ABSTRACT
The main segmental intake and outfall tunnels for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station are the first nuclear qualified tunnels in the UK. This paper describes the design process for the tunnels of the Hinkley Marine Works project, through the early contractor involvement stage, agreeing the construction and design methodologies, through the analysis and detailed design of the segmental lining and finally the justification and final design substantiation. The strategy used for the development, management and rationalisation of the thousands of load cases required is described along with the verification and validation process for the design software and methods used to analyse them. The challenges of adapting standard techniques to the requirements of a nuclear safety regulated project are discussed as are the advantages and limitation of the design process adopted.
