PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF POWER REACTORS

Sandia Laboratories has applied a systematic approach to designing physical protection systems for nuclear facilities-'-'^ to commercial light-water reactor power plants. A number of candidate physical protection systems were developed and evaluated.-^ This paper focuses on the design of access control subsystems at each of three plant layers: the protected area perimeter, building surfaces, and vital areas. Access control, as used here, refers to barriers, detectors, and entry control devices and procedures used to keep unauthorized personnel and contraband out of the plant, and to control authorized entry into vital areas within the plant.