Proceedings pro064 : RILEM Workshop on Long-Term Performance of Cementitious Barriers and Reinforced Concrete in Nuclear Power Plants and Waste Mangement

After the successful NUCPERF 2006 workshop dedicated to corrosion and long-term performance of reinforced concrete in nuclear power plants and waste facilities, the organizers and the sponsor organizations proposed that NUCPERF 2009 meeting focus on the long-term performance of cementitious barriers and reinforced concrete in nuclear power plants and
waste management structures. The NUCPERF 2009 workshop hosted by Dr. Valérie L’Hostis from the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA) was held in Cadarache from March 30 - April 2, 2009. This event was a part of the activities of the RILEM Technical Committee 'Concrete in the context of the nuclear management' (TC 226-CNM). The event was sponsored by the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), Nuclear Corrosion (WP 4) and Corrosion in Concrete (WP 11) Working Parties. The Committee for Safety of Nuclear
Installations (CSNI) of the OECD/NEA was also involved in the event.

Many of the facilities and structures used for the processing , the temporary storage and the
disposal of radioactive waste materials generated by the nuclear power plant fuel cycle use
concrete in their construction. These structures are required to function safely and reliably in
challenging and varying environments for periods of time that can potentially range up to
thousands of years. During their operational life, these structures will in all likelihood be
subjected to a number of environmental stresses or ageing factors that may adversely affect
their performance and result in shortened service lives.

Within this context, the workshop aimed at:
- presenting the expectations of regulators, implementers, designers, operators of
facility and researchers with regard to concrete structures,
- discussing R&D progress with regard to concrete degradation and corrosion of steel
reinforcements,
- reaching a consensus on R&D needs to further develop cooperative programs.

The sessions of the workshop covered the following areas: (1) Present and future
expectations, (2) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) behaviour, (3) Corrosion, (4)
Modelling, (5) Test methodology, and (6) Ageing management. At the end of each session a
panel discussion was organised.

All the participants are gratefully acknowledged for their high-quality contribution to the
workshop and to the proceedings. It is worth mentioning that it was one of the main successes
of NUCPERF 2009 to facilitate information exchange between all the involved stakeholders.

The quality and the success of the workshop were also linked to the important endeavour of
the local organizing committee who worked continuously for having every detail fixed for the
best possible hosting conditions of the participants of the workshop.

Valérie L'Hostis, Robert Gens and Christophe Gallé

Contents

I. Session present and future expectations

II. Session Corrosion

III. Session THMC behaviour

IV. Session modelling

V. Session tests methodology

VI. Session aging management