Probabilistic Properties of Steel for Nuclear Piping
For the development of design rules for nuclear piping using the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) method, the probabilistic properties of steel, namely, the mean value, bias, coefficient of variation, and probability distribution are needed. The paper presents background information for the existing material tables in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section II. Then it investigates the probabilistic properties for the most representative materials used for nuclear piping such as a carbon, stainless austenitic, and low alloy steels. Properties up to temperature 700°F are examined through a review of studies for the mechanical behavior of these materials. The paper discusses approaches for grouping materials in broader categories than the consideration of each type of steel separately. The impact of the steel probabilistic properties on the development of LRFD equations and the associated target reliability index is provided.