Selection of construction sites and

general plans of NPP

 Feasibility study
The decision to design the construction of nuclear
power plants is made on the basis of a technical
and economic feasibility study (TEFS).
Design and estimate documentation for nuclear
power plants is developed in two stages: plot plan
and detailed design documentation.
The development of TEFS for the construction of
nuclear power plants can begin 6-7 years before the
start of construction.
 Basic requirements
The following basic requirements are imposed on the construction site of
a nuclear power plant:
• The territory of the site must be of sufficient size to accommodate a
power plant of a given capacity, communications and a construction
base.
• The distance from settlements to the location of the NPP site must
comply with the requirements of the "General Safety Regulations for
the Design, Construction and Operation of Nuclear Power Plants“
(ОПБ-82) and СП АЭС-79. Around the NPP, in accordance with the
sanitary rules, a sanitary protection zone should be organized.
 Basic requirements
• A nuclear power plant must be provided with circulating water for cooling turbine
units and technical water for cooling other equipment. The options for the
technical water supply of the NPP should be considered and its type determined:
direct-flow, with a cooling pond or cooling towers, etc.
• Particular attention should be paid to the correct assessment of the seismicity of
the NPP location area and the microseismicity of the NPP construction site itself,
taking into account the increased requirements for nuclear power plants.
• The geological conditions of the site must ensure reliable foundation of the NPP
building structures and the guaranteed absence of uneven settlement of the main
structures. At the site selection stage, thorough engineering and geological surveys
should be carried out in the area of the proposed NPP construction.
 Communications
Transport communications from the equipment manufacturer to the NPP
construction site should be checked for the possibility of delivering heavy
equipment (in terms of weight and dimensions) - a reactor vessel, a steam
generator, etc.
First of all, it is necessary to check sections of the track with bridges and
tunnels, and also to determine the adequacy of the equipment of river
structures with the necessary lifting mechanisms, berths, etc.
The cost of additional measures to ensure the transport of heavy equipment
should be taken into account when comparing options for NPP construction
sites.
 Communications
The connection of the power plant with the outside
world must be ensured constantly and in all conditions.
This means that communications (railways and roads,
as well as communication lines of nuclear power
plants) must be checked for safety in extreme
situations.
 Catastrophic events
The possibility of catastrophic events in the area of NPP
construction, such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes,
tornadoes, mudflows, landslides, karsts, etc., should be carefully
studied.
It is advisable not to locate the NPP in the area of catastrophic
phenomena, but, if necessary, to provide for measures to
unconditionally ensure its safety.
The cost of such measures should be taken into account when
comparing options for the location of the power plant.
 Flooding
The proposed construction site for the NPP should not be located in
the flood zone.
The elevation of the NPP territory should be at least 0.5 m higher than
the calculated maximum water level in the reservoir or river, taking
into account the backwater and slope of the drain, as well as the
height of the wave and its run. The maximum water level is taken as
the calculated one, with the possibility of repetition once every 10
thousand years, that is, with an estimated provision of 0.01%.
The NPP construction site is not located in the area of possible
flooding in the event of dam failure of overlying reservoirs.
 Perspective
When choosing a site for the construction of a
nuclear power plant, the prospects for the
development of this region are taken into
account.
The construction site must be coordinated with
local organizations.
 Radiation safety
In accordance with the requirements of regulatory
documents (ОПБ-82 и СП АЭС-79), the industrial
site of a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 440
MW and more should be located at a distance of at
least 25 km from a city with a population of over
300 thousand and no closer than 40 km from cities
with a population of more than 1 million.
 Radiation safety
Around each nuclear power plant, a sanitary protection observation
zone is provided. The sizes of the territories of these zones are
determined taking into account the final capacity of the NPP, as well as
taking into account the forecast of the radiation situation in the area
where the NPP is located during its long-term operation.
The site of the NPP construction, the long-term plan for the further
development of the area of its location, as well as the size of the
territory of the sanitary protection zone and the observation zone
must be agreed with the government oversight authorities.
 Sanitary protection zone
In the sanitary protection zone, it is not allowed to place residential
buildings, children's and health-improving institutions, as well as
industrial enterprises, food facilities, ancillary and other structures not
related to nuclear power plants.
In the sanitary protection zone, it is allowed to locate buildings and
structures for auxiliary and service purposes of the NPP - fire brigades,
laundries, security rooms, garages, warehouses (except for food),
canteens for NPP personnel, administrative and service buildings, health
centers, repair shops, transport facilities, technical and drinking water
supply and sewerage facilities, temporary and auxiliary construction
enterprises.
 Sanitary protection zone
On the territory of the sanitary protection zone, it is
allowed to grow crops, graze livestock, subject to the
mandatory implementation of appropriate radiometric
control of agricultural products produced here.
The use of reservoirs located in the sanitary protection
zone for economic purposes is coordinated with
the government oversight authorities.
 Radiation safety
When choosing a construction site, preference should be given to
sites located on the leeward side of the settlement.
Particular attention is paid to the wind regime and vertical
stratification of the atmosphere; the site should be with a
persistent relief, well ventilated.
The hydrogeological conditions of the site should make it possible
to create a reliable system for long-term storage of liquid and solid
radioactive waste. The groundwater level at the industrial site is
allowed at least 1.5 m below the bottom of the NPP underground
structures.
 Radiation safety
To monitor the condition and quality of groundwater on
the territory of the NPP site, as well as to detect possible
radioactive leaks, it is planned to build observation wells.
The location and depth of the wells are determined
according to hydrogeological conditions and depending
on the presence of potential sources of pollution -
storage facilities for solid and liquid radioactive waste,
storage pools, technological communications, etc.
Engineering and geological conditions
When choosing a site for the construction of a
nuclear power plant, it is necessary to carefully
study the engineering and geological conditions of
the proposed construction site, since for nuclear
power plants it is necessary to ensure the stability
of the structures and almost completely eliminate
uneven settlements of the main structures,
primarily the reactor compartment.
 Engineering and geological conditions
So, for water-water reactors, the permissible deviation of the
reactor vessel from the vertical after the completion of its
installation is 2-3 mm.
Due to the fact that the pressure on the ground under the base
plate of the reactor compartment reaches 0.6 MPa/cm2, very
strict requirements are imposed on the base of the reactor
compartment.
If necessary, engineering measures for ground stabilization
should be provided or even the place of construction should be
changed.
 Engineering and geological conditions
During the construction of a nuclear power plant, a
combination of construction and installation works is
practiced. Therefore, in order to exclude unacceptable
deviations of the reactor vessel from the vertical axis, it is
necessary to assess the possible uneven settlement of the
NPP building during concrete work in the reactor
compartment after the reactor vessel is installed in the
design position and the main circulation pipelines are
welded to it.
 Engineering and geological conditions
It is necessary to take into account the change in the level of
groundwater in the area of the construction site in connection
with the soaking of the ground during the construction and
operation of the NPP and the possibility of the appearance of
vertical flows of groundwater due to an increase in hydrostatic
pressure at the place where the groundwater level rises.
The presence of chalk, limestone. gypsum and soluble rocks at
the base of a nuclear power plant can serve as a source of
structural failures.
 Engineering and geological conditions
In areas with collapsible soils, the construction of a nuclear
power plant is undesirable, due to the fact that in these
conditions unacceptable subsidence, tilting and even loss of
stability of nuclear power plant structures can occur, since it is
almost impossible to completely exclude watering of the grounds
during its operation.
If it is absolutely necessary to build a nuclear power plant on a
site with subsidence gounds, a pile foundation is required,
replacement of subsidence grounds or their consolidation.
 Engineering and geological conditions
When considering options for the location of nuclear power
plants, special attention should be paid to the correct
engineering-geological assessment of grounds with their
heterogeneous composition, for example, in river floodplains.
The question of building a nuclear power plant can only be
resolved after a thorough study of the griunds.
Under difficult geotechnical conditions, the number of
exploration wells, dies, and field tests should be increased in
order to obtain a reliable picture of the grounds structure at
the base of NPP structures.
 NPP technical water supply
The use of a large amount of water at nuclear power plants for technical
needs leads to the possibility of increased water losses in water supply
sources compared to natural conditions.
To prevent an unacceptable decrease in the water level in rivers and
reservoirs due to irreversible losses of water used during the operation of
the NPP for evaporation and leakage into the ground, these losses are
limited depending on the specific conditions of the location of the power
plant.
Based on these conditions, an analysis should be made of the possibility
of constructing a power plant and the determination of its final power
capacity.
 NPP technical water supply
The standards regulate the conditions for the intake and discharge of water
for nuclear power plants in order not to exceed the maximum permissible
heating of water in open reservoirs of national economic importance.
Based on the conditions for the preservation of flora and fauna in reservoirs,
the water temperature in them should not increase, depending on the
season, by more than 3-5 °С. For this, it is necessary that the flow rate of
water in the river during the settlement period is at least 3 times higher than
the flow rate of the discharged cooling water.
When creating cooling ponds, it is necessary to provide for measures to
prevent thermal pollution of the reservoir and to unconditionally comply with
the standards governing the conditions for discharging wastewater into water
bodies.
 NPP technical water supply
Special consideration should be given to the issue
of reliable service water supply to plant systems
that ensure the safety of nuclear power plants.
The supply of cooling water to these systems must
be ensured in all possible situations that may arise
during the operation of the nuclear power plant.
 Seismicity of the NPP construction area
The requirements for structures and equipment of nuclear power plants in terms of
seismic resistance are much more stringent than for other critical industrial structures.
The seismicity of the area of construction of nuclear power plants is taken into
account, starting from 5 points according to the adopted 12-point system for assessing
earthquake activity.
The need to take into account earthquakes starting from 5, and not from 7 points, as
required by СНиП for conventional structures, is caused by increased requirements for
the safety of equipment and pipelines of the radioactive circuit of the nuclear power
plant and systems that ensure the radiation safety of the power plant.
In an area with seismicity above 8 points, the construction of nuclear power plants is
not allowed.
 Seismicity of the NPP construction area
For a specific construction site, it is necessary to clarify
the seismicity in accordance with real grounds conditions
using the materials of engineering-geological and
hydrogeological surveys.
Gravel, sandy and clayey (macroporous) grounds
saturated with water, as well as plastic and fluid clayey
grounds, are unfavorable for construction in seismic
conditions, and the calculated seismic points for them
should be increased.
 Seismicity of the NPP construction area
NPP structures and equipment are calculated for the predicted maximum seismic
activity in a given area.
In the practice of calculating NPP structures for seismic effects, the acceleration at
the maximum possible earthquakes is taken to be twice as large as at the
maximum recorded earthquakes, i.e., for especially critical NPP structures, the
calculated acceleration is doubled in comparison with the accepted design forces
from seismic effects for ordinary buildings in a given region.
When calculating the seismic effects of structures in which the systems that
ensure the radiation safety of nuclear power plants are located, it is customary to
take into account the possible seismicity of the area with a probability of once
every 10 thousand years.
 Seismicity of the NPP construction area
The construction of nuclear power plants in seismic
regions in the presence of watered soft grounds (fluid
sandy loam, fluid loam and clay, silt and peat grounds,
bulk grounds, etc.) is not recommended.
If it is necessary to build a nuclear power plant in such
areas, additional measures should be provided to
strengthen the foundations of buildings and structures
or replace soft grounds.
 Engineering survey
Engineering and geological surveys are carried out in two
stages.
At the first stage, materials are collected on previously
conducted surveys and the degree of knowledge of the
proposed construction site is determined.
At the second stage, special geotechnical surveys are
carried out with drilling of wells and soil sampling, as well
as geological survey of the site.
 Engineering survey
Based on the results of processing the collected data and additional
surveys, an engineering and geological characteristic of the
construction area should be obtained, which determines: relief and
geomorphology of the territory; stratigraphy, thickness and
lithographic composition of bedrock and Quaternary deposits spread
in the area to a depth of 50-100 m; the nature, mark of occurrence and
distribution conditions of individual aquifers, their number within the
total depth; the nature and intensity of physical and geological
processes and phenomena (landslides, karst, erosion, swampiness,
development of ravines, etc.).
 Engineering survey
At the stage of site selection, information is collected
on the availability of local construction materials - open
pits and deposits of stone, sand, gravel and other
building materials.
In the same period, the possibilities of using
groundwater for technological and utility-drinking
water supply were determined.
 Engineering survey
Cartographic materials and the planned-height geodetic basis of the
site are obtained as a result of topographic and geodetic surveys.
At the first stage, the collection and analysis of the available
cartographic material for the proposed site of the NPP construction is
carried out.
Based on the results of this analysis, the contour of the NPP site is
outlined, cross-sectional profiles of the river valley, reservoir are drawn
up, the places of adjoining access roads to the existing railways and
highways are outlined, and possible routes of power transmission lines
are determined.
 Engineering survey
To determine the size of the sanitary protection zone,
data are collected on settlements and buildings in the
area of construction of a nuclear power plant, indicating
the number of inhabitants, the number of houses and
types of buildings, as well as the area of cultivated land,
indicating the type of crops and the areas of forests.
The distances to the nearest large settlements are
determined.
 Hydrological surveys
At the first stage, all available literary sources on this
issue, observation data of the stationary
hydrometeorological network, data on the water
management of the river and the operating mode of
existing hydraulic structures are collected and analyzed.
 Hydrological surveys
At the second stage, the program of engineering and hydrological
survey is determined, as a result of which the missing information is
obtained.
As a result of hydrological surveys, a characteristic of the watercourse
is obtained, which contains the following indicators: characteristic
water levels (maximum, minimum, etc.) and information about ice
regimes; water flow curve; annual rates of water consumption with
different availability, seasonal (monthly) distribution of runoff in years
characteristic for water content; chemical composition of water,
pollution level and other information about water quality.
 Meteorological characteristics
The meteorological characteristics of the
construction areas are determined from the
data of existing meteorological stations and
official climatic reference sources.
 Key plan
For a general idea of the construction site of the
power plant, a key plan is drawn up, usually on a
scale of 1: 10000, which shows the location of
the construction site.
Example of an NPP key plan
1 - construction site;
2 - construction base;
3 - open switchyard;
4 - pumping station for technical
water supply;
5 - residential village;
6 - railway station;
7 - access road;
8 - discharge channel
 General plan
The general plan is developed at the design stage
and the specific location on the industrial site of
buildings and structures of the NPP is determined in
the plan indicating their size and height.
On the general plan, all structures are snapped to
the construction grid, that is, the coordinates of
each of them are indicated.
Scheme of the general layout of the Tullnerfeld NPP
(Austria) with a boiling-water reactor
1 - reactor compartment and building of
auxiliary installations;
2 - building for decontamination;
3-room of the switchgear;
4-machine room;
5 - emergency diesel engine housing;
6 - water intake facilities;
7 - pumping station of technical water supply;
8, 9 - catchment facilities;
10 - water treatment facilities;
11-ventilation pipe;
12 - workshop;
13-warehouse;
14-security room;
15-dining room;
16-administrative building;
17 - engineering building; 18 garages.
General plan of the Surri NPP (USA) with a VVER reactors
1 - reactor shell; 2 - administrative building; 3 -
engine room; 4 - intake of fresh air; 5 - transformer
for general station auxiliaries; 6 - water storage tanks;
7 - fire pumping station; 8 - water intake facilities; 9 -
standby transformers; 10 - control room premises; 11
- workshop; 12 - warehouse; 13 - laboratories,
sanitary inspection; 14 - tanks; 15 - fresh fuel storage;
16 - special cleaning building; 17 - fuel oil storage
tanks; 18 - primary water storage tanks; 19 -
discharge channel; 20 - car parking; 21 - spillway; 22 -
condensate tank; 23 - sewage sump; 24 - temporary
substation; 25 - auxiliary building
Surri NPP (USA) construction site
 General plan
When designing general plans, it is necessary to take into account the
possibility of developing the nuclear power plant to its final capacity and not
to occupy the territory with auxiliary structures from the side of the possible
expansion of the main building.
When drawing up a general plan, it is necessary to choose the optimal routing
of railways and highways on the territory of the industrial site and their
rational connection to public roads.
Each building should have convenient entrances and approaches, and at the
same time, the area occupied by railways and roads should be minimal.
Especially carefully should be designed the routes of railways, while taking
into account state regulations and admissible slopes and radii.
 General plan
Reducing the land allotted for the construction of a nuclear power
plant is the main task in the design. The largest share of the alienated
land falls on cooling ponds (if this type of water supply is accepted),
then to a residential settlement, a construction and installation base,
and, finally, to the NPP construction site.
The best performance according to the general plan is achieved when
designing a nuclear power plant immediately at full capacity with a
compact arrangement of structures on the ground, maximum blocking
of buildings and structures of the nuclear power plant and a reduction
in auxiliary structures.
Scheme of the general plan of a nuclear power plant according
to a unified design with four VVER-1000 reactors
1 - main building; 2 -
diesel generator; 3 -
special building: 4 -
afterburning building;
5 - splashing pools; 6
- block pumping
stations; 7 - joint
auxiliary building; 8 -
laboratory and
household building; 9
- administrative
building; 10 - dining
room for 300 seats;
11 - OSY 750 kV