Codes and guides for aseismic design of nuclear power plants
A very comprehensive document on locating and designing nuclear power plant to protect them from future earthquake is the 10-CFR-100: Appendix-A of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S.N.R.C.). Subsequently documents on this subject (codes and guides) developed in various countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.).
While there are variations in the terminology adopted and the actual procedure of arriving at the design parameters, the philosophy of aseismic design of power plants is practically the same in every document. They, all, emphasize on:
Locating a power plant in the least risk area, identify the potential risk sources (geological faults) and quantify the risk ( earthquake potential) associated with each structure.
Estimating the levels of ground motion which could be reached at the plant site during the most sever earthquake, which can be expected to occur in the site region (the maximum credible earthquake-MCE)
Designing the various structures to withstand the specified earthquake ground motion according to the specified design criteria.
Demonstrating through analysis procedures that the aseismically designed structures will perform, during earthquakes, as they are expected according to the design.
Continuously monitoring the seismic ground motions at the site to determine the levels of ground motions reached at the site during earthquakes. In case they approach the level of the design basis ground motions, provide for necessary inspections and validation.
This page was updated on 12 January, 2011