ASME BPVC.XI.2-2023

The rules of Section XI constitute requirements to maintain the nuclear reactor facility and to return the facility to service, following facility outages, in a safe and expeditious manner.

Section XI - Division 2 provides the requirements for establishing Reliability and Integrity Management (RIM) Programs for any type of nuclear reactor facility. The program shall include the following elements:

• Owner’s responsibility
• Areas subject to inspection or monitoring or both
• Provisions for accessibility and inspection
• Examination methods and procedures
• Personnel qualifications
• Frequency of inspection
• Record keeping and report requirements
• Procedures for evaluation of inspection and monitoring results and subsequent disposition of results of evaluations
• Repair and replacement activity requirements, including procurement, design, welding, brazing, defect removal, fabrication, installation, examination, and leakage testing

The RIM Program addresses a facility's entire life cycle. It is applicable over the entire life of the facility and includes each passive structure, system, or component (SSC) that is in its scope. It specifies a combination of monitoring, examination, tests, operation, and maintenance requirements that ensure SSCs meet the facility risk and reliability goals (i.e., Reliability Targets) that are selected for the RIM Program.

Division 2 rules also stipulate duties of the Authorized Nuclear Inservice Inspector to verify that the program has been completed, implemented, and updated in accordance with the requirements of Division 2.

Application of Division 2 begins when the requirements of the Construction Code have been satisfied. It is applicable regardless of the Construction Code classification used for an SSC if the SSC is designated as important to the safety and reliability of an operating facility.

Careful application of this Section will help users to comply with applicable regulations within their jurisdictions, while achieving the operational, cost and safety benefits to be gained from the many industry best-practices detailed within these volumes.