CIRCUMFERENTIAL PRESTRESSING LOAD ANALYSIS DUE TO WIRE/STRAND WINDING SYSTEMS ON PRESTRESSED CONCRETE REACTOR VESSELS.

This paper reports a theoretical investigation concerning the circumferential loads exerted on the outside face of the prestressed concrete reactor vessels by wire/strand winding systems. Two independent methods have been given - the contact forces and spring stiffness concept and the non-linear finite element technique - for computing the loads and ultimate strength reduction in the bottom layers of the bands. Nonlinear finite element analysis is taken further to develop yield zones of contact areas of wires or strands. A reinforcement design is given for a channel or trough using three-dimensional finite element analysis.