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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Probability based load combination criteria for design of concrete containment structures

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5336785

This report describes a research effort for the development of the probability-based load combination criteria for design of concrete containment structures. The proposed criteria are in a load and resistance factor design (LRFD) format. In order to test the performance objectives of the proposed criteria, four representative structures are selected using a Latin hypercube sampling technique. Next, the reliability analysis method developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory is employed to assess the reliability of these representative containments. Furthermore, an objective function is defined and a minimization technique is developed to find the optimum load factors. The load factors for accident pressure due to the design basis accident and safe shutdown earthquake are derived for three target limit state probabilities. Other load factors are also discussed on the basis of prior experience with probability-based design criteria for ordinary building construction. The proposed load combinations are based on the best available data to date pertaining to loads and resistances. If in the future the data base changes, the developed methodology can readily be utilized to update the load factors resulting from these changes.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
5336785
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-3876; BNL-NUREG-51795; ON: TI85014305
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English