Reliability assessment and design load factors for reinforced concrete containment structures

The current ASME code for reinforced concrete containment structures is not based on probability concepts. This paper develops reliability assessment and probability-based design load factors for reinforced concrete containment structures. The purpose of constructing reinforced concrete containment structures is to protect against radioactive release, and so the use of a serviceability limit state related to cracking that can cause the emission of radioactive materials is suggested as a critical limit state for reinforced concrete containment structures. Load factors for the design of reinforced concrete containment structures are proposed. The proposed load factors are also examined in terms of a set of code performance objectives and consistency in limit state probability.