Reduced seismic loads for temporary conditions Original Research Article

A new methodology, developed under an EPRI Tailored Collaboration Project, to calculate and apply reduced seismic loads (RLSs) for evaluation of temporary conditions (TCs) in nuclear power plants using design-basis (DB) allowables is described. The methodology, which was submitted to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) through the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), calculates load reduction factors based on an allowed limit for time-averaged increase in seismic core damage frequency within the duration of a refueling cycle. For this allowable in the range 5×10−6 to 1×10−5 per reactor year, substantial reduction relative to DB seismic load is possible. The methodology is equally applicable to plants with and without seismic probabilistic risk analysis model.