DEFINING SEISMIC PARAMETERS FOR AN ESSENTIAL ELECTRIC POWER FACILITY

Abstract

For the purpose of building a new electric power facility a project to determine seismic potential and seismic parameters for design is produced. Multiple in-situ geophysical investigations have been performed and soil samples have been taken to the laboratory where simple shear tests are done to determine the dynamic parameters of the soil layers. As a result, the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio vs shear strain relationships of characteristic soil materials were defined. The response analysis was done using these curves, where the effects of the sub-surface local soil medium have a dominant influence upon the amplitude and frequency modification of the expected ground motion. Finally, the seismic design parameters, maximum accelerations at foundation level for design and maximum earthquake site-specific response spectrum have been obtained.

Keywords

• simple shear tests
• response analysis
• seismic design parameters