ML19305B381

Responds to NRC 800110 Ltr Re Violations Noted in IE Insp Repts 50-553/79-17 & 50-554/79-16.Corrective Actions:All Welding Performed W/Required Max Weave Width & Work Package Revised to Close Excessive Root Gap

ML19305B381
Person / Time
Site:	Phipps Bend
Issue date:	02/01/1980
From:	Mills L TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
To:	James O'Reilly NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
Shared Package
ML19305B369	List: ML19305B381
References
NUDOCS 8003190596
Download: ML19305B381 (4)

Text

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, i, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY cHArTiddi36AIRNNtic C 3Noi 400 Chestnu Street Tower II

rrn s a.;:j SI February 1, 1980 1

1 Mr. James P. O'Reilly, Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II - Suite 3100

- 101 Marietta Street Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

1 Enclosed is our response to C. E. Murphy's January 10, 1980, letter,' .

A RII:BRC 50-553/79-17, and 50-554/79-16, regarding activities at the Phipps Bend Nuclear Plant which appeared to have been in violation of NRC regulations.

We have reviewed the subject inspection report and find no proprietary information in the report. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please call Jim Domer at FTS 854-2014.

Very truly yours, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

'h\.Y$(4

. M. Mills, tianager Nuclear Regulation and Safety Enclosure cc: Mr. Victor Stello, Director (Enclosure)

Office of Inspection and Enforcement i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC 20555 1

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e ESCLOSURE RESPONSE TO NRC-0IE LETTER FROM C. E. MURPHY TO H. C. PARRIS DATED JANUARY 10, 1980

(

REFERENCE:

RII: BiC 50-553/79-17, 50-554/79-16)

This report responds to the Notice of Violation described in Appendix A of the OIF Inspection Report referenced above. This is the final report on the subject concompliance.

Noncompliance Item - Infraction 553/79-17-01 A. As required by Criterion V of Appendix B to 10CFR50, and as implemented oy paragraph 17.lA.5 of the PSAR, " Activities affecting quality shall be prescribed by documented instructions, procedures, and drawings . . .

and shall be accomplished in accordance with these instructions,.

procedures, and drawings." Paragraph 14.9 of process specification 1.M.1.2(b) of General Construction Specification G29M, applicable to containment shell welding, limits the bead width resulting from

,- weaving to 5/8-inch maximum for the gas metal arc (including flux cored) process.

Contrary to the above~, on December 12, 1979, bead widths of 3/4-inch to 7/8-inch on cor.tainment shell welds IT 2301629 and IT 2301631, welded with the flux cored process, were observed. Discussions with inspection personnel revealed that weaving the full width of the joirt until the joint is full has been the practice in the past. This results in a bend width of one inch or greater at the top of tne joint.

This is an infraction.

Response

1. Corrective Steps Taken and Results Achieved All work on the two containment shell welds cited in the infraction was stopped. A quality control investigation report (QCIR) was written to document and follow this situation. All welding now being performed at Phipps Bend is being accomplished with a 5/8-inch maximum weave width as limited by General Construction Specification G-29M.

Corrective action on these two welds and other welds which have previously been made with weave widths in excess of the 5/8-inch i maximum was made dependent on the results of tests performed at TVA's Singleton Materials Engineering Laboratories (Singleton) j to determine effects of weave widths larger than 5/8 inch. Since

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results of the Singleton tests indicate that the properties of the weld and adjacent heat-affected zone meet the applicable

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• section of the ASME Code, Subsection NE, with the larger weave widths, the welds previously made with weave widths larger than 5/8. inch are acceptable for use as is.

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2. Action Taken to Prevent Recurrence Craft supervision and quality control inspectors were instructed on December 17, 1979, to conform to requirements of applicable specifications and codes on all work. Since ASME Section III does not place a limit on weave width, this requirement is self-imposed by TVA. If the allowable weave width is increased in the future, it will be consistent with ASME limits on other parameters af fecting heat input. Until such a time that Construction Specification G-29M

is changed to allow a larger weave width, Phipps Bend construction forces will limit weave width to 5/8 inch as required by G-29M.

3. Date When Full Compliance Was Achieved Full compliance was achieved on January 1C,1980.

Noncompliance Item - Infraction 553/79-17-02 B. As required by Criterion V of Appendix B to 10CFR50, and as implemented by paragraph 17.1A.5 of the PSAR, " Activities affecting quality shall be prescribed by documented instructions, procedures, and drawings . . . and shall be accomplished in accordance with these instructions, procedures, and drawings." Paragraph A.0 1 of QCI N-501, the applicable procedure for fitup inspection of welds,

. requires, in part, "All welds requiring fitup examination shall be examined for compliance with the applicable welding procedure, drawings . . ." Paragraph 7.0 requires in part, "As a minimum the following information shall be recorded for each examination for which documentation is required by the Quality Assurance Procedures . . . . i Results of Inspections" Contrary to the above, on December 11, 1979, results of fitup inspection were not accurately recorded for containment base liner plate weld IT00029 in that the fitup was signed off as being acceptable when, in fact, the root gap did not meet drawing requirements.

This is an infraction.

Response

1. Corrective Steps Taken and Results Achieved

! - On December 11, 1979, work was halted on containment base liner plate weld IT00029 until the work package, No. D004-IM-0(R12) could be revised to include procedures for correcting the excessive root gap.

The work package was revised on December 14, 1979, and tbc root gap brought into compliance with drawing requirements as per procedures allowed by General Welding Specification G-29M, 1.M.1.2(b). Reinspection

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was performed on the fitup as per QCI-N-501(Rl), applicable drawings, codes, and specifications. ,

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.l. Corrective Steps Taken to Avoid Further Noncompliance Instructions were given on December 17, 1979, to craft supervisors and quality control inspectors that all work must conform to all the requirements of the applicable drawings, codes, and specifications.

3. Date k' hen Full Compliance wat, Achieved Full compliance was achieved on December 17, 1979.

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