied,
provides regulators and purchasers of products
confidence that the products were manufactured in
accordance with the applicable standard, regardless of
where in the world they were manufactured
ASMEs Nuclear Conformity Assessment Program is
recognized in over 100 countries
Nuclear Component Certification
Nuclear components: vessels, pumps, valves, piping
systems, storage tanks, core support systems,
concrete containments
Field installation and shop assembly
Fabrication, with or without design responsibility, for
nuclear parts
Safety and safety relief valves
Containment of spent fuel and high level radioactive
waste
NS Nuclear component supports (no associated stamp)
N Vessels, pumps,
valves, piping systems,
storage tanks, core
support structures,
concrete containments,
and transport packaging
QSC - Nuclear NA - Field installation
Material Organization and shop assembly of
Certification all items
NPT - Parts,
OWN - Nuclear power
plant owner
ASME appurtenances, welded
tubular products, and
ASME Nuclear Certification piping subassemblies
Certificates Available
NS Supports
N3 - Transportation
containments and
storage containments
NV - Pressure relief
valves
Path to Certification Certification
Submit ASME
application Audit
Selection
Internal
of AIA
audit
Training
Creation of ASME
Nuclear QM and
Supporting procedures
Purchase
code
books
Alignment
contact an Nuclear
ID scope of team
expert
program
