NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Seismic Design Decision Analysis. Nuclear Power Plants and the Operating Basis Earthquake - Phase I.
- File
- PB293817.pdf
- Author(s)
- Schumacker, B.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Applied Science and Research Applications., January 1975, 10 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- INTERNAL STUDY-51
- Abstract
- Nuclear power plants are affected by two earthquake levels in their design and operation: the safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) and the operating basis earthquake (OBE). This study is concerned solely with the OBE and the probability that a plant, two plants simultaneously, or generally that n plants simultaneously will have to shutdown for inspection during the next Y years. The study is not concerned with structural response, but solely with the question of whether shutdowns for inspection will be required. This report describes the first phase of this study which looked at an area comprised of three seismic source zones and nine nuclear power plants. The location of the plants were considered to be: Wiscasset, Maine; Seabrook, New Hampshire; Vernon, Vermont; Rowe, Massachusetts; Plymouth, Massachusetts; Charlestown, Rhode Island; Waterford, Connecticut; Haddam, Connecticut; and Shoreham, Long Island. The OBE was taken as a modified Mercalli intensity VI for each plant, even though this may not be the actual situation. Differences in plant capacity were ignored in this initial study. A computer program developed in Russia at the Institute of Geophysics for damage and loss studies was used to compute the effect of an earthquake on these sites. The assumptions used in the description of the seismicity of the region are described in this report. The results from this phase of the study are presented.
- Keywords
- Probability theory; Intensity; Reactor shutdown; Inspection; Mathematical models; Computer programming; Nuclear power plants; Earthquakes