Reversed Cyclic Tests of 1/13 Scale Cylindrical Concrete Containment Structures

Nuclear containment structure is one of the most important infrastructure systems ensuring the safety of a nuclear power plant. In this paper, the structural behavior of cylindrical concrete containment structure was investigated using two 1/13-scaled nuclear containment specimens subjected to reversed cyclic loadings. The presentation will first describe the experimental program, including the dimensions, the reinforcement detailing, the test setup, and the loading method. Second, the experimental results of the specimens are discussed including the cracking patterns, the total load versus displacement curves, and the failure modes. Third, the test results were compared to the analytical results predicted at the University of Houston using a 3D finite element program with the CSMM-based shell elements. The predicted results agree very well with the experimental data.