CONSTRUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE INSPECTIONS
Inspections with regard to the safety function
A large number of technical solutions and components are of relevance for the safe operation of nuclear facilities. Usually, these components would be subject to inspections during manufacture/construction and – if applicable – the repair processes. These tests are generally defined as construction and acceptance inspections.
During construction and acceptance inspections, the compliance of the activities carried out by the manufacturer/plant operator with the manufacturing documents and the underlying regulations is verified. In nuclear technology, these are the regulations formulated by the Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (KTA) and the component specifications.
Specific issues for scrutiny would be the procedures used for mechanical processing, welding processes as well as the implementation and evaluation of non-destructive testing. Depending on the component and its stage of product realisation, construction and acceptance inspections can take place in a manufacturing plant or at the site of a nuclear plant.
TÜV NORD Nuclear carries out the above activities during production or repair work on the following components:
- Handling equipment
- lifting gear/crane containers
- pumps
- vessels
- valves
- piping
- support structures
- ventilation equipment
- electrical as well as instrumentation & control equipment
Tests that must be carried out as part of supervisory activities during manufacture and construction are usually defined in quality and inspection plans. The successful execution of each step is then recorded by means of a test mark in the relevant documentation.
