A review of the design and construction of the Sizewell B pressurized water reactor building containment structures Original Research Article

The design and construction of the Sizewell B primary containment has resulted in a structure different in certain aspects from that envisaged at the time when the decision was made for Sizewell to be based on the SNUPPS design which originated in the USA. The successful structural overpressure test (SOT) and integrated leak rate test (ILRT), performed at the end of 1993, marked the completion of approximately 512 years of civil construction activity on the containments. With the construction of the structure complete, it is a suitable time to review the design of the structure and to ascertain whether significant improvements can be gained, in terms of cost and construction programme, for further projects based on the Sizewell design.