Earthquakes overview

This chapter overviews the techniques for incorporating external events into a PSA. The discussion was primarily aimed at nuclear power plants but is equally applicable to chemical process plants. The types of external events discussed were earthquakes, fires and floods. Notably absent were severe winds and tornados. Tornados are analyzed as missiles impacting the structures and causing common-cause failures of systems (EPRINP-768). Missile propagation and the resulting damage is a specialized subject usually solved with computer codes. 

Keer L, et al. 1978. Unstable growth of thermally induced interacting cracks in brittle solids further results. Earthquake Res. Eng. Lab. Tech. Rept. No. 78-2-8, Northwestern University. Lavigne F., et al. 2000. Lahars at Merapi volcano. Central Java an overview. J of Vole and Geoth Res 100 pp. 423-456. 

Xu Chong, Dai Fu-chu, Xu Xi-wei. Wenchuan Earthquake-induced Landslides an Overview. Geological Review, 2010, 56(6) 860 874. 

Deierlein, G. 2004. Overview of a comprehensive framework for earthquake performance assessment, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Performance-Based Seismic Design -Concepts and Implementation, Bled, Slovenia, Fajfar P., Krawinkler H. eds., PEER Report 2004/05 15-26, Berkeley. 

The purpose of this book is to present recent research findings in the fields of computational structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. The first part (Chapters 1 to 14) is devoted to computational structural dynamics, and the second part (Chapters 15 to 35) deals with computational earthquake engineering. To provide the reader with a good overview of pertinent literature, all cited references and additional references on the topics presented are collected in a comprehensive list of references. 

Earthquake loss process. (From Scawthorn, C., Earthquake risk management An overview, in Earthquake Engineering Handbook, Chen, W.-F. and Scawthorn, C, Eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2003, p. 2-7.)... 

In Iceland, the EERC has produced the film HveragerQi— in Compliance with Nature , which focuses on a small community coping with the risk of earthquakes. Similar actions have been taken in Italy, and together, Portugal, and Iceland have also contributed to the preparation of a video that provides an overview of the seismic hazard in these countries. 

Yet, there is widespread skepticism about whether structural damage to man-made constructions, displaced structures, and indications of repair can be used as earthquake indicators. Damage to ancient buildings is often hard to identify, even for experienced archeologists and engineers (Hinzen 2011). Here we offer a brief overview of earthquake-induced damages observed in ancient structures. 

Early Earthquake Warning (EEW) System Overview, Fig. 3 Regions of EEW warning forecast, and distribution of estimated seismic intensities (Hoshiba et al. 2011)... 

Earthquake Mechanisms and Tectonics, Fig. 5 Schematic overview of some earthquake types observed in subduction zones. Not all event types occur at each subduction zone. Focal mechanisms are in cross-sectional view and are roughly scaled according to maximum observed size. Arrows show relative motion sense... 

DesRoches R, Comerio M, Eberhard M, Mooney W, Rix GJ (2011) Overview of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Earthq Spectra 27(S1) S1-S21... 

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