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This paper reviews the current regulatory and industry practices in geotechnical investigations for nuclear power plants in the U.S. and Europe, with the intent to highlight the common features and underscore the differences. Specifically, applicable sections of regulatory and industry-established codes and practices are reviewed as relate to geotechnical practices and foundation engineering. Similarly, regulatory requirements such as those established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the European equivalents will be reviewed. The paper serves as a vehicle to highlight industry and regulatory common grounds, as well as variations in the two practices, in the spirit of disseminating knowledge on codes and standards and facilitating international cooperation between the foundation engineering community in the U.S. and Europe.

For licensing, design, and construction of nuclear facilities, the investigation of engineering properties of soil borrow and backfill materials is a regulatory requirement, for they impact the performance of these facilities. For instance, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) specifically requires that all applications for nuclear power plants address the source, quantity, static, and dynamic engineering properties of borrow and backfill materials. However, in the nuclear industry, a clear road map does not exist for meeting these requirements. As such, planning, investigation, and/or processes that are needed to address these regulatory requirements become a challenge to applicants. The absence of such a road map can also result in incomplete or unnecessary investigations, licensing cycles, and/or delays. This paper outlines a recommended practice, including steps to design a geotechnical sampling and laboratory investigation program toward addressing these regulatory requirements, with nuclear quality assurance and licensing requirements in perspective. While the steps in this paper may serve as useful guides, requirements vary from project to project; therefore, all efforts should be on developing an investigation program that is project specific in order to meet the actual project objectives. Additionally, this paper provides guidance on presenting the investigation results in regulatory documents.