COMPOSITE CONTAINMENT FOR NUCLEAR POWER.

A nuclear reactor containment structure provides three major functions: to withstand loads due to pressure and temperature increase due to Design Basis Accident (DBA); to withstand environmental loads such as seismic, tornado and normal loads; and act as a radiation shield. Conventional design practice is to employ either a steel vessel and concrete shield building or a steel lined concrete structure. This paper deals with a new concept in which a steel liner is employed which carries much of the primary membrane loads. The governing equations have been derived accounting for the fact that the stresses in the steel liner are calculated in accordance with the shell equations for hoop and meridional strains and temperature and the fact that the reinforcing bars respond as linear members. This concept offers two main advantages over present practice; reduction of materials and therefore reduced capital cost and even more significantly a shortened construction schedule which will permit more flexibility in overall plant construction schedule and will benefit the cash flow situation.