• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2020

In 2016, an earthquake occurred at Gyeongju, Korea. At the Wolsong site, the observed peak ground acceleration was lower than the operating basis earthquake (OBE) level of Wolsong nuclear power plant. However, the measured spectral acceleration value exceeded the spectral acceleration of the operating-basis earthquake (OBE) level in some sections of the response spectrum, resulting in a manual shutdown of the nuclear power plant. Analysis of the response spectra shape of the Gyeongju earthquake motion showed that the high-frequency components are stronger than the response spectra shape used in nuclear power plant design. Therefore, the seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment of nuclear power plants should be made to reflect the characteristics of site-specific earthquakes. In general, the floor response spectrum shape at the installation site or the generalized response spectrum shape is used for the seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment. In this study, a generalized response spectrum shape is proposed for seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment for nuclear power plants. The proposed response spectrum shape reflects the characteristics of earthquake motion in Korea through earthquake hazard analysis, and it can be applied to structures and equipment at various locations.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.17-35
• /
• 2016

Earthquake-induced disasters are often more severe in locations with soft soils than firm soils or rocks due to differences in ground motion amplification. On a regional scale, such differences can be estimated by spatially predicting subsurface soil thickness over the entire target area. In general, soil deposits are generally deeper in coastal or riverside areas than in inland regions. In this study, a coastal metropolitan area, Incheon, was selected to assess site effects and provide information on seismic hazards. Spatial prediction of geotechnical layers was performed for the entire study area within the GIS framework. Approximately 7,000 existing borehole drilling data in the Incheon area were gathered and archived into the GIS Database (DB). In addition, surface geotechnical data were acquired from a walkover survey. Based on the built geotechnical DB, spatial zoning maps of site-specific seismic response parameters were created and presented for use in a regional seismic strategy. Site response parameters were performed to determine site coefficients for seismic design over the entire target area and compared with each other. Site classifications and subsequent seismic zoning were assigned based on site coefficients. From this seismic zonation case study in Incheon, we verified that geotechnical GIS-DB can create spatial zoning maps of site-specific seismic response parameters that are useful for seismic hazard mitigation particularly in coastal metropolitan areas.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2001.04a
• /
• pp.58-65
• /
• 2001

It is essential to know exactly what the response of the seismograph is inclusive of characteristic of the seismic sensors before using it for detailed seismic study. This is because the recorded earthquake data can be more or less affected by the overall system and need to be corrected properly to the analysis`s best to obtain the right results. In this respect, two basic earthquake data processing techniques are introduced and applied, for validation purpose, to real data from KEPRI seismic monitoring system which were established for determining the site-specific characteristics of the earthquakes around the Nuclear Power Plants. One is conventional instrumental correction technique for velocity data and the other is for removing acausal ringing originate from using linear phase FIR filter. These techniques are all implemented in the time domain using digital filtering process and shows the desired results when applied to real earthquake data.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2001.09a
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2001

Seismic parameters fur computation of ground motions in Southern Korea are obtained from recently recorded data, and site-independent regional and site-dependent local strong ground motions are predicted using efficient computational techniques. For the computation of ground motions, we devised an efficient procedure to compute site-independent $x_{q}$ and dependent $x_{s}$ values separately. The first step of this procedure is to use the coda normalization method far computation of site independent Q or corresponding $x_{q}$ value. The next step is the computation of $x_{s}$, values fur each site separately using the given $x_{q}$ value. For computation of ground motions the empirical Green's function (EGF) is modified to account fur the depth and distance variations of subevents on a finite fault plane using the theoritical Green's function. It is computed using wavenumber integration technique in layered media. The site dependent ground motions at seismic stations in southeastern local area were properly simulated using the modified empirical Green's function method in layered medium. The proposed method and procedures fur estimation of site dependent seismic parameters and ground motions could be efficiently used in the low and moderate seismicity regions.ons.s.ons.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.29-42
• /
• 1992

Presented is a study on the development of seismic hazard analysis techniques to determine a reasonable design earthquake. To this end, the methods of seismic hazard analysis are first derived and the earthquake occurrence models are established. The present method yields the appropriate level of seismic hazard for any specific site. The characteristics of each hazard model are compared. The seismic hazards for several important sites where some nuclear power plants were installed are evaluated on the basis of the present models. The present study allows more realistic determination of design earthquakes at any specific sites for the design of major structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.84 no.1
• /
• pp.85-100
• /
• 2022

The updated Turkish Building Earthquake Code has been significantly renovated and expanded compared to previous seismic design codes. The use of earthquake ground motion levels with different probabilities of exceedance is one of the major advances in structural mechanics with the current code. This study aims to investigate the earthquake performance of steel structure in settlements with different seismic hazards for various earthquake ground motion levels. It is focused on earthquake and structural parameters for four different ground motion levels with different probabilities of exceedance calculated according to the location of the structure by the updated Turkish Hazard Map. For this purpose, each of the seven different geographical regions of Turkey which has the same seismic zone in the previous earthquake hazard map has been considered. Earthquake parameters, horizontal design elastic spectra obtained and comparisons were made for all different ground motion levels for the seven different locations, respectively. Structural analyzes for a sample steel structure were carried out using pushover analysis by using the obtained design spectra. It has been determined that the different ground motion levels significantly affect the expected target displacements of the structure for performance criteria. It is noted that the different locations of the same earthquake zone in the previous code with the same earthquake-building parameters show significant variations due to the micro zoning properties of the updated seismic design code. In addition, the main innovations of the updated code were discussed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.17 no.1 s.50
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2007

In order to evaluate the local site effects at two town fortress areas in Korea where stone parapets were col-lapsed by historical earthquakes, site characteristics were assessed using site investigations such as borehole drillings and seismic tests. Equivalent-linear site response analyses were conducted based on the shear ways velocity ($V_s$) profiles and geotechnical characteristics determined from site investigations. The study sites are categorized as site classes C and B according to the mean $V_s$ to 30 m ranging from 500 to 850 m/s, and their site periods are distributed in the short period range of 0.06 to 0.16 sec, which contains the natural period of fortress wall and stone parapet. From the results of site response analyses in the study areas, for site class C indicating most of site conditions, contrary to site class B, the short-period (0.1-0.5 sec) and mid-period (0.4-2.0 sec) site coefficients, $F_a$ and $F_v$ specified in the Korean seismic design guide, underestimate the ground motion in short-period band and overestimate the ground motion in mid-period band, respectively, due to the high amplification in short period range, which represent the site-specific seismic response characteristics. These site-specific response characteristics indicate the potential of resonance in fortress walls during earthquake and furthermore could strongly affect the collapse of parapets resulted from seismic events in historical records.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.357-376
• /
• 2011

Ground motion models predict the mean and standard deviation of the logarithm of spectral acceleration, as a function of predictor variables such as earthquake magnitude, distance and site condition. Such models have been developed for a variety of seismic environments throughout the world. Some calculations, such as the Conditional Mean Spectrum calculation, use this information but additionally require knowledge of correlation coefficients between logarithmic spectral acceleration values at multiple periods. Such correlation predictions have, to date, been developed primarily from data recorded in the Western United States from active shallow crustal earthquakes. This paper describes results from a study of spectral acceleration correlations from Japanese earthquake ground motion data that includes both crustal and subduction zone earthquakes. Comparisons are made between estimated correlations for Japanese response spectral ordinates and correlation estimates developed from Western United States ground motion data. The effect of ground motion model, earthquake source mechanism, seismic zone, site conditions, and source to site distance on estimated correlations is evaluated and discussed. Confidence intervals on these correlation estimates are introduced, to aid in identifying statistically significant differences in correlations among the factors considered. Observed general trends in correlation are similar to previous studies, with the exception of correlation of spectral accelerations between orthogonal components, which is seen to be higher here than previously observed. Some differences in correlations between earthquake source zones and earthquake mechanisms are observed, and so tables of correlations coefficients for each specific case are provided.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2009

In order to evaluate the effect of shear wave velocity of a seismic control point on site response analysis, one-dimensional equivalent linear site response analysis were performed on the model soil profile based on the results of a detailed site investigation of sedimentary layers at Incheon and Busan. The results of the analysis show that an increase of shear wave velocity on the seismic control point (base rock) results in an increase of acceleration in the soil layers. This was mainly due to an unclear definition of the seismic control point. For this reason, the Korean Seismic Design Standard requires a specific definition of the seismic control point, including spatial conditions and soil properties, similar to the MCE (Maximum Considered Earthquake) in FEMA 369.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2004.03b
• /
• pp.245-252
• /
• 2004

When some enormous earthquake hazards broke out in the neighboring Japan and Taiwan, many Korean earthquake engineers thought that seismic guidelines must be adjusted safely and economically to consider the moderate earthquake characteristics. In the present aseismic guideline for liquefaction potential assessment, a simplified method using SPT-N value and a detail method based on the dynamic lab-tests were introduced. However, it is said that these methods based on the equivalent stress concept to simplify an irregular earthquake are not reliable to simulate the kaleidoscopical characteristics of earthquake loading correctly. Especially, even though various data from the dynamic lab-test can be obtained, only two data, a maximum cyclic load and a number of cycle at an initial liquefaction are used to determine the soil resistance strength in the detailed method. In this study, a new assessment of liquefaction potential is proposed and verified. In the proposed assessment, various data from dynamic lab-tests are used to determine the unique soil resistance characteristic and a site specific analysis is introduced to analyze the irregular earthquake time history itself. Also, it is found that the proposed assessment is reasonable because it is devised to reflect the changeable soil behavior under dynamic loadings resulted from the generation and development of excess pore water pressure.