Download or read book Interim Report on Concrete Degradation Mechanisms and Online Monitoring Techniques written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The existing fleets of nuclear power plants in the United States have initial operating licenses of 40 years, though most these plants have applied for and received license extensions. As plant structures, systems, and components age, their useful life--considering both structural integrity and performance--is reduced as a result of deterioration of the materials. The online monitoring of concrete structure conducted under the Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Technologies Pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program at Idaho National Laboratory will develop and demonstrate concrete structures health monitoring capabilities. Assessment and management of aging concrete structures in nuclear plants require a more systematic approach than simple reliance on existing code margins of safety. Therefore, the structural health monitoring is required to produce actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decisions. Through this research project, several national laboratories and Vanderbilt University proposes to develop a framework of research activities for the health monitoring of nuclear power plant concrete structures that includes integration of four elements--damage modeling, monitoring, data analytics, and uncertainty quantification. This report briefly discusses available techniques and ongoing challenges in each of the four elements of the proposed framework with emphasis on degradation mechanisms and online monitoring techniques.