The identification of ageing mechanisms and their effect on the safety is based on the following information:

• Analysis of the operational experience

◦ Experience at the individual plant: events-related ageing, for example

load cycles.

◦ Experience at plants of the same design.

• Generic industrial experience.

• Research results.

• Analysis of results of destructive and non-destructive tests.

[15] Review of the design assumptions regarding ageing.

After analysing these sources of information, the dominating ageing mecha­nisms, critical locations and measures for ensuring the required status of SCs can be identified. A list of important mechanical systems and compo­nents and the relevant ageing mechanisms are given in Table 8.4.

Examples for the identification of the ageing mechanisms of cables are given in Table 8.2 and more fully listed below in the table.

given structure or component and plant lifetime limiting character of the given ageing mechanisms.