ASTM Standards for Reactor Dosimetry and Pressure Vessel Surveillance Page: 4 of 10
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of standards are produced: Test Methods, Practices, Guides, and Matrix Standards. These
different types of standards cover the range from a prescriptive test method to very general
guide which suggests an approach to a technical area. What distinguishes the ASTM stan-
dards is that they represent a "consensus" of the technical community. The standards are
formulated by a committee with technical expertise and a balanced membership. A "con-
sensus" must be reached before a standard can be endorsed.
The ASTM standards on nuclear metrology are intended to be a roadmap towards un-
derstanding the current "state-of-the-art" as reflected by the technical community. As with
any navigational aid, the utility of this roadmap is greatly enhanced if one is trained or ex-
perienced in its use. The purpose of this paper is to describe the landscape covered by the
ASTM standards on neutron metrology and to introduce some of the landmark standards
which can help orient the novice user to the landscape.
The relevant nuclear metrology standards can be configured in different ways to support
users coming from different perspectives. One of the best ways to gain a familiarity with a
navigational tool is to use it on a training course. Towards this end, this paper will use two
training examples to try to describe the organization of the standards. The first example is
a researcher testing a new widget in a research reactor environment in order to determine
and if it is susceptible to radiation damage. The second example is nuclear power utility
trying to predict the radiation damage to a critical weld in a reactor pressure vessel. This
second example presents a very complex terrain. In this talk we will examine this second
case from two perspectives: from a top-down approach where we start with the general ori-
entation provided by the E706 matrix standard on pressure vessel surveillance standards
and then follow the guidance to the specifics detailed in the lower level test methods and
practices; and from a bottom/up perspective where we start by identifying the standards
which quantify the nuclear environment at the critical weld and then proceed to find the cur-
rent technical consensus on how to relate this neutron environment to a pressure vessel
damage metric.
The standard walk-thru as demonstrated in these two examples should serve to orient the
new user to the breadth and interrelationship between the ASTM nuclear metrology stan-
dards. The standards development activity provides a fundamental support to the nuclear
metrology community. Users of the standards should not only look to the standards for
guidance nuclear metrology, but they should join their local standards societies and con-
tribute towards the development of new standards in area where they have technical ex-
pertise and assist in the updating of the current standards so that they continue to reflect the
state-of-the art and represent a true technical consensus.
U.S. Standards on Nuclear Technology
Several organizations within the U.S. assist in the development of standards within the
generic area of "Nuclear Technology". These organization include the ASTM, American
National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Nuclear Society (ANS), IEEE, and ASME
among others. These standards organization generally cooperate in the area of standards
development and avoid duplication of effort. Due to the interests and expertise of each or-
ganization patterns have developed in the responsibility for development of standards in a
particular topical area. The ANS, for example, tends to take responsibility for standards in
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GRIFFIN, PATRICK J. ASTM Standards for Reactor Dosimetry and Pressure Vessel Surveillance, article, September 14, 1999; Albuquerque, New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc623061/m1/4/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.