ASME BPVC.III.3-2023 Historical

Section III - Division 3 contains requirements for the construction of individual components (and parts where appropriate) that comprise Containment Systems. Division 3 Containment Systems are used for the transportation and/or storage, including disposal, of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive material.

As used in Division 3, Containment Systems may be comprised of one or more components, such as containments and internal support structures. Containment System components for which Division 3 provides rules are as follows:

• the transportation containment
• the storage containment
• the internal support structure

The rules of this Division provide requirements for new construction including consideration of mechanical and thermal stresses due to cyclic operation. They do not cover deterioration which may occur in service as a result of radiation effects, corrosion, erosion, or instability of the material. These effects shall be addressed in the Design Specification by requiring appropriate measures to be included in the design.

The rules are intended to be applicable to any item that serves a containment or internal support structure function.

Careful application of this Section will help users to comply with applicable regulations within their jurisdictions, while achieving the operational, cost and safety benefits to be gained from the many industry best-practices detailed within these volumes.