Experimental assessment of air permeability in a concrete shear wall subjected to simulated seismic loading
A safety concern for the proposed Special Nuclear Materials Laboratory (SNML) facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory was air leakage from the facility if it were to experience a design basis earthquake event. To address this concern, a study was initiated to estimate air leakage, driven by wind-generated pressure gradients, from a seismically damaged concrete structure. This report describes a prototype experiment developed and performed to measure the air permeability in a reinforced concrete shear wall, both before and after simulated seismic loading. A shear wall test structure was fabricated with standard 4000-psi concrete mix. Static load-cycle testing was used to simulate earthquake loading. Permeability measurements were made by pressurizing one side of the shear wall above atmospheric conditions and recording the transient pressure decay. As long as the structure exhibited linear load displacement response, no variation in the air permeability was detected. However, experimental results indicate that the air permeability in the shear wall increased by a factor of 40 after the wall had been damaged (cracked). 17 figs., 8 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 5528280
- Report Number(s):
- LA-12124-MS; ON: DE91015986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
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AIR FLOW
BUILDING MATERIALS
CONCRETES
DYNAMIC LOADS
EARTHQUAKES
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
LANL
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PERMEABILITY
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
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SEISMIC EVENTS
STRESSES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WALLS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
AIR FLOW
BUILDING MATERIALS
CONCRETES
DYNAMIC LOADS
EARTHQUAKES
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
LANL
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PERMEABILITY
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
SEISMIC EFFECTS
SEISMIC EVENTS
STRESSES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WALLS