Prestressed Concrete Containment Model

Abstract

The construction and testing of a model of a prestressed concrete containment structure is described. The test structure consisted of a reinforced concrete base, cylindrical wall, ring beam and dome built of prestressed concrete with construction details patterned after the Canadian CANDU reactor containment. The overall height above the base was 12 ft‐6 in. (3,810 mm), and the outer diameter was 10 ft‐6 in. (3,200 mm). Internal pressure was obtained using water, and leakage was prevented by using a flexible plastic liner. Mea‐, surements made during the test included internal pressure, steel and concrete strains, crack widths and spacing, and curvatures at the base of the cylindrical wall. The test structure began to exhibit cracking at a pressure of. 30 psi (0.28 MPa), and yielding of the reinforcement at approximately 110 psi (0.76 MPa). The structure displayed considerable ductility before failing at internal pressure of 159 psi (1.10 MPa) by rupture of three horizontal tendons at midheight of the wall. Outward deflection of the walls damaged the anchorage zones of some of the tendons. The cracking behavior and failure mechanism are described.