Structural analysis of the reinforced concrete containment under extreme static and dynamic pressure loading

Elastic-plastic analyses were performed by using the finite element analysis code, ABAQUS, for the 1/6 scale model RCCV (Reinforced Concrete Containment Vessel) at Sandia National Laboratories in the U.S.A., to characterize containment behavior under extreme static as well as dynamic inner pressure loading which might occur during a severe accident. Axisymmetric analysis and three-dimensional analysis were conducted for static and dynamic pressure loading. It was found in the present analysis that: 1) the ultimate pressure calculated by the axisymmetric analysis, 1.025 MPa (148.6 psi), was nearly the same as that calculated by the three-dimensional analysis, 1.03 MPa (148.7 psi), and both agreed well with experimental data, 1.0 MPa (145 psi), which suggests that the ultimate pressure of RCCV is likely to be 3 to 4 times of design pressure for static pressure loading; 2) the location of the yielding zone was predicted to be near the equipment hatch around which heavy reinforcement was placed and it agreed generally with experiment observation in which a tear of the liner occurred near the equipment hatch; 3) for dynamic pressure loading, plastic strain remained at the liner and rebar when strain exceeded the yielding value and natural period can be predicted from the theoretical analysis by assuming a simple cylinder for RCCV if the number of penetrations is not extensive. (author). 13 refs., 2 tabs., 8 figs