OECD Pipe Failure Data Exchange Project (OPDE): 2003 Status Report

Established in 2002 as a three-year multilateral cooperation in the collection and analysis of data relating to pipe failure events, the OPDE project currently is supported by eighteen organizations from twelve member countries of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD-NEA). Objectives of the OPDE are to collect and analyze pipe failure data to promote a better understanding of underlying causes of failure, observed and potential impact on plant operations and safety, and prevention. The data analysis includes characterization of pipe failure events by reliability attributes and influence factors to facilitate the estimation of piping reliability parameters. With emphasis on data validity and quality, during the first year of operation a coding format has been developed to ensure consistent interpretation and applications. This paper represents an abbreviated 2003 status report and an overview of the project organization and objectives.