SeismicqualificationofexpansionanchorstoCanadiannuclearstandardsOriginalResearchArticle

Alargenumberofuniqueseismicqualificationtestswereperformedondifferenttypesofexpansionanchorstodeterminetheirseismiccapabilities.ThesetestsfollowedtherequirementsoftheCanadianCSAN287.2aswellastheASTME488Standards.Expansionanchorsrangingindiameterfrom1/4to114in.weresubjectedtothisseismicqualificationtesting.Strategicallydesignedandstandardisedconcreteblocksweremanufacturedtoreceiveeachexpansionanchor.Theanchorswereinstalledaccordingtotheanchormanufacturerinstructionsandtheinstallationwasconsistentwithconstructionpractice.Eachanchortypeandsizewassubjectedtofourdifferenttypesoftestscoveringstatic,dynamic,tensionandshearloading.ThedynamiccyclicloadsappliedrepresentedastrongearthquakewhosespectrumenvelopsthatoftheDesignBasisEarthquake(DBE).Theseismictestingqualificationprograminvolved300tests.Resultsofthetestingprogramareobtainedforeachtypeofanchor.Resultsfromthesetestsconfirmthatthesetypesofexpansionanchorshavemaintainedtheirtension(pull-out)andshearcapabilitiesfollowingasevereseismicshaking.