• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3361-3379
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• 2022

A nuclear power plant (NPP) piping is designed against low-frequency earthquakes. However, earthquakes that can occur at NPP sites in the eastern part of the United States, northern Europe, and Korea are high-frequency earthquakes. Therefore, this study conducts bi-directional shaking table tests on actual-scale NPP piping and studies the response characteristics of low- and high-frequency earthquake motions. Such response characteristics are analyzed by comparing several responses that occur in the piping. Also, based on the test results, a piping numerical analysis model is developed and validated. The piping seismic performance under high-frequency earthquakes is derived. Consequently, the high-frequency excitation caused a large amplification in the measured peak acceleration responses compared to the low-frequency excitation. Conversely, concerning relative displacements, strains, and normal stresses, low-frequency excitation responses were larger than high-frequency excitation responses. Main peak relative displacements and peak normal stresses were 60%-69% and 24%-49% smaller in the high-frequency earthquake response than the low-frequency earthquake response. This phenomenon was noticeable when the earthquake motion intensity was large. The piping numerical model simulated the main natural frequencies and relative displacement responses well. Finally, for the stress limit state, the seismic performance for high-frequency earthquakes was about 2.7 times greater than for low-frequency earthquakes.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2003

The result of recent seismic hazard analysis indicates that the ground motion response spectra for Korean nuclear power plant site have relatively large frequency acceleration contents. In the ordinary seismic fragility analysis of nuclear power plant structures and equipments, the safety margin of design ground response spectrum is directly used as a response spectrum shape factor. The effects of input response spectrum shape on the floor response spectrum were investigated by performing the direct generation of floor response spectrum from the ground response spectrum. The safety margin included in the design ground response spectrum should be considered as a floor response spectrum shape factor for the seismic fragility analysis of the equipments located in a building.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.257-268
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• 2016

In the companion papers (I, II), site-specific response analyses were performed at more than 300 domestic sites and a new site classification system and design response spectra (DRS) were proposed using the results of the site-specific response analyses. In this paper, the proposed site classification system and the design response spectra are compared with those in other seismic codes and verified by different methods. Firstly, the design response spectra are compared with the design response spectra in Eurocode 8, KBC 2016 and MOCT 1997 to estimate quantitative differences and general trends. Secondly, site-specific response analyses are carried out using $V_S$-profiles obtained using field seismic tests and the results are compared with the proposed DRS in order to reduce the uncertainty in using the SPT-N value in site-specific response analyses in the companion paper (I). In addition, site coefficients from real earthquake records measured in Korean peninsula are used to compare with the proposed site coefficients. Finally, dynamic centrifuge tests are also performed to simulate the representative Korean site conditions, such as shallow depth to bedrock and short-period amplification characteristics. The overall results showed that the proposed site classification system and design response spectra reasonably represented the site amplification characteristic of shallow bedrock condition in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.380-387
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• 2005

Little has been understood about the seismic behavior of curved bridges due to the different structural characteristics compared to straight bridges. In this study, a simple numerical model, widely used for seismic analysis, is modified for a more realistic estimation of the seismic behavior. The seismic response of curved bridges obtained with the modified simple numerical model was compared with the result using a more sophisticated model to verify the feasibility. Seismic analyses were performed on three-span continuous curved bridges, which is a structural system widely used in highway structures. Numerical model of the three-span continuous curved bridges were subjected to seismic loads in diverse directions. From the result of the analysis. it was found that the direction of the seismic load have significant effect of the seismic behavior of curved bridges when the central angle exceeds 90 degrees.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.117-124
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• 2002

The major purpose of this study is to determine the dynamic behavior of soil-pile-structure interaction system considering the underground cavity. For the analysis, a numerical method fur ground response analysis using FE-BE coupling method is developed. The total system is divided into two parts so called far field and near field. The far field is modeled by boundary element formulation using the multi-layered dynamic fundamental solution that satisfied radiational condition of wave. And this is coupled with near field modeled by finite elements. For the verification of dynamic analysis in the frequency domain, both forced vibration analysis and free-field response analysis are performed. The behavior of soil non-linearity is considered using the equivalent linear approximation method. As a result, it is shown that the developed method can be an efficient numerical method to solve the seismic response analysis considering the underground cavity in 2D problem.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.489-500
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• 2011

The elastic seismic response of plan-asymmetric multi storey steel-frame buildings is investigated under earthquake loading with particular emphasis on forward-rupture directivity and fling records. Three asymmetric building systems are generated with different torsional stiffness and varying static eccentricity. The structural characteristic of these systems are designed according to UBC 97 code and their seismic responses subjected to a set of earthquake records are obtained from the response history analysis (RHA) as well as the linear static analysis (LSA). It is shown that, the elastic torsional response is influenced by the intensity of near-fault ground motions with different energy contents. In the extreme case of very strong earthquakes, the behaviour of torsionally stiff buildings and torsionally flexible buildings may differ substantially due to the fact that the displacement envelope of the deck depends on ground motion characteristics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.329-332
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• 2002

In the present study, in order to apply a cyclic viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive model to multi-layered ground conditions during large earthquake, the numerical simulations of the 1995 Hyogoken Nanbu Earthquake at Port Island, Kobe, Japan, were performed by the seismic respons analysis. From the seismic response analysis, it was verified that a cyclic viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive model can give a good description of the damping characteristics of clay accurately during large event which induces plastic deformation in large strain range.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.7_spc
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• pp.561-567
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• 2016

After the Gyeong-ju 9.12 earthquake, we found the necessity of seismic design of nonstructural element is important to reduce damages in view of properties and economic losses. This study focused on the investigation of damages including both properties and human beings. It was found that most of the damages are leaking of water pipe line, rupture of glasses, spalling of roof finishing, cracks of building, and falling from roof. It was also found that the seismic design force of nonstructural elements is taking account into the natural periods, amplification factors, response modification factors to forsee inelastic behaviors. From this studies, it is recommended that more studies are necessary on the seismic design force of nonstructural element.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.261-266
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• 2021

Nuclear power plants in Korea were designed and evaluated based on the NRC's Regulatory Guide 1.60, a design response spectrum for nuclear power plants. However, it can be seen that the seismic motion characteristics are different when analyzing the Gyeongju earthquake and the Pohang earthquake that has recently occurred in Korea. Compared to the design response spectrum, seismic motion characteristics in Korea have a larger spectral acceleration in the high-frequency region. Therefore, in the case of equipment with a high natural frequency installed in a nuclear power plant, seismic performance may be reduced by reflecting the characteristics of domestic seismic motions. The failure modes of the equipment are typically structural failure and functional failure, with an anchorage failure being a representative type of structural failure. In this study, comparative analyses were performed to decide whether to consider the inelastic behavior of the anchorage or not. As a result, it was confirmed that the seismic performance of the anchorages could be increased by considering the inelastic behavior of an anchorage.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.293-303
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• 2020

Seismic fragility was assessed for non-seismic reinforced concrete shear walls in Korean high-rise apartment buildings in order to implement an earthquake damage prediction system. Seismic hazard was defined with an earthquake scenario, in which ground motion intensity was varied with respect to prescribed seismic center distances given an earthquake magnitude. Ground motion response spectra were computed using Korean ground motion attenuation equations to match accelerograms. Seismic fragility functions were developed using nonlinear static and dynamic analysis for comparison. Differences in seismic fragility between damage state criteria including inter-story drifts and the performance of individual structural members were investigated. The analyzed building had an exceptionally long period for the fundamental mode in the longitudinal direction and corresponding contribution of higher modes because of a prominently insufficient wall quantity in such direction. The results showed that nonlinear static analyses based on a single mode tend to underestimate structural damage. Moreover, detailed assessments of structural members are recommended for seismic fragility assessment of a relatively low performance level such as collapse prevention. On the other hand, inter-story drift is a more appropriate criterion for a relatively high performance level such as immediate occupancy.