Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: 9b735916-a58a-4bd3-b7e0-826b84cb6e43
Document Type: srp
Title: FRACTURE PREVENTION OF CONTAINMENT PRESSURE BOUNDARY
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0520/ML052070465.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 6
Section ID: 6.2.7
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
ontainment pressure boundary, but does assign a Quality Group B classification to the emergency core cooling system. Regulatory Guide 1.26 assigns correspondence between Quality Group B components and ASME Code Section III, Division 1 requirements for Class 2 components. The containment 26 pressure boundary is one of the barriers that prevent the release of radioactivity to the environment in the event of an accident, and therefore fulfills a vital safety-related role. Use of appropriate design and fabrication standards in conjunction with Article NE-2300 fracture toughness testing or evaluation of ferritic containment pressure boundary materials with respect to ASME Code Class 2 fracture toughness requirements provides assurance that containment will not fail due to brittle behavior and will thus be capable of preventing the release of radioactivity to the environment. 2. GDC 16 requires containment to be designed as a leak tight barrier that will withstand the most extreme accident conditions for the duration of any postulated accident. Containment must be leak tight and withstand accidents because it is the final barrier against the release of radioactivity to the environment in the event of a LOCA. To ensure leak tightness, containment must not be subject to brittle fracture even under the most severe postulated conditions. Meeting GDC 16 provides assurance that containment will satisfactorily fulfill its safety role and that significant radioactivity will not be released to the environment. 3. GDC 51 provides the baseline requirement that the reactor containment design precludes brittle behavior of ferritic materials and minimizes the probability of rapidly propagating fracture during postulated operation, testing, maintenance, and accident conditions. As the final barrier against the release of radioactivity to the environment, containment must not be subject to brittle failure or rapidly propagating fracture, either of which could cause a breach of