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NRC Follow-up Actions on NESCC Task Group Reports

(Concrete Repair, Cabling and Welding)

NESCC Meeting November 7, 2013

Richard Jervey

USNRC Office of Regulatory Research, Department of Engineering,

Regulatory Guide Branch

NRC Support to SDOs (mutual benefit)

Two of the key roles played by NRC:

1. Provide staff time to work with the industry/ SDO in pursuit of standards related initiatives.

2. Take up research to facilitate NRC decision making, providing basis support for standards.

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Progress to Date

Created top 5 list from Concrete TG report (reported last spring)

Many supporting actions and revisions are in progress Interoffice review of TG reports for Concrete repair,

Electrical Cabling and Welding Identified actions in-progress and committed actions Standards Executive briefed on staff’s

recommendations. Agency actions for study of known needs -(ongoing) Discussed with NRC/RES management -(ongoing)

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Support for the Welding Arts

General Conclusions from NRC review: 1. Staff considers these recommendations to have high merit. The benefits to safety follow the economic

benefit which is substantial.

2. Need additional investigation to consider feasibility of these topics in the regulatory arena.

3. Licensee demand for the item is the primary means to prioritization. NRC review of specific research projects or funding for research is based on the need to facilitate NRC decision making on related license questions.

Feedback from ‘administrative’ recommendationsHarmonize procedure and welder qualification

Develop new standardized welding procedures and expand the scope of existing ones

Develop uniform (maybe even standardized) procedures for welder qualification

Expand the personnel certification of welding supervisors

Expand the options for welding engineer certification within the U.S

These recommendations are supported because they enhance quality programs.

‘Technical’ recommendationsExpand the allowed application of phased array AUT inspection within codes

Make more repair decisions based on fitness‐for‐service assessments.

Already considering these techniques on a case by case basis.

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Electrical Cabling TG Report Recommendations

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Short-Term Actions Current NRC effortsi. Revise RG 1.89 (Equip. Qualification) Revision in progressii. Revise RG 1.189 (Fire Protection) Revision planned for: Oct

2014iii. NRC provide guidance on RG 1.131 RG 1.131 still valid within license iv. Cable aging studies reviewing needs for 60-80

lifetimev. Research on adequacy of cable NIST/EPRI/IAEA characterization techniques vi. Low smoke zero halogen research more evaluation needed

Medium-Term Actions

vii.Revise RG 1.218 Revision planned for 2017viii.Research on water submergence Sandia ix.Research on activation energy more evaluation neededx.Definitions of low and medium voltage Good Idea, as done by SDOs

xi. Long-Term Actions Correlation between accelerated exposure NIST low dose/Temp. aging

and natural aging conditions

Concrete Repair Report

Many recommendations provided to Industry and NRC for research needs and guidance updates -ACI, ASCE, ASME, ASTM, ICRI, NACE and NRC documents are identified as well as subjects for research.

Recommendations for actions summarized as: 1. Update to later issue of referenced Standard, Code or Specification.

2. Research for modeling degradation modes.

3. Providing a means of acceptance for the use of methods and techniques not currently used in nuclear.

NRC Committed Actions:1. Update references when the RG is under scheduled review. e.g RG 1.127 to update ref to ACI 201.1R-2008 Conducting a Visual Inspection of Concrete in Service, (Draft Guide is being readied for publishing).

2. The need to coordinate the update of ACI 349 and ASME Section XI has been recognized directly supporting a TG recommendation.

3. ACI 349 will encompass the review of 51 ASTM specifications

4. Evaluation of research needs is ongoing. Much of the prioritizing has been provided and recognized needs have been identified.

5. There are 84 SCS which will be vetted within the ASCI N690 review.

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AISC N690-2012Appendix N9

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Plans to issue a new RG 1.225 “Safety-Related Steel and Steel-Concrete Composite Structures (Other than reactor vessels and containments)” - to include App. N9

• Public meeting at NRC HQ, Nov 15, 8:00-4:30

Questions?

• Contact Rick Jervey @ 301-251-7404, or,

richard.jervey@nrc.gov

• Regulatory Guide Comment Portalhttp://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/contactus.html

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