NESC was launched in 1993 to address questions concerning the reliability of the entire structural integrity assessment procedure for steel components. The first international project (NESC I) is a spinning cylinder, pressurised thermal shock (PTS) experiment The main objective of the project is to validate the non-destructive evaluation and structural mechanics procedures for PWR reactor pressure vessels under pressurised thermal shock conditions, which presents the greatest threat to the vessel integrity, especially when the material of construction is aged by the effects of irradiation. This paper describes the structure and operation of the NESC Network, the progress of the NESC I project to date achieved through the synergistic interaction between the five disciplinary Task Groups, and finally the topics presently under consideration as candidates for future NESC projects.
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