A method utilizing finite element technique for determining the load effects due to internal over-pressurization in combination with temperature loads for pre-stressed concrete reactor containments, has been developed by Scanscot Technology.

This method has been verified and validated by comparison with test data from a large-scale over-pressurization test performed on the NUPEC/NRC 1:4-scale model of a pre-stressed concrete containment vessel model at Sandia National Laboratory, USA.

The structural response predicted by applying a three-dimensional non-linear model approach agrees very well with registered test data.