Component Fragility Research Program: Phase 1, Demonstration tests: Volume 1, Summary report
Year: 1987
Type: report
Abstract: This report describes tests performed in Phase I of the NRC Component Fragility Research Program. The purpose of these tests was to demonstrate procedures for characterizing the seismic fragility of a selected component, investigating how various parameters affect fragility, and finally using test data to develop practical fragility descriptions suitable for application in probabilistic risk assessments. A three-column motor control center housing motor controllers of various types and sizes as well as relays of different types and manufacturers was subjected to seismic input motions up to 2.5g zero period acceleration. To investigate the effect of base flexibility on the structural behavior of the MCC and on the functional behavior of the electrical devices, multiple tests were performed on each of four mounting configurations: four bolts per column with top bracking, four bolts per column with no top brace, four bolts per column with internal diagonal bracking, and two bolts per column with no top or internal bracking. Device fragility was characterized by contact chatter correlated to local in-cabinet response at the device location. Seismic capacities were developed for each device on the basis of local input motion required to cause chatter; these results were then applied to develop probabilistic fragility curves for each type of device, including estimates of the ''high-confidence low probability of failure'' capacity of each.
DOI: 10.2172/6236434
Authors: G.S. Holman, C.K. Chou, G.D. Shipway, V. Glozman
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W13309528