Experimental Facilities for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Worldwide: Are Large Testing Facilities for Nuclear Power Plants Design and Verification at Risk?

In the report “Nuclear Safety Research in OECD Countries: Summary Report of Major Facilities and Programmes at Risk“ published by the NEA/CSNI Senior Group of Experts on Nuclear Safety Research Facilities and Programmes (SESAR/FAP), facilities for earthquake engineering were not pointed out as facilities at risk due to their large numbers. The recommendations of the SESAR group were: in the short term to promote data exchange, including earthquake observation data, and in the longer term to monitor status and identify opportunities for co-operative programmes using large shaking tables.

The first recommendation is addressed by the CSNI Working Group on the Integrity and Ageing of Components and Structures (WGIAGE) through its expert group on the seismic behaviour of components and structures. The latter recommendations led the WGIAGE to prepare this report listing large facilities available worldwide having testing facilities relevant to nuclear industry and having associated knowledge/competencies. The report concludes that there are sufficient testing capabilities throughout the world. The situation is not the same if regions are considered individually. New techniques under development may also help in using existing smaller size tables to test large components/structures.