In assessing the seismic safety of nuclear power plants, it is essential to analyze the structures using the observed ground motion. In particular, spatial variation in which the characteristics of the ground motion record differ may occur if the location is different within the site and even if the same earthquake is experienced. This study analyzed the spatial variation characteristics of the ground motion observed at the structure and site using the earthquake records measured at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant. Even if they were located on the same floor within the same unit, there was a difference in response depending on the location. In addition, amplification was observed in Unit 5 compared to other units, which was due to the rock layer having a slower shear wave velocity than the surrounding bedrock. Significant differences were also found in the records of the structure’s foundation and the free-field surface. Based on these results, the necessity of considering spatial variation in the observed records was suggested.

The spatial variation characteristics of seismic motions at the nuclear power plant's site and structures were analyzed using earthquake records obtained at the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the Great East Japan Earthquake. The ground responses amplified as they approached the soil surface from the lower rock surface, and the amplification occurred intensively at about 50 m near the ground. Due to the soil layer's nonlinear characteristics caused by the strong seismic motion, the ground's natural frequency derived from the response spectrum ratio appeared to be smaller than that calculated from the shear wave velocity profile. The spatial variation of the peak ground acceleration at the ground surface of the power plant site showed a significant difference of about 0.6 g at the maximum. As a result of comparing the response spectrums at the basement of the structure with the design response spectrum, there was a large variability by each power plant unit. The difference was more significant in the Fukushima Daiichi site record, which showed larger peak ground acceleration at the surface. The earthquake motions input to the basement of the structure amplified according to the structure's height. The natural frequency obtained from the recorded results was lower than that indicated in the previous research. Also, the floor response spectrum change according to the location at the same height was investigated. The vertical response on the foundation surface showed a significant difference in spectral acceleration depending on the location. The amplified response in the structure showed a different variability depending on the type of structure and the target frequency.

The phase properties of ground acceleration records from Mw 5.5~6.5 earthquakes are analyzed. The interrelationships between phase properties and significant durations, as well as PGA, are clarified through both of theoretical and empirical approaches. The probabilistic characteristics of phase information is also discussed based on previous studies and it is shown that circular normal distribution is the most appropriate probability distribution for the phase angle and phase difference. Whereas those variates can be modeled by Gaussian random variables. From the survey results on the frequency dependency of the phase statistics, a simple model is introduced, which is possible to express the frequency dependency of phase information. It is also shown that the significant duration can be controlled by appropriately chosen standard deviation of phase difference for 4~8Hz frequency band and additional consideration of phase scattering in higher frequency band through a series of Monte Carlo simulations. The source of phase scattering effect is also pointed out and discussed.

This study develops an empirical prediction equation of spectral acceleration responses of earthquakes which can induce structural damages. Ground motion records representing hazards of low-to-moderate seismic regions were selected and organized with several influential factors affecting the response spectra. The empirical equation and estimator coefficients for acceleration response spectra were then proposed using a robust nonlinear optimization coupled with a regression analysis. For analytical verification of the prediction equation, response spectra used for low-to-moderate seismic regions were estimated and the predicted results were comparatively evaluated with measured response spectra. As a result, the predicted shapes of response spectra can simulate the graphical shapes of measured data with high accuracy and most of predicted results are distributed inside range of correlation of variation (COV) of 30% from perfectly correlated lines.

This study investigates important parameters used to determine an effective peak ground acceleration (EPGA) based on the characteristics of response spectra of historical earthquakes occurred at Korean peninsula. EPGAs are very important since they are implemented in the Korean Building Code for the seismic design of new structures. Recently, the Gyeongju earthquakes with the largest magnitude in earthquakes measured at Korea took place and resulted in non-structural and structural damage, which their EPGAs should need to be evaluated. This paper first describes the basic concepts on EPGAs and the EPGAs of the Gyeongju earthquakes are then evaluated and compared according to epicentral distances, site classes and directions of seismic waves. The EPGAs are dependant on normalizing factors and ranges of period on response spectrum constructed with the Gyeongju earthquake records. Using the normalizing factors and the ranges of period determined based on the characteristics of domestic response spectra, this paper draw a conclusion that the EPGAs are estimated to be about 30 % of the measured peak ground accelerations (PGA).

The vertical design spectrum for Korea, which is known to belong to an intra-plate region, is developed from the ground motion records of the earthquakes occurred in Korea and overseas intra-plate regions. From the statistical analysis of the vertical response spectra, a mean plus one standard deviation spectrum in lognormal distribution is obtained. Regression analysis is performed on this curve to determine the shape of spectrum including transition periods. The developed design spectrum is valid for the estimation both spectral acceleration and displacement. The ratio of vertical to horizontal response spectrum for each record is calculated. Statistical analysis of the ratios rendered the vertical to horizontal ratio (V/H ratio). Subsequently the ratio between the peak vertical ground acceleration to the horizontal one is obtained.

The design spectrum for Korea, which is known to belong to an intra-plate region, is developed from the ground motion records of the earthquakes occurred in Korea and overseas intra-plate regions. The horizontal spectrum is defined as geometric mean spectrum, GMRotI50. From the statistical analysis of the geometric mean spectra, a mean plus one standard deviation spectrum in lognormal distribution is obtained. Regression analysis is performed on this curve to determine the shape of spectrum including transition periods. The developed design spectrum is valid for the estimation both spectral acceleration and displacement.

This study suggests a prediction model of ground motion spectral shape considering characteristics of earthquake records in Korea. Based on the Graizer and Kalkan’s prediction procedure, a spectral shape model is defined as a continuous function of period in order to improve the complex problems of the conventional models. The approximate spectral shape function is then developed with parameters such as moment magnitude, fault distance, and average shear velocity of independent variables. This paper finally determines estimator coefficients of subfunctions which explain the corelation among the independent variables using the nonlinear optimization. As a result of generating the prediction model of ground motion spectral shape, the ground motion spectral shape well estimates the response spectrum of earthquake recordings in Korea.

최근 감쇠장치 등을 가진 초고층 건축물의 지진해석에 시간이력해석법이 자주 사용되고 있다. 지진기록은 구조물의 기본 진동주기를 T라 할 때 설계기준에서 요구하는 바와 같이 0.2T에서 1.5T 사이의 스펙트럼 값을 설계응답스펙트럼에 부합하게 조정되어 사용되고 있다. 설계기준에서 제시한 방법으로 조정할 경우 주기가 길어질수록 두 해석법 사이의 응답차이는 커지는 현상이 발생한다. 즉 설계기준에 의하여 조정된 지진기록을 사용하여 시간이력해석을 수행하면 밑면전단력 등은 비슷하지만 변위, 층간변위, 부재력 등은 적게 평가되는 현상이 발생하였다. 이들 결과에 밑면전단력 조정계수를 적용하면 응답이 더욱 작아지는 것을 확인하였다. 이에 본 연구에서는 인공지진을 만드는 데 어려움이 있는 엔지니어들을 위하여 기존 설계기준에 부합하는 지진기록 조정방법을 제시하였다.

최근까지도 많은 시간이력 지진해석이 연약지반의 증폭영향을 고려하지 않고 연약지반 위 지표면에서 기록된 지진거동으로 수행되었다. 그러나 합리적인 구조물의 지진해석을 위해서는 지반조건을 고려하고 암반지진기록을 이용하는 것이 중요하다. 이 연구에서는 연구를 위해 태평양지진연구센터(PEER)에서 제공하는 공개된 1557개의 지진기록 중에서 26개 암반지진기록을 선정하고 암반지진 기록의 특성을 분석하였다. 연구결과에 의하면, 지반조건을 고려하지 않고 지진규모로부터 지진가속도를 추정하는 것은 합리적이지 못하며, PEER 데이터베이스 암반지진기록으로는 지진가속도, 지진규모, 진앙거리 사이의 일반적인 상관관계를 추정하는 것도 어려운 것으로 평가되었다. 그러나 이 연구에서 선정한 26개 암반지진기록은 구조물-지반체계의 시간이력 지진해석을 위해 암반지진기록으로 사용할 수는 있지만, 이 지진기록을 사용할 때에도 지진가속도, 지진규모, 진앙거리 및 지반조건이 유사한 지진기록을 사용하는 것이 필요하다는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

2005년 3월 20일 발생한 Fukuoka 지진 시 국내 및 일본에서 관측된 자료를 이용하여 지반운동 감쇄특성을 분석하였다. 또한 최근 국내 및 일본에서 제시된 지반운동 거리감쇄식을 이용한 예측값과의 비교를 통하여 국내 강지진동 예측 시 일본에서 개발된 감쇄식의 적용가능성을 평가하였다. 그 결과 동일 거리에 위치한 국내 및 일본 관측소에서 측정한 기록이 비교적 유사하게 나타났으며 국내 및 일본에서 제시된 지반운동 거리감쇄식의 예측값이 매우 유사하게 나타나 국내에서의 강지진동 예측 시 일본에서 제시된 지반운동 감쇄식을 200km 이상의 비교적 원거리에 대한 국내 감쇄식의 평가 등에 유용하게 활용할 수 있는 것으로 나타났다.