Contributions of the ORNL piping program to nuclear piping design codes and standards

Since 1967, the ORNL Piping Program has been engaged in providing information for the development of stress indices to be used in the analysis of piping components for nuclear power plants. This effort has surveyed the piping manufacturing industry and analyzed that industry's products; has combed the technical literature for pertinent engineering data; has performed theoretical and experimental analysis of nuclear piping components; and has defined, tested and improved indices for the stress-index method of analysis for piping components. The paper briefly reviews the history of piping-analysis standards, outlines the philosophy of the stress-index method of analysis, and explains some of the specific contributions made by the ORNL program to the Codes and Standards. Current and future work is also noted