1.93. The containment may be subject to several ageing phenomena such as the corrosion of metallic components, the creep of tendons and the reduction of prestressing (in prestressed containments), the reduction of resilience in elastomeric seals, and the shrinkage and cracking of concrete. The detrimental effects of ageing cannot easily be identified during the plant lifetime. All ageing mechanisms are required to be identified and taken into account in the design. Provision should be made for monitoring the ageing of the containment, for testing and inspection of components where possible, and for periodically replacing items that are susceptible to degradation through ageing (Ref. [1], para. 5.47).

Decommissioning

1.94. As established in Ref. [1], para. 5.68, attention is required to be paid to features that would assist in the final decommissioning of the plant (such as by selecting construction materials so as to reduce radioactivation during operation,

by ensuring access and by providing facilities for waste storage). In general, features intended to facilitate decommissioning will also improve plant operations and maintenance, and they should therefore be carefully assessed at the design stage (Ref. [1], para. 5.68). Guidance on these aspects is given in Ref. [11].