Analysis of ground response data at Lotung large-scale soil- structure interaction experiment site

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5986056

Chang, C Y; Mok, C M; Power, M S ^[1]

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1. Geomatrix Consultants, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in cooperation with the Taiwan Power Company (TPC), constructed two models (1/4-scale and 1/2-scale) of a nuclear plant containment structure at a site in Lotung (Tang, 1987), a seismically active region in northeast Taiwan. The models were constructed to gather data for the evaluation and validation of soil-structure interaction (SSI) analysis methodologies. Extensive instrumentation was deployed to record both structural and ground responses at the site during earthquakes. The experiment is generally referred to as the Lotung Large-Scale Seismic Test (LSST). As part of the LSST, two downhole arrays were installed at the site to record ground motions at depths as well as at the ground surface. Structural response and ground response have been recorded for a number of earthquakes (i.e. a total of 18 earthquakes in the period of October 1985 through November 1986) at the LSST site since the completion of the installation of the downhole instruments in October 1985. These data include those from earthquakes having magnitudes ranging from M{sub L} 4.5 to M{sub L} 7.0 and epicentral distances range from 4.7 km to 77.7 km. Peak ground surface accelerations range from 0.03 g to 0.21 g for the horizontal component and from 0.01 g to 0.20 g for the vertical component. The objectives of the study were: (1) to obtain empirical data on variations of earthquake ground motion with depth; (2) to examine field evidence of nonlinear soil response due to earthquake shaking and to determine the degree of soil nonlinearity; (3) to assess the ability of ground response analysis techniques including techniques to approximate nonlinear soil response to estimate ground motions due to earthquake shaking; and (4) to analyze earth pressures recorded beneath the basemat and on the side wall of the 1/4 scale model structure during selected earthquakes.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Geomatrix Consultants, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: EPRI; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5986056
• Report Number(s): EPRI-NP-7306-M
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
BUILDINGS
CONTAINMENT
CONTAINMENT BUILDINGS
EQUATIONS
GEOLOGY
GROUND MOTION
MOTION
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
PREDICTION EQUATIONS
SCALE MODELS
SEISMIC EFFECTS
SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTIONS
SOILS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS