Case Studies in Nuclear Codes and Standards: A Successful Incorporation of Codes and Standards Into Engineering School Curriculum

Consistent with the practice of constituency driven education, the University of Pittsburgh has collaborated with local constituents to develop a graduate level course in nuclear codes and standards that is delivered in-class and at the same time by distance delivery over the internet. For course enrichment, colleagues have been recruited from local constituents to deliver this unique team-taught engineering graduate course. These colleagues are technical leaders and serve on standards development committees of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), the ANS (American Nuclear Society), ASTM International (originally American Society for Testing and Materials), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) in developing and delivering relevant content for the modules contained within this course. This paper will review the content of the course with specific attention in highlighting the case studies that are delivered in-class and in homework & examination problems to reinforce the content of the requirements of the 17 nuclear codes and standards that are addressed in the course. Students in the course learn from respected practitioners about key issues with nuclear power plant systems and component engineering and use of codes, standards and related regulations. Recommendations are offered as to how modules of the course may be used in undergraduate and graduate engineering classes to support broader engineering workforce development needs.