• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.825-837
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• 2017

Due to the severe impacts of recent earthquakes, the use of seismic isolation is paramount for the safety of nuclear structures. The diversity observed in seismic events demands ongoing research to analyze the devastating attributes involved, and hence to enhance the sustainability of base-isolated nuclear power plants. This study reports the seismic performance of a seismically-isolated nuclear reactor containment building (NRCB) under strong short-period ground motions (SPGMs) and long-period ground motions (LPGMs). The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission-based design response spectrum for the seismic design of nuclear power plants is stipulated as the reference spectrum for ground motion selection. Within the period range(s) of interest, the spectral matching of selected records with the target spectrum is ensured using the spectral-compatibility approach. NRC-compliant SPGMs and LPGMs from the mega-thrust Tohoku earthquake are used to obtain the structural response of the base-isolated NRCB. To account for the lack of earthquakes in low-to-moderate seismicity zones and the gap in the artificial synthesis of long-period records, wavelet-decomposition based autoregressive moving average modeling for artificial generation of real ground motions is performed. Based on analysis results from real and simulated SPGMs versus LPGMs, the performance of NRCBs is discussed with suggestions for future research and seismic provisions.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.432-439
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• 2000

According as ground acceleration becomes to exceed gravity acceleration recently, design is impossible or economical efficiency is poor in existing seismic design method. So increase of seismic isolated bridges is currently in progress. However, because base isolation design method is developed in high seismic regions. it may not be compatible in Korea. Therefore, this research has objective to evaluate ductility of pier and response modification factor according to the ductility of pier in seismic isolated bridges and to adapt to seismic characteristics in Korea. For this purpose, nonlinear analysis is accomplished with so many time histories derived from spectral density function compatible with response spectrum described in the design code and base isolation system modeled linear system, bi-linear system, and friction system. Through application of the proposed method, we had result that it may be compatible that response modification factor for the seismic isolated bridges is smaller than half of that for the conventional bridges when natural period of structures exceeds proper level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.247-251
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• 2001

Nowadays, base isolation systems such as lead-rubber bearing, elastomer bearing and sliding bearing have been installed to the various structures to prevent the disaster from seismic. The performance of base isolation system have been well proved by model-scale experiments and numerical analysis. However. the seismic response data measured at real large base-isolated structures is still insufficient. This paper presents a seismic monitoring system, acquiring real-time acceleration signals up to 32 channels, displaying time history and spectrum of the signals, storing the acquired data at a PC hard disk, and replaying the saved data. Moreover, the system can be operated without any limitation for monitoring period by automatic management of stored data file. The developed system has been installed at a real base-isolated building using lead-rubber bearings and we expect its seismic response data with ground motion signal can be well licquired in case of earthquake occurrence.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.157-165
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• 2002

The seismic excitation test results of an isolated test structure for artificial time history excitation are summarized for structural modeling of the isolated structure and isolation bearing. Based on the actual dynamic behaviors and the seismic responses of the test model, linear and bilinear models for isolators are suggested. Seismic analyses are performed and compared with those of the seismic tests. The developed bilinear model is well applicable only to large shear strain area of isolators.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.693-715
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• 2011

The main object of this study is to evaluate the seismic response effects on a reinforced concrete building isolated by triple concave friction pendulum (TCFP) bearings. The site-response effects arise from the difference in the local soil conditions at the support points of the buildings. The local soil conditions are, therefore, considered as soft, medium and firm; separately. The results on the responses of the isolated building are compared with those of the non-isolated. The building model used in the time history analysis, which is a two-dimensional and eight-storey reinforced concrete building with and without the seismic isolation bearings and/or the local soil conditions, is composed of two-dimensional moment resisting frames for superstructure and of plane elements featuring plane-stress for substructure. The TCFP bearings for isolating the building are modelled as of a series arrangement of the three single concave friction pendulum (SCFP) bearings. In order to investigate the efficiency of both the seismic isolation bearings and the site-response effects on the buildings, the time history analyses are elaborately conducted. It is noted that the site-response effects are important for the isolated building constructed on soft, medium or firm type local foundation soil. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the site-response has significant effects on the response values of the structure-seismic isolation-foundation soil system.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.759-772
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• 2010

Seismic isolation is a well-known method to mitigate the earthquake effects on structures by increasing their fundamental natural periods at the expense of larger displacements in the structural system. In this paper, the seismic response of isolated and fixed base vertical, cylindrical, liquid storage tanks is investigated using a Finite Element Model (FEM), taking into account fluid-structure interaction effects. Three vertical, cylindrical tanks with different ratios of height to radius (H/R = 2.6, 1.0 and 0.3) are numerically analyzed and the results of response-history analysis, including base shear, overturning moment and free surface displacement are reported for isolated and non-isolated tanks. Isolated tanks equipped by lead rubber bearings isolators and the bearing are modeled by using a non-linear spring in FEM model. It is observed that the seismic isolation of liquid storage tanks is quite effective and the response of isolated tanks is significantly influenced by the system parameters such as their fundamental frequencies and the aspect ratio of the tanks. However, the base isolation does not significantly affect the surface wave height and even it can causes adverse effects on the free surface sloshing motion.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.192-205
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• 2020

Seismic design practices and seismic response analyses of civil structures and nuclear power plants (NPPs) have conventionally used the peak ground acceleration (PGA) or spectral acceleration (S_a) as an intensity measure (IM) of an earthquake. However, there are many other earthquake IMs that were proposed by various researchers. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between seismic responses of NPP components and 23 earthquake IMs and identify the best IMs for correlating with damage of NPP structures. Particularly, low- and high-frequency ground motion records are separately accounted in correlation analyses. An advanced power reactor NPP in Korea, APR1400, is selected for numerical analyses where containment and auxiliary buildings are modeled using SAP2000. Floor displacements and accelerations are monitored for the non- and base-isolated NPP structures while shear deformations of the base isolator are additionally monitored for the base-isolated NPP. A series of Pearson's correlation coefficients are calculated to recognize the correlation between each of the 23 earthquake IMs and responses of NPP structures. The numerical results demonstrate that there is a significant difference in the correlation between earthquake IMs and seismic responses of non-isolated NPP structures considering low- and high-frequency ground motion groups. Meanwhile, a trivial discrepancy of the correlation is observed in the case of the base-isolated NPP subjected to the two groups of ground motions. Moreover, a selection of PGA or S_a for seismic response analyses of NPP structures in the high-frequency seismic regions may not be the best option. Additionally, a set of fragility curves are thereafter developed for the base-isolated NPP based on the shear deformation of lead rubber bearing (LRB) with respect to the strongly correlated IMs. The results reveal that the probability of damage to the structure is higher for low-frequency earthquakes compared with that of high-frequency ground motions.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.1A
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• pp.173-181
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• 2006

Many isolated bridges are designed and constructed after the introduction of the seismic design. However those bridges designed in engineering fields have unnecessarily high serviceability limit and brittle failure mechanism, which do not satisfy the seismic design concept. Such design results are due to the excessive substructure stiffness of the conventional design method as well as the misunderstanding of the seismic design method. In this study an isolated bridge designed with the conventional design method is selected and the same bridge with steel bearings is modelled for the comparative seismic design. From the comparison, the seismic design procedures satisfying the required performance levels are provided for the two bridges. It is confirmed that the isolated bridge requires more complicated design procedure with trial and error methods and reanalyses but provides higher serviceability limit compared to the bridge with steel bearings. However, because the required serviceability limit can also be obtained by adjusting substructure stiffness, it is a resonable seismic design process that an isolated bridge is to be considered as an alternative design when the ductile failure mechanism is not obtained with a bridge with steel bearings.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.455-462
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• 2000

In this study seismic response of a base-isolated bridge for soil types is compared. Bilinear model is used for lead rubber bearing(LRB). Accelerograms whose response spectrum matches the design spectrum for soil types are used as earthquake ground excitation. Nonlinear time history analyses using the SAP2000 program is performed. The results show that seismic response of a base-isolated bridge is increased as the soil becomes soft.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.99-106
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• 1995

The seismic responses of a base Isolated Pressurized Water Reactor(PWR) are investigated using a mathematical model which expresses the superstructure as a linear lumped mass-spring and the seismic Isolator as an equivalent spring-damper. Time history analyses are performed for the 1940 El Centre earthquake with linear amplification. In the analysis 5% of structural damping is used for the superstructure. The effects of high damping rubber bearing on seismic response of the superstructure in base isolated system are evaluated for four stiffness model types. The acceleration responses in base isolated PWR superstructure with high damping rubber bearings are much smaller than those in fixed base structure. In the higher strain region where stiffness behaves non-linearly, the acceleration responses modelled by one equivalent stiffness are smaller than those in nonlinear spring model, and the higher stiffness spring model of isolator exhibits larger peak acceleration response at superstructure in the frequency range above 2.0 Hz. when subjected to linearly amplified 1940 El Centre earthquake.