Standard Guide for Conducting Supplemental Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Power Reactor Vessels

ASTM E636-14 is the primary ASTM standard that governs supplemental nuclear reactor vessel surveillance testing. ABI®/HTTM is explicitly compliant with this standard's requirements for measuring yield strength, flow curve, and fracture toughness from small or miniature specimens.

This standard defines the framework under which supplemental surveillance tests — beyond the mandatory surveillance programs specified in 10 CFR 50, Appendix H — can be conducted to extend the database of material property information available for reactor vessel integrity assessment. By conforming to E636-14, ABI® results can be directly used in reactor vessel safety evaluations alongside conventional test data.

ASTM E636-14 compliance is ABI®'s primary standards credential in the nuclear sector. The standard's recognition of nondestructive and small-specimen techniques provides the regulatory framework within which ABI® operates.