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General Information

Structural &
Seismic Eng.

Evaluates the safety of complex structures and structural components when subjected to severe loads

Nuclear
Analysis

Uses state-of-the-art computer tools to analyze nuclear reactor and fuel cycle designs.

Systems
Engineering

Research in the design and operations of complex systems, including their hardware, software, and human elements.

Risk &
Reliabilty Analysis

Conducts risk and reliability assessments of commercial nuclear power plants and other complex technological systems.

Advanced Materials for Energy Systems

Conducts research on materials in extreme environments for advanced energy systems.

Provides information services in the fields of low and medium energy nuclear physics to users in the United States and Canada. Provides information on neutron, charged-particle, and photonuclear reactions, nuclear structure, and decay data.

Radiation Detector R&D

Research in the forefront of technological advances that may allow law enforcement and Homeland Security personnel to detect and locate sources of radiation.

Safeguards and Verification

Manages and coordinates support to international programs on behalf of U.S. government agencies including the International Safeguards Project Office, the Technical Survey Team, the Insider Threat Working Group, and Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention.

Nonproliferation
and Safeguards

Works to mitigate the threat posed by radiological materials

Nonproliferation and Homeland Security Field Support

Develops and tests radiation detectors for nonproliferation, treaty verification and homeland security applications.

Energy Storage

Basic electrochemical research to improve the efficiency and reliability of fuel cells and batteries.

Renewable Energy

Develops solutions to key issues facing the deployment, grid integration, and life-cycle assessment of renewable energy technologies in the U.S.

Energy Conversion

Offers advanced technical solutions to reduced fossil fuel use in geothermal power and building energy applications.

Energy Policy and Technology Analysis

Conducts long-term integrated energy, environmental, and economic analysis using the MARKAL family of models.

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Nuclear Science & Technology Department

Structural and Seismic Engineering Group

The group’s mission is to conduct state-of-the-art research and develop applied programs to evaluate the safety of complex structures and structural components when subjected to severe operational and environmental loads, including earthquakes. Much of this work is conducted for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in support of its primary objective to ensure protection of the public and the environment from the effects of radiation exposure. The group’s research programs have contributed significantly to the development of current regulatory requirements and guidance for ensuring the safety of critical nuclear power plant structures, including the primary containment structure. Among the group’s focus areas are the seismic safety of new and emerging plant designs, the effects of aging degradation on plant safety, and collaboration with Japanese and Korean researchers on seismic and structural issues.

Structural and Seismic Engineering

Since the mid-1990s, the Group has been conducting research and developing applied programs directed toward understanding the structural and seismic response of proposed new nuclear plant designs. The group conducted the initial research and design review to establish the structural and seismic adequacy of concrete-filled steel modules proposed for use in AP600 and AP1000 reactors. The group is currently identifying the unique structural and seismic analysis issues posed by proposed small modular reactor designs, and is investigating the applicability of existing analysis methods for determining the realistic seismic response of these structures.

Aging Degradation Research

For more than 10 years, the Group has been conducting research on the effects of environmental degradation in reducing safety margins for critical plant structures, systems and components. This research has focused on identifying the structural elements that are most vulnerable to environmental degradation, characterizing the degradation mechanisms, estimating rates of degradation, predicting safety margins as a function of time, and evaluating the consequences of degradation on overall plant safety.

Structural and Seismic Collaboration Research

For more than 20 years, the Group has assisted the NRC in a collaborative effort with Japan to share information on seismic issues of common interest. During the recently completed five-year program, the collaboration activities included concrete shear wall tests, ultimate strength and degraded piping tests, and equipment fragility testing. The collaboration activities during the current program include several new areas, such as behavior of concrete- filled steel members and upgrading seismic response analysis methods for buildings.

In 2007, the Group entered a five-year collaboration agreement with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), to develop seismic capability evaluation technology for degraded structures and components. Based on the success of this collaboration, the group anticipates agreement with KAERI for a follow-up five-year collaboration program.