APPLICATION OF BASE-ISOLATION TO NUCLEAR

FACILITIES

Pierre Sollogoub
Consultant
(France)

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 Content

General idea of base-isolation

Isolation directions: H, H-V , 3D
Isolators
Non-nuclear applications
Post earthquake feedback of experience
Nuclear applications
Codes and standards
Some specific questions related to seismic isolation

Mainly building isolation will be considered in the presentation

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 General idea of base isolation
Low frequency <1Hz
Accelerations in the
superstructure are decreased
Displacements are increased
Higher damping, lower a. Acceleration response b. Displacement response
displacement
First mode is predominant
(orthogonal to the other modes)
in general
Limited amplification of
acceleration with height
In-structure floor response
spectra
With low frequency peak and
possibly secondary peaks
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 Directions of isolation

Functions of isolation system:

sustain vertical load
accommodate displacement : stiffness
control displacement : damping
re-centering capacity
Can be : 1D, 2D, 3D
Rocking

Usual: 2 horizontal directions
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 Isolators

Bearing

Dampers

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 Isolators examples

e h
d

Rubber bearing
Lead-rubber bearing

Damper

Friction pendulum bearing

Frequency depends only on R:
radius of curvature

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 Isolators

Hysteretic loop of HDRB (at 110% - left

and 220% - right

GERB Spring and Damper

Spent fuel storage (Switzerland)

Total Supported Weight:

>5000 Metric Tons

Seismic and Airplane Impact !

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3D System anti-rocking

Mechanism of rocking suppression system

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 Materials

(Laminated) Rubber
Natural or Synthetic
Low Damping Rubber Bearing LDRB
Lead-Rubber Bearing LRB
High Damping Rubber BearingHDRB

Main questions
Ageing
Non linear cyclic behaviour
Ultimate behaviour
Lead behaviour: cyclic and with time

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 Materials

Sliding devices
Rigid sliding Bearings
Curved surface sliders : RECENTRERING CAPABILITY
Choice of materials:
Steel surface
PTFE polytetrafluorethylene

Main questions:
Ageing of sliding surface
Recentering
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 Non-nuclear Applications

The technique is known since beginning of XXth century

(USA and USSR) with few applications
Derived from bridge devices
Applied for conventional buildings (70s+): New-Zealand,
Italy, France, Japan , USA
Strong development in Japan in late 90s (after Kobe
earthquake 1995
Numerous application in industrial facilities: LNG tanks RB,
LRB, FPB
Emergency buildings in K-K and Fukushima stations
(TEPCO)

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 Seismic feedback of experience

There are some exemples in California:

Northridge earthquake 1994 USC Hospital LRB and
LDRB : free field 0.49g- isolated raft: 0.13g top:0.2g
Landers Earthquake 1992 Foothill Communities
Justice Center HDRB: base 0.09g top 0.19g
Japan (Kobe 1995, Niigata Chuetsu, 2004, Martinique
(2007)
Mendoza (Argentina) M5.7 in 2006 2 twin buildings, one
fixes base and one isolated by springs and dampers
Xni/i = 0.25/0.05g
Yni/i = 0.4/0.06g
Zni/i = 0.06/0.07g

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Feedback of experience - Kobe 1995

Distorsion of pads during

earthquake: 170mm
Distorsion max: 400mm
LRB and natural rubber
bearings
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 Seismic feedback of experience
Great Tohoku earthquake (2011)
Many base-isolated buildings in Tohoku and
other (Tokyo) region, with acceleration in free-field
up to 0.6g
Base isolated emergency buildings in
NPPs:Fukushima 1 and 2, Onagawa
In all cases, the behaviour was satisfactory, in the
sense that the filtering effect was present and
no unexpected phenomena were present. No
damage to structures;Some damages when design
is deficient (on bridges)
R/D Tests
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Emergency Control Building - BWR

40.6m

52.6m

Natural Rubber Bearing(1200)10

Lead Rubber Bearing(1200)4

Sliding Bearing31
Oil Damper16

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 Design codes and Technical
Conventional buildings
documents
ASCE/SEI 7-10 Minimum design loads for buildings and other
structures, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2010 -USA
AIJ (AIJ, 2013 Recommendation for the Design of Base Isolated
Buildings, Architectural Institute of Japan, 2013. (in Japanese)
JSSI (JSSI, 2009, 2012, 2013) Japan Society of Seismic Isolation
developed texts giving list of possible devices, Guidelines for
umbilicals design and elements on maintenance for buildings and
bridges.
EN 1998-1:2004 Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake
resistance Part 1: General rules, seismic actions and rules for
buildings
EN 1998-2:2005 Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake
resistance Part 2: Bridges
NF EN 15129:2010 Anti-Seismic Devices
NF EN 1337:2005 Structural bearings
ISO22762: International Standard is dedicated to elastomeric seismic 16
isolators
 Design codes and Technical
documents
Nuclear Facilities
Japan
JEAG 4614-2013, Seismic Design Guidelines for Base-Isolated
Structures of Nuclear Power Plant, Japan Electric Association,
2013. in Japanese
JNES, Seismic Safety Division, Proposal of technical review
guidelines for structures with seismic isolation, report n JNES-RC-
2013-1002.
Europe
European Commission, Proposals for design guidelines for
seismically isolated nuclear plants, EUR 16-559 EN, 1995.
AFCEN PTAN RCC-CW 2015 French Experience and Practice of
Seismically Isolated Nuclear Facilities
RCC-CW 2015 edition of the AFCEN code for Civil Works
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 Design codes and Technical
documents
USA
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) NUREG/CR xx,
Technical considerations for Seismic Isolation of Nuclear Facilities,
Draft May 2013
ASCE Standard, ASCE 4-xx Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related
Nuclear Structures and Commentary. ASCE, 20xx
ASCE Standard, ASCE 43-05, Seismic design criteria for SSC in
Nuclear Facilitiies, ASCE, 2005 (under revision)
IAEA:
TECDOC 1288 Verification of analysis methods for predicting the
behaviour of seismically isolated nuclear structures (CRP 1996-
1999)
TECDOC (Draft) Seismic Isolation systems for Nuclear Installations

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 Design codes and Technical
documents

OTHER documents
France: Technical specifications used for RJH and
ITER design
USA
PEER and MCEER reports
EPRI Draft on Seismic Isolation for NPP
AASHTO document for bridges
Korea

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 Nuclear Applications
Advantages
Lower accelerations on structures and components, enabling simple,
seismically safer, economical and standardised design
Simple structural behaviour leading to a simplicity of the analyses in
some cases, static analysis may be applicable for equipment inside
isolated structure.
Increase safety by decreasing in the uncertainties, due to the fact that
the critical element is the seismic isolation system itself, for which the
behaviour up to failure is better evaluated than the one of a non-
isolated structure.
Simpler layout, with possibly more slender buildings and more flexibility
to locate equipment (for instance, due to almost constant acceleration
over height, it is possible to have heavy or sensitive components
located at higher elevations),
Reduce costs for new build (in terms of scheduling and global price)
due to the capability to reuse original design for middle range seismic
input (typically 0.25-0.3g) and existing main components qualification
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 Why so few application of BI in
Nuclear facilities?
Licensing: BI is a NEW technique
Construction schedule is increased
Cost of isolation system and complementary raft;
must be compensated by lower cost of SSCs
Lack of consensus standards
Nuclear Market in high seismicity zones
Cost-benefit analysis has to be done; from which
value of acceleration is BI interesting?
Lack of audacity!
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Nuclear projects (partial)
Facility Country Type Date
EFR Europe FBR 80s

PRISM USA Small WR Mid 80s

SAFR USA Fast Reactor Mid 80s
KALIMER Korea Fast Reactor
ALMR USA Fast Reactor
STAR-LM USA LMR Gen IV

IRIS International 2000s

SILER Europe GEN IV reactors 2012

ASTRID Europe/ GEN-IV SFR Under develop.

France
ALFRED Europe/ GEN IV LCFR Under develop.
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Romania
 Some Nuclear Projects

IRIS PRISM

KALIMER
STAR -LM 3D isolation SECED 30/03/2016 London UK 23
ASTRID ALFRED

GEN IV LCFR
GEN IV SFR
France Romania

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 French Base Isolated Nuclear Installations

CRUAS 900MWe NPP (EDF)

KOEBERG 900MWe NPP (RSA)
La Hague storage pools (COGEMA)
STAR Laboratory in CADARACHE (CEA)
Georges Besse II enrichment plant

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 CRUAS NPP

Facility: Nuclear Power Plant 4 Units (900MWe) EDF (1980)

Location: CRUAS in the Rhone valley
The plant is part of a standardised set designed to 0.2g;
presence of a shallow focus 0.3g earthquake
Two twin units Nuclear Island (raft dimensions: 140m x 80m)
300000tons on 2000 pads
Pads: laminated rubber bearings ; 0.5m x 0.5m x 0.065m (3
neoprene layers 13.5mm thick)
Neoprene Rubber
Isolation frequency: 1Hz (the objective was to limit the
acceleration to 0.2g, with 5% damping)
Possibility of pads replacement (qualified in-situ procedure)
Koeberg NPP (South-Africa), same type of bearings with sliding
plate

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 Cruas Seismic input

1
Acceleration (g)

0.1

SDD EDF 0.2g

SDD CRUAS 0.3g

0.01
0.1 1 10 100
Frequency (Hz)

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CRUAS - Position of pedestals

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CRUAS NPP

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Cruas NPP
Courtesy EDF

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 Design
Eigenfrequency of the isolated structure
It is a trade-off between effects on acceleration and on differential
displacements.
At Cruas-Meysse f0 = 1Hz was selected , resulting in a 5 cm differential
displacement.

Main technical features

Shear modulus G0: 1.1 GPa
Damping : 7%
Pressure on isolation pads: 7.5 MPa
Rubber thickness: 40.5 mm
Distortion under SSE: 1.2
(shear strain : 120%)

Ageing effects on G
Anticipated : G0 x1.3 after 20 years ; < G0 x1.5 after 60 years
Design margin: G0 x 2.25 (the design is still OK up to f = f0 x1.5)
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Design

Laminated polychloroprene rubber

bearings
In 1978, in France, elastomer bearings
pad had been used for 30 years, with an
excellent experience feedback.
In Europe, around 50 000 road or rail
bridges are placed on such pads.

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KOEBERG NPP

Construction Lower raft and pedestals (31-12-1977)

Photo: Spie Batignolles

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Koeberg (RSA) NPP

PGA: 0.3 g
Frequency: 0.75 Hz
Pad size: 700x700x130 mm
G modulus: 1.4 Mpa
Friction coefficient: 0.2

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JHR General Design

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 RJH Seismic Design
Use of industrially proven solution : square elastomere pads
Low damping
Frequency : 0,65 Hz at the end of life
Dimensions of pads : 0,9 x 0,9 m2
Design compressive stress 7,5 MPa
Maximum design distorsion : 1,4
211 Pads
- Review of existing standards: EC8, AFPS90, SETRA Guidelines
Ageing is taken into account by considering a margin in Shear
Modulus
Integration of inspection constraints
- Accessibility
- Testing
Integration of pads replacement capability
Equipment design: margins
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ITER
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Under construction
PGA: 0.32 g
Frequency: 0.55 Hz
Pad size: 900x900x181 mm
G modulus: 1.1 Mpa
Same isolators than RJH

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 RJH ITER
ITER JHR
900x900x181 mm square bearing
Elastomeric
6 layers of 20mm of elastomer
bearing
5x 5 mm-thick steel plates + 2 external 15
characteristics
mm-thick steel plates
Mechanical Dynamic shear modulus: Gd = 1.1 MPa
properties Damping : 5%
Shape factor S 11.25
PGA (hard soil)
Number of
493 195
isolators
Mass (t) ~ 300 000 ~110 000
Isolation
0.55 0.6
frequency (Hz)
Service loading
6.4 MN (s = 8 MPa) 5.67 MN ( = 7 MPa)
(NSd)
Displacement dbd
112 108
(mm)
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 Georges Besse II enrichment plant

Seismic spectrum of TRICASTIN

1,0000

0,1000
Facility isolated for protection of the
investment considerations
Acceleration (g)

SMS 5%
0,0100
IPS2 5%

0,0010
0,10 1,00 10,00 100,00

Frequency (hz)

GBII
Elastomeric
Circular bearing of diameter 500mm
bearing
Height around 400mm
characteristics
Mechanical Dynamic shear modulus: Gd = 0.7 MPa,
properties Damping : 7 %
PGA 0.3g
Displacement dbd
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(mm)
Some specific questions related to seismic
isolation

Design of Isolators Manufacturing - Material Qualification

Ageing - monitoring
Input signal (low frequency)
Isolator(s) replacement
Construction tolerances (on site)
Control of vertical loads on isolators
Construction phasing
Vertical stiffness of isolators
Tension loads / uplift Cruas- replacement
Other external events: fire, aircraft crash of 2 isolators
Connecting structures umbilicals
Effect of isolators damping
Non-linear isolator behaviour H and V coupling

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 Some specific questions

Ultimate behaviour of the isolation system

Margins
Beyond design conditions
PRA
Hard stop or not moat design
Ductility demand
Signal on isolated part has a low frequency content. Ductility
demand may be important.
A complementary margin above calculated response spectrum is
necessary
In structure Response Spectra
Equipment design
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 Inelastic Spectra RG1.60 spectrum
Frequency

3,4
3,2
3 Elastic
2,8 Duct. 2.0
Duct. 3.0
2,6 Duct. 5.0
2,4 Elastic
Response Acceleration [g]

2,2
2
1,8
1,6
1,4
1,2
1
0,8
0,6

0,4
0,2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
Frequency [Hz]

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 Base Isolated Structure inelatic FRS
Frequency

5,5 Elastic
Duct. 2.0
5 Duct. 3.0
Duct. 5.0
4,5 Elastic
Response Acceleration [g]

3,5

2,5

1,5

0,5

0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Frequency [Hz]

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In Structure Response Spectra
Example: ITER
(fusion experimental
reactor) [Combesure et al, 2010]

Horizontal floor spectra

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 In-structure Response spectra

Secondary peak may be due to:

Vertical Horizontal coupling

Kinematic interaction in embedded foundations
Damping in the isolation system

Simple dynamic behaviour is no more applicable

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 Equipment behaviour
2
spectre pseudo-acclration m/s2
10
RCC-E
SQUG
BI structure

1
10

0
10
-1 0 1 2
10 10 10 10
frquence (Hz)
SILER International Workshop, 18-19 June 46
2013, Roma
 Conclusions
There are many techniques for base isolation
Manufacturing quality, ensure a good long term
behaviour
Good behaviour of base isolated structures
during earthquakes
There are examples of base-isolated nuclear
facilities
Some care must be exercised in design
Seismic isolation is a mature technique for
nuclear facilities

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