Transcript Slide 1

Improved Techniques-Methods For Nuclear
Power Plant Construction
John Ioannidi, P.E.
Bulatom, 2-4 June 2011
17-Jul-15
Introduction
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Existing NPPs constructed using methods/technologies from
1970’s-1980’s
Since then, new technologies utilized and lessons learned
applied
A number of methods sufficiently mature and proven to
result in:
 Proven Economic benefits
 Reduced construction time (again, € savings)
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New methods/technologies affect the following major
activities:
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Reinforced Concrete Placement
Concrete and Cement
High Strength Reinforcement
Modularization
Welding
Cold Bending
Steel Plate Reinforced Concrete Structures
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Comparison of Construction Schedules for
Reinforced Concrete
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Advances in Concrete and Cement
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Improved Cement Powder Quality
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Advanced Chemical Admixtures
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Improved Mixing and Placement Techniques
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Advanced Curing Techniques
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Pozzolanic Admixtures
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Development of Specialized Concrete Mix Designs
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Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC)
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New Reactor designs should take greater advantage of the
benefits of advancing concrete technology…
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Self Consolidating Concrete (SCC), also known as Self
Compacting Concrete: highly flowable, can be placed in
formwork with no vibration, minimal finishing.
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SCC sets and cures in the same time as traditional vibrated
concrete, but with much less labor.
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The product flows around inside and throughout very
congested formwork with little human intervention, greatly
reducing the risk of honeycombing and voids.
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Use of SCC
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Mix Designs are Tested and Field Ready
Use is spreading globally
Benefits: Fewer Construction Workers
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Reduces risk of injuries in field at any construction site
Reduces cost of project delays
Reduces probability of human error and negligence
Steel Structure Erection
Reduces overall cost of installation on large projects
Other Concrete Composition Technologies
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High Performance Concrete (HPC)
 Made with several different admixtures (super-plasicizer, fly-ash,
silica fume) to achieve mix design properties
 Must be properly mixed, transported, consolidate, cured
 Provides higher compressive strength, density, and lower
permeability) than traditional concrete Steel Structure Erection
 Compressive strength: 101MPa (14.7ksi) – 131 MPa (19 ksi) versus
2.5 – 5 ksi.
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Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC)
 Capability for even higher compressive strengths than HPC (up to
200 MPa (29 ksi)
 Produced by including metallic fibers in a dense cement matrix
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High Strength Reinforcement
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Steel is another basic building material that has undergone
major improvements since the first generation of reinforcing
steels applied to concrete.
 Better Quality Control
 Very Predictable Yield and Ultimate stress behavior
 Improved Corrosion Resistance
 Very wide range of sizes, shapes are available
 Very high strength steels are being produced
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Benefits of High Strength Reinforcement
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Estimated that >200,000 m3 of Reinforced Concrete will
typically be placed for a nuclear power plant
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By replacing the larger diameter bars with smaller diameter
bars of high-strength steel
 Opportunity to reduce formwork congestion
 Lower quantities of shipped and stored materials.
 Reduced manual effort in field construction (lighter materials)
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Prefabrication, Preassembly, Modularization
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Module: remote assembly operations, prefabrication and
preassembly.
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Modules often the largest transportable unit or component of
a facility.
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Modules can be constructed remotely or constructed at the
work site and then placed in position.
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Equipment “skids” are an example of this technique used for
a number of years by various industries
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Examples of Skids
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Modularization
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Must be planned in the early design and procurement
stages.
 Increases engineering and procurement costs.
 Net cost savings primarily results from shortened direct
construction stage.
 Is cost effective for critical or near critical schedule path
work.
 Benefits exponentially increase with each “N” plant.
 Requires more integration of design discipline teams.
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Positive Aspects of Modularization
Cost Savings – Time related, Quantity of field labor, Labor
wage rate.
 Significant schedule compression if properly designed and
planned
 Quality Improvement – Shop environment, “Out-of-hole”
work.
 Enhanced Worker Safety – Less Man-hours of exposure
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More efficient placement of labor on the site to prevent
equipment traffic congestion problems.
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Higher utilization of specialized equipment and labor
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Increased flexibility, even permitting remote (off site)
construction of very complex or specialized modules, which
can be transported to the site
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Examples of Modularization Applied at
ABWR
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Dome Lift and Placement: Tomari 3
Mitsubishi
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Modularization Advantages
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Onsite - assembly and modularization of equipment.
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Offsite – Equipment manufacturers provide a complete and
assembled component skid to the jobsite
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Packaged - All equipment is provided to a central facility for
assembly and installation in modules. These modules tend
to be of a massive size and require very specialized
transportation equipment and coordination.
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Modularization Advantages
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Reduced Schedule Duration
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Sequential to Parallel Activities
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 Construction Management
 Construction Facilities/Utilities
 Construction Equipment
 Shop Environment Productivity
 Site Weather Impacts
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Increased Productivity and Quality
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Shop Labor Environment & Skill
Shop Advance Tool Use
Out-of-hole Site Work
Reduced Site Manpower Density
Ground Level Work
 Increased Productivity
 Reduced Safety Risk
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Reduced time Related Fixed
Costs
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Reduce Overall Project Cost
 Total Project Cost – 10%, more for
“N” Plants.
 Onsite Labor 25%
 Construction Risk and Mitigation Cost
 Project Funding Interest
Modularization Disadvantages
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Added Engineering Cost – 10
to15%
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 Double Shipment –
Manufacturer/Module/Site
 Wider, Longer, Heavier Loads
 Special Handling
 Added Risk for Transportation
Damage
 More Detail Required
 More Intra-Discipline Planning
 Earlier Design Availability Risk
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More Procurement Cost – 17 to
20%
 Added In-shop Work
 More Coordination and
Administration
 More Sacrificial Material
 Increase Cost & Schedule Risk if
Late Delivery
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More Transportation Cost
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More Construction Equipment
Cost
 Special Cranes – Very Heavy Lift
 Larger Capacity
Open-Top Installation
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Capacity of cranes increased (up to 900 tons)
Can Shorten construction schedule
Reduce construction costs (direct and indirect)
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High Deposition Rate Welding
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Welding processes used in nuclear plant construction
include:
 Structural welds to connect structural members
 Pressure welds
 Weld cladding (deposition of weld metal on surface of other metal to
improve characteristics)
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Quality welding, crucial to construction of nuclear plant, is
time consuming
Deposition of metal at higher rates without compromising
quality is desired and make a significant contribution to
reducing construction times.
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High Deposition Rates Welding Methods
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Gas Metal Arc Welding
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
Submerged Arc Welding
Robotic Welding (Can be used with most type of welding
Process):
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Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
Flux core are welding (FCAW)
Submerged arc welding (SAW)
Robotic Welding most suited for shop work (Controlled
environment and repeated)
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3D Modeling Highlights
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3D Modeling can be used at all stages: conceptual, detail
engineering/design, construction, O&M
Construction rework labor typically can cost as much as
12% of total construction labor using manual method of
design Submerged Arc Welding
3D allows better:
 Visualization
 Early automated interference identification and resolution flux core
are welding (FCAW)
 Work planning and sequencing
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Result of above is reduction of rework labor to ~ 2%
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Pipe Bends Vs. Welded Elbows
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Pipe bending is a simple alternative construction technique
to:
 Speed up piping system construction
 Reduce the number of workers required
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Pipe bending technology previously available, but at that
time, welded-in fittings were more cost-effective
Pipe bending may now be performed at a lower cost than
welding.
Development of portable bending machines allows on-site
bending of pipe.
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Bending Techniques
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Cold Bending
 Heat not applied to pipe to reshape pipe
 Types of cold bending
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Bending Techniques
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Heat Induction Bending
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Hot Slab bending
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Whichever method or combination of methods used,
appropriately used, process could results in time and money
savings.
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In Summary
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New Approaches, Materials, and Methods available today
that can help reduce the risk associated with mega project
construction.
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Early planning, engineering and design involvement, and
aggressive management will promote use of technological
innovations.
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Higher costs in some areas of innovations are usually
compensated for in Labor and/or Schedule savings
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Implementing improved construction techniques provides a
much more secure environment for those financing a project,
with on-time production of energy to the public/private
consumer as a critical benefit to stakeholders.
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