The civil infrastructure required for nuclear facilities is one of the most complex work that engineers can face. A sound design is critical, especially considering that it is the house of nuclear equipment and represents the ultimate safety and radiation barrier. For this reason regulations during the project, commissioning, operation and decommissioning phases are strict. Multiple analyses at different scale levels are needed to assess the response of the structure and demonstrate safety under different scenarios. Even after the design and construction is completed, additional assessment may be needed, especially with the development of new regulations (e.g., beyond design-basis accidents after Fukushima nuclear accident).

Esteyco Mechanics has demonstrated experience in the design and assessment of nuclear infrastructure. Indeed, Esteyco Mechanics has played a mayor role in the design and analysis of the ITER Tokamak Complex, the building housing what will be the largest nuclear fusion reactor. Its participation has included both global analysis (e.g., extensive seismic analysis of the whole building -with special attention to the 23.000 tonnes Tokamak machine-, derivation of floor response spectra for equipment, consideration of construction sequence and concrete rheology aspect) and more local aspects (design and assessment of anchorage plates for equipment, assessment of local areas subjected to extreme loading). Esteyco Mechanics has also provided specialized consulting service to regulatory bodies, as with the Centralized Temporary Storage Facility (ATC) and the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN). Advanced analysis tools are of great value for the development of these activities, as it usually requires complex analyses (e.g., nonlinear), but also a sound engineering judgement is critical. These characteristics are present in Esteyco Mechanics multidisciplinary team, with extensive experience in both complex numerical models and engineering design.