Stress corrosion: where are we now?

This article reports and describes how the discovery of unexpected and atypical defects in the Civaux nuclear power plant resulted in a modification of the control method (characterisation of stress corrosion by means of ultrasounds), in the implementation of an industrial process by EDF under the control of the IRSN to control the reactor fleet and then to restart the concerned reactors. Actions undertaken by EDF in front of stress corrosion are briefly evoked with the introduction of a new non-destructive control and with the support of human means to control weldments. The discovery of new cracks in Penly and Cattenom plants and the case of USA power plants are also briefly evoked