• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.321-331
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• 2003

Seismic fragility analysis (SFA) has been utilized to evaluate the actual seismic capacity of structure and equipment in nuclear power plants (NPP). This paper briefly introduces an improved method for evaluating seismic fragilities of components of NPP's in Korea. Engineering characteristics of small magnitude earthquake spectra recorded in the Korean peninsula during the last several years are also discussed in this paper. Some significant differences between the Newmark's spectra and the recorded spectra as a site-dependent spectra are assessed. Several comparative SFA's have been performed to evaluate the effects of the recorded earthquakes on the seismic capacities of Korean NPP structures. The results showed that SFA using the Newmark's spectra might over estimate the actual seismic capacities of Korean facilities.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1 s.47
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• pp.63-74
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• 2006

The seismic fragility analysis method has been used as a quantitative seismic safety evaluation method for the NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) structures and equipments. The seismic fragility analysis gives a realistic seismic capacity excluding the convertism included in the design stage. The conservatism is considered as the probabilistic parameters related to the response and capacity in the seismic fragility analysis. In this study, the displacement based seismic fragility analysis method was proposed based on the nonlinear dynamic analysis results. In this study, the seismic safety of the prestressed concrete containment building of KSNP(Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant) was evaluated for the scenario earthquakes, neat-fault, far-fault, design earthquake and probability based scenario earthquake, which can be occurred in the NPP sites.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.203-218
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• 2010

The site categorization and corresponding site amplification factors in the current Korean seismic design guideline are based on provisions for the western United States (US), although the site effects resulting in the amplification of earthquake ground motions are directly dependent on the regional and local site characteristic conditions. In these seismic codes, two amplification factors called site coefficients, $F_a$ and $F_v$, for the short-period band and midperiod band, respectively, are listed according to a criterion, mean shear wave velocity ($V_S$) to a depth of 30 m, into five classes composed of A to E. To suggest a site classification system reflecting Korean site conditions, in this study, systematic site characterization was carried out at four regional areas, Gyeongju, Hongsung, Haemi and Sacheon, to obtain the $V_S$ profiles from surface to bedrock in field and the non-linear soil properties in laboratory. The soil deposits in Korea, which were shallower and stiffer than those in the western US, were examined, and thus the site period in Korea was distributed in the low and narrow band comparing with those in western US. Based on the geotechnical characteristic properties obtained in the field and laboratory, various site-specific seismic response analyses were conducted for total 75 sites by adopting both equivalent-linear and non-linear methods. The analysis results showed that the site coefficients specified in the current Korean provision underestimate the ground motion in the short-period range and overestimate in the mid-period range. These differences can be explained by the differences in the local site characteristics including the depth to bedrock between Korea and western US. Based on the analysis results in this study and the prior research results for the Korean peninsula, new site classification system was developed by introducing the site period as representative criterion and the mean $V_S$ to a depth of shallower than 30 m as additional criterion, to reliably determine the ground motions and the corresponding design spectra taking into account the regional site characteristics in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.23-35
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• 2015

Nonlinear soil behavior before failure under dynamic loading is often implemented in a numerical analysis code by a mathematical fitting function model with Masing's rule. However, the model may show different behavior with an experimental results obtained from laboratory test in damping ratio corresponding secant shear modulus for a certain shear strain rage. The difference may come from an unique soil characteristics which is unable to implement by using the existing mathematical fitting model. As of now, several fitting models have been suggested to overcome the difference between model and real soil behavior but consequence of the difference in dynamic analysis is not reviewed yet. In this paper, the effect of the difference on site response was examined through nonlinear response history analysis. The analysis was verified and calibrated with well defined dynamic geotechnical centrifuge test. Site response analyses were performed with three mathematical fitting function models and compared with the centrifuge test results in prototype scale. The errors on peak ground acceleration between analysis and experiment getting increased as increasing the intensity of the input motion. In practical point of view, the analysis results of accuracy with the fitting model is not significant in low to mid input motion intensity.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 2003

The response displacement method is the most frequently used method for seismic design of underground structures. This method is pseudo-static method, and the evaluations of velocity response spectrum of seismic base and response displacement of surrounding soil are the most important steps. In this study, the evaluation of velocity response spectrum of seismic base according to the Korean seismic design guide and the simple method of calculating the response displacement were studied. It was found that velocity response spectrum of seismic base can be estimated by directly integrating the ground-surface acceleration response spectrum of soil type S$_A$, and the evaluation of the response displacement using double cosine method assuming two layers of soil profile shows the advantages in the seismic design.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 1997

To cover a range of possible site conditions where the Korean standard nuclear power plant may be constructed, a range of generic site conditions is selected for geologic and seismologic evaluation. To envelop other Asian countries as well as the Korean peninsula, there is an attempt to increase the seismic level to 0.3g ground motions for the safe shutdown earthquake. The dynamic analyses of the reactor vessel internals and fuel assemblies are performed for the increased motions and the effect of seismic level on the response is investigated. Also the nonlinear response characteristics are discussed by comparing the loads between operating basis earthquake and safe shutdown earthquake excitations. The design adequacy of the reactor vessel internals and fuel assemblies for the increased seismic level is addressed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.77-86
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• 2020

In this study, the importance of implied strength correction for shallow depths at a region of moderate to low seismicity with primary focus on its effect upon site natural period and mean period of the ground motion is investigated. In addition to the most commonly used Modified Kondner-Zelasko (MKZ) model, this paper uses a quadratic/hyperbolic (GQ/H) model that can capture the stress - strain response at large strains as well as small strain stiffness dependence. A total of six site profiles by downhole tests are used and 1D site response analyses are performed using three input motions with contrasting mean periods. The difference between non-corrected and corrected analyses is conditional on the site period as well as mean ground motion period. The effect of periods is analyzed by correlating them with the effective peak ground acceleration, maximum shear strains and amplification factors. The comparative study reveals that the difference is more prominent in soft sites with long site periods. Insignificant differences are observed when soil profiles are subjected to ground motion with very short mean period.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.79-86
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• 2005

The apparent source spectrum of the Fukuoka earthquake is estimated at the seismic basement by removing from the observed spectra at Korean seismic stations the path and site responses that were previously revealed through inversion process applied to large spectral D/B accumulated until 2004. The approximate source spectrum is also estimated by using data recorded near the epicenter from various Japanese seismic networks and compared with the Korean source spectrum. The comparison result shows that there is good agreement among source spectra estimated based on the data from seismic networks of Korea at large distances (190km

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2005

The apparent source spectrum of the Fukuoka earthquake is estimated at the seismic basement by removing from the observed spectra at Korean seismic stations the path and site responses that were previously revealed through inversion process applied to large spectral D/B accumulated until 2004. The approximate source spectrum is also estimated by using data recorded near the epicenter from various Japanese seismic networks and compared with the Korean source spectrum. The comparison result shows that there is good agreement among source spectra estimated based on the data from seismic networks of Korea at large distances (190 km

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.103-110
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• 2020

In the recent seismic design code KDS 41 17 00, selection and modification procedures of ground motions which are used for nonlinear dynamic analyses were adopted. However, its practical applications are still limited due to the lack of literatures. This paper introduces case studies which used site-response analyses to select and modify ground motions for nonlinear dynamic analyses. Based on the case studies, design criterion for site-response analyses were reviewed thoroughly in the viewpoint of practical applications. It was found that design requirements related with bedrock motions are too conservative that ground motions are selected and modified in the excessive manner. It is especially true for low-rise building structures with period ranges including acceleration-sensitive regions. Even though surface motions have shown appropriate responses, such building structures have to re-select and re-modify ground motions based on pre-analysis procedures rather than post-ones according to the current seismic design code. Also, it was observed that building structures with soft soils under strong ground motions need more comprehensive investigations on soil properties and efficient analysis methods in order to perform site-response analyses. This is due to the fact that lack of reliabilities on soil properties and analysis methods could result in unstable site-responses.