Nuclear Standards

The International Passport

Nuclear Africa Conference

South Africa
March 18-20, 2015

Bryan Erler
ASME Board of Governors
Vice President ASME
 Agenda

• ASME Background and Overview

• History of Standards Development
• Nuclear Codes and Standards
• Nuclear Pressure Components Code
Comparison
• Conformity Assessment
• Meaning to South Africa
 ASME at a Glance
• ASME was founded in 1880
Offices:
• ASME has 375 employees
New York • Membership: 140,000 members with over 200 local
Washington DC
sections and 500 student sections in over 40 countries
Fairfield
• 40 technical divisions and specialty institutes
Houston • Education – ASME offers more than 200 courses and trains
Brussels about 9,000 people each year
Beijing • Publish multiple technical journals and books
New Delhi • Sponsor many technical conferences
• ASME develops codes and standards and has conformity
assessment programs for the nuclear and many other
industries
 Background
ASME Codes & Standards
• First standard issued in 1884
• 700 total committees
• About 4000 volunteer committee members
• Between 75-100 standards issued annually
• Approximately 500 published codes and standards

• Administer over 40 Technical Advisory Groups to ISO

 Brief History of Steam Power
• Throughout the 1800’s, both boiler size and operating
pressure continued to increase
• By the 1890’s 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?
It’s 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
 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
 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)
 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 ASME’s 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
It’s 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

• ASME’s 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)

 Nuclear Materials Certification
QSC – Quality Systems Certificate

• Supply material to nuclear component

manufacturers
• Examples:
– Bars, fasteners, castings, forgings, plates,
fittings, flanges, tubular products
– Wire, rod, billets, ingots
– Welding material
– Concrete reinforcing bars, prestressing
components
 Advantages of Using the ASME
Conformity Assessment Program
• Components are constructed to an internationally known
standard
• Standards have a proven reliability
• Standards used are consensus standards
• Qualification of suppliers
• Regular resurveying of suppliers
• Third party oversight of construction
ASME Codes and Conformity Assessment
Meet Industry Expectations
• Stability and Flexibility:
– Stability of a common set of rules and basis for production
– Standards process which is dynamic enough for
technological innovation
• Fairness and Impartiality:
– Level playing field for competition
– Rules do not favor one region of the world over another
• Global and Technical Relevance
– Meets the regulatory and market needs of nations and
regions
 Fulfills Regulators’ Expectations
• Meets public safety, health and environmental
objectives

• Provides confidence in the technical integrity of the

product or service

• Supports mutual recognition essential to international

trade
 Conformity Assessment Value
• ASME codes, standards and conformity assessment
programs provides for quality program consistency and
ease of supply chain management

• Uniform implementation of its conformity assessment

programs about the world has made the ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code the most widely accepted by
regulators and industry worldwide
 What does all this mean for South
African companies…???
• No matter which reactor is
selected, nuclear
localization will likely not
give companies enough
production to stay in
business for the long term
• Lower production rates
mean less efficiency and
higher per unit costs,
making South African
companies less competitive
 What is the formula for success?
• South African manufacturers need to gain
access to the global market
– Globally there are over 400 operating nuclear power
reactors
– 71 nuclear units are under construction worldwide
– Many units are in the planning phase
The Alternative…
…Manufacture to multiple standards
• Setting up and maintaining multiple manufacturing
quality programs:
 Is expensive
 Is cumbersome
 Creates inefficiency

Bottom line…
 It makes a company
less competitive
 Thoughts and Recommendations

• Nuclear Manufactures
– Implement a strong quality culture
– Use experienced and qualified sub-suppliers
– Fully understand the code that is specified for
design
– Train and continually re-qualify employees to
your manufacturing processes
– Take full advantage of AIA
 Thoughts and Recommendations
• Nuclear Plant Owner
– Select a NSSS with strong success record meeting
quality, schedule and price
– Specify a code which has a conformity assessment
program
– Review the NSSS sub-suppliers to assure qualifications
and experience
– Self regulate by implementing a strong quality and safety
culture in your organization
 Thoughts and Recommendations

• Nuclear Regulator
– Make sure licensing documents define a
clear code for design, manufacturing,
construction and examination
– Evaluate the owner’s and NSSS vendors
process for selection of sub-suppliers
– Utilize the conformity assessment process
and take full advantage of an AIA
 Summary
• ASME’s nuclear construction standard is the
technical basis for all other standards
• ASME is the only standard which contains a
conformity assessment program to assure full
compliance with the standards
• South African manufacturers can use ASME
standards and conformity assessment programs
to gain access to the global market
• Which standards you use matters