The inspectors identified an unresolved item (
URI) associated with the qualification of the
weld procedure specification (WPS) used for replacement of a portion of nuclear
service water piping. Description: While conducting buried piping inspections in support of
license renewal, the licensee identified pitting on the exterior wall of a portion of the Unit 1 nuclear
service water supply
header (1-SW-103-30-157). The licensee chose to address this by replacing the section of pipe (
WO 12274010-08). The licensees repair/replacement plan for this activity identified that the requirements of
ASME Section III, 1986 Edition, Subsection ND were applicable for the repair. By reference (
ND-4320), several
ASME Section IX Subsection QW requirements also applied. First, QW-200.2(f) allowed the use of multiple Procedure Qualification Records (
PQRs) to produce a single WPS, provided that each essential variable is addressed by at least one
PQR. Second, QW-403.8 and QW-404.30 established the requirements for two essential variables (base metal thickness qualified and filler metal thickness qualified, respectively) and referred to QW-451, which established the limits for both. The inspectors are opening a
URI to review whether the licensees use of
PQRs 1, 5, 193A and 193B to qualify the base metal and filler metal thickness ranges identified in WPS 01-1-04 and WPS 01-3-04 in accordance with Code was appropriate, and if a performance deficiency exists. The licensee wrote
NCR 2009571 to address this issue. The issue is being tracked as a URI:
URI 05000325/2016001-01,
ASME Section IX Weld Procedure Qualification.
