IAEA New Nuclear Plant Construction Method Conference

IAEA Consultancy Meeting on Construction Technologies for New Nuclear Power Projects.

Rod Adams, nuclear Australia, reviews several of the new construction methods.

The IAEA is trying to document construction technologies for all steps in the construction process

• Identify technology options for each step (conventional and advanced)
• Utilize developments and experiences from all countries
• Ensure that the developed document is usable to both developing and developed countries
• The document must include all known construction methods and propose future ones point out the pros and cons of each method
• Focus is on water-cooled reactors, but no technology preferred or promoted
• Lessons learnt in other non-nuclear energy projects in different countries can also be of high value

A summary of construction methods what works worldwide


What is slipforming
• Continuous concrete placement between 2 climbing wall face forms for 13 – 20 days
• Speed varies between 2.5 cm/hr to 15 cm/hr


Sub-2 year (22.5 months) construction is being investigated for the ABWR reactors.

All of the nuclear plant construction moving to leverage open top work, all weather construction and modularization.

There is more pictures on the progress of the AP1000 reactors being built in China.

Steel Plate concrete construction is being adopted in South Korea

South Korea also used new welding machines and other methods.