[en] Two LOCA simulation tests were conducted to investigate the effects of temperature uniformity and radial restraint boundary conditions on Zircaloy cladding deformation. In one of the tests (B-5), boundary conditions typical of a large array were imposed on an inner 4 x 4 square array by two concentric rings of interacting guard fuel pin simulators. In the other test (B-3), the boundary conditions were imposed on a 4 x 4 square array by a non-interacting heated shroud. Test parameters conducive to large deformation were selected in order to favor rod-to-rod interactions. The tests showed that rod-to-rod interactions play an important role in the deformation process