Dynamic testing of full-scale nuclear power plant structures and equipment

Three steps are required in the design of reliable nuclear power plants to be located in seismic areas. In addition to development of realistic analytical models, it is necessary to perform dynamic tests to verify the models and acquire the information needed to establish the dynamic parameters for modeling. The third and final step is to perform high level proof tests to validate analysis and test results. This report is an overview of dynamic testing methods. Testing can be performed in the laboratory or in the field. Laboratory tests are useful because a wide range of effects can be studied and test parameters are more easily controlled. Care must be exercised to insure that the laboratory situation faithfully reproduces the actual structure in such details as supports, appurtenances, appendages, and mounting methods. In general, laboratory methods permit high level excitation of structures weighing up to a few metric tons (a few facilities in the world have capabilities up to 100 t). Since actual structures of interest to nuclear power plant designers often weigh up to 10 000 t, field testing is also important. Test procedures have been developed, using portable structural vibrators, for testing structures as large as nuclear power plant containment buildings. High level tests can be performed using explosives buried in the soil to excite structures. Recent work performed by the author demonstrates that explosive tests which produce a predetermined, specified response spectrum can be conducted.