Elaboration of the System Based Code Concept — Activities in JSME and ASME: (1) Overview

This paper is the first one of the series of four papers that describe ongoing activities in the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) on the elaboration of the System Based Code (SBC) concept aiming at its application to nuclear structural codes and standards. This paper includes a brief introduction to the SBC concept and the technical features of structural evaluation methodologies that are being developed for use in the SBC concept; Load and Resistance Factor Design based reliability assessment methods and the JSME guidelines for reliability evaluation of static components of sodium-cooled fast reactors. Also described is the ongoing collaboration of JSME and ASME at the Joint Task Group for System Based Code established in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Committee which is developing alternative rules for ASME B&PV Code Section XI Division 3, inservice inspection requirements for liquid metal reactor components.