Health Assessment of Existing Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility: A Case Study

Abstract Before taking up seismic re-qualification and retrofitting of an existing concrete structure, if required, assessment of the current strength of structure is an important aspect. Health assessment ascertains variation in properties of concrete, particularly strength, attained over the initial development phase when subjected to service exposure for a long time. It further tries to assess the deterioration of the reinforcing steel and degradation of the concrete through the various mechanisms over time. Health assessment of a reinforced concrete (RC) Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility was taken up through Non-destructive (NDT) and Partially-destructive testing (PDT) in the recent past. The RCC framed-cum-shear wall structure was of dimensions 98 m by 84 m and had been constructed around 15 years back. From the results the various material properties of concrete like compressive strength and density were determined. The health of the concrete was found to be in satisfactory condition with chloride and sulphate content within permissible limits specified by International standards. The paper provides an overview of the different tests performed for health assessment and further provides a brief account of the results and inferences therefrom.