An outline methodology for the seismic assessment of low inventory plants

UKAEA is responsible for managing the decommissioning of a wide variety of nuclear plant. Much of this plant contains relatively small quantities of radioactive material and much of this material is often less volatile than the materials contained when plants were operational. Additional plants will be constructed to facilitate this decommissioning mission. UKAEA has examined the issue of seismic assessment and design of these plants with a view to devising a more cost-effective approach than the tradition of using the same earthquake level regardless of the actual size of radioactive inventory contained by the plant. This paper presents one possible outline method for relating the earthquake levels used for design and assessment to the effective dose the plant can deliver following the worst credible accident. (Author)