The objective of this paper is to evaluate the fracture resistance characteristics of SA508 CL.1a carbon steel, and their associated welds manufactured for primary coolant piping system of nuclear power plants. The effect of various parameters such as pipe size, welding method and chemical composition on the material properties were discussed. Test results showed that the offset of pipe size on tincture toughness was negligible, while the effect of welding method on fracture toughness was significant. In addition, Fracture toughness for carbon steel was influenced by silicon contents due to the different steel refining processes.