Seismic Analysis of Embalse Nuclear Power Plant for Life Extension Assessment

MARCELO A. CEBALLOS; FEDERICO PINTO; RICARDO J. ROCCA; CARLOS A. PRATO

Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Canadá

Conferencia; 19th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology; 2007

North Carolina State University

Embalse NPP, located in Córdoba, Argentina, is currently being reassessed in order to pursue a renewal of the operating license, due in 2010. The original design of the reactor building dates back to the early 80?s, when advanced computer programs for dynamic soil-structure interaction analyses were not of widespread use. In order to reassess the seismic response of the reactor building under the design event, a dynamic finite element model was developed and calibrated using experimental acceleration records from a minor earthquake event in 2003. The current analyses were performed by means of the computer program SASSI, which can accurately model dynamic soil structure interaction and wave propagation phenomena. This paper focuses on the FRS?s obtained by means of the updated structural model using SASSI for the review level earthquake considered at the time the plant started its operations. Results illustrate the reduction of seismic demands when the soil properties used in the model have been verified by actual seismic records as compared with those considered at design stage.