Structural Engineering
Earthquake Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Coastal Engineering
Transportation
Environment and Infrastructure
Materials Science
On a nuclear power plant, the main civil engineering tasks include the analysis and design of the buildings and supporting infrastructure. These structures play a vital role in providing protection, weatherproofing, support and shielding to the main plant items, allowing them to function as intended.
Civil Engineering also includes the overall seismic analysis of the structures on the site, which is used to generate all the secondary response spectra. Understanding how the soil and structures behave in a seismic event is key to determining the resulting design loading inputs for the seismically qualified plant and equipment.
Therefore, civil engineering is a crucial part of any nuclear plant, or indeed any of the industries noted, as it provides the support and protection required by all the other structures, systems and components, ensuring continued functional requirements.
In CRA we have a small team of civil engineering experts with extensive experience in supporting the Nuclear Industry, both in the UK and internationally. Given our size, we seek to add our expertise to enhance our clients existing capability rather than seeking to take on large packages of detailed design work ourselves.
In particular, the CRA Civil Engineering team aims to provide our Clients with the following:
Our ability to advise on the best approach to delivering nuclear civil engineering designs that will meet ONR expectations without unnecessary delay.
Our ability to write nuclear safety case documentation e.g. PCSRs, Basis of Designs, Structural Design Method Statements, Design Substantiation Reports.
Our experience in implementing and modifying US codes for deployment in the UK.
The latest information on the development of US codes and standards from our membership of US/French code drafting committees.
Our ability to advise on the most appropriate methods for the seismic analysis and design of nuclear safety related structures, systems and components.
Seismic Ground Motion
Seismic Site Response
Soil Structure Interaction Analysis
Structural Analysis, Design and Detailing of Nuclear Structures
Codes and Standards
Thermal Analysis
Concrete Cracking Analysis
Site Inspections and Assessments
SC Modular Design, Fabrication, Assembly, and Construction
Our civil engineering staff have worked for all the main nuclear new build vendors (e.g. Hitachi, EDF and Westinghouse) either during GDA or the site-specific design phase. This has included the production of our own documentation as well as the review of documentation by others. Additionally, we have presented to, and held extensive discussion with, the regulator to explain methodologies or address comments.
Our staff have a long history of supporting EDF with their existing fleet, both in assessment of existing structures and in the analysis, design and review of modifications or new structures, including the increasing demand for support in decommissioning.
In addition, we have worked on various non-reactor nuclear projects at Dounraey, AWE and Devonport.
