scope:

The Specification for Safety-Related Steel Structures in Nuclear Facilities, hereafter referred to as the Nuclear Specification, shall apply to the design of safety-related steel structures, and steel elements in nuclear facilities.

The Chapter, Appendix and Section designations within the Nuclear Specification are preceded by letter N to denote nuclear facility provisions.

The Nuclear Specification is compatible with the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360), hereafter referred to as the Specification. Provisions of the Specification are applicable unless stated otherwise. Only those sections that differ from the Specification provisions are indicated in the Nuclear Specification.

The Nuclear Specification includes the list of additional Symbols, additional Glossary terms, Chapters NA through NN and Appendices N1 through N8. The Commentary and User Notes interspersed throughout the Nuclear Specification are not part of the Nuclear Specification.

The steel elements shall be as defined in the AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges, Section 2.1, hereafter referred to as the Code of Standard Practice.

Structures and structural elements subject to the Nuclear Specification are those steel structures which are part of a safety-related system or which support, house or protect safety-related systems or components, the failure of which would impair the safetyrelated functions of these systems or components. Safety categorization for nuclear facility steel structures and structural elements shall be the responsibility of the owner and shall be identified in the contract documents.

Specifically excluded from the Nuclear Specification are the pressure retaining components; for example, pressure vessels, valves, pumps and piping.

In the design of members and connections of seismic force resisting systems, the AISC Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341), hereafter referred to as the Seismic Provisions, in general, are not applicable. However, the detailing requirements of Sections A3 and D2 of the Seismic Provisions shall be appropriately considered when designing for inelastic behavior.

The sponsors of any structural system or construction within the scope of the Nuclear Specification, the adequacy of which has been shown by successful use or by analysis or test, but which does not conform to or is not covered by the Nuclear Specification, shall have the right to present the data on which their design is based to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for review and approval.