Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 08cebcdf-2e81-4e08-a508-9f6b4701c0a5
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Design, Fabrication, and Materials Code Case Acceptability, ASME Section III (Rev. 40)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2219/ML22195A282.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.84
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
a licensee or applicant may request authorization to use Section III Code Cases that the NRC has not yet endorsed. In 10 CFR 50.55a(z), the NRC permits the use of alternatives to the Code requirements referenced in 10 CFR 50.55a provided that the proposed alternatives result in an acceptable level of quality and safety and their use is authorized by the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The NRC incorporates the ASME BPV Code by reference into 10 CFR 50.55a. NRC approved Code Cases provide an acceptable voluntary alternative to the mandatory ASME Code provisions. The regulation at 10 CFR 50.55a(b)(4) provides the requirements related to the implementation of ASME Section III Code Cases. When a licensee initially applies a Code Case listed in Table 1 or 2 of this guide, it must implement the most recent version of that Code Case incorporated by reference in 10 CFR 50.55a. ASME may annul a Code Case because its provisions have been incorporated into the Code, the application for which it was specifically developed no longer exists, or experience has shown that the design analysis or construction method is no longer required. After ASME annuls a Code Case and after the NRC amends 10 CFR 50.55a and this guide, applicants or licensees may not implement that Code Case for the first time. However, a licensee or an applicant that implemented the Code Case before its annulment may continue to use that Code Case until it voluntarily updates its Section III Code of Record. If the NRC incorporated a Code Case by reference into 10 CFR 50.55a and ASME later annulled it because experience has shown that the design analysis or construction method is no longer required, the NRC will amend 10 CFR 50.55a and this guide to remove the approval of the annulled Code Case. Licensees or applicants should not begin to implement such annulled Code Cases in advance of the rulemaking. Notwithstanding these requirements, the Commission may impose new or revised Code