Dynamic Centrifuge Simulation for Soil-Foundation-NPP Containment System

The objective of this study is to duplicate the full soil structure interaction (SSI) behavior of Hualien Large-Scale Seismic Test (LSST) in the centrifuge modeling. To simulate dynamic soil properties, a series of resonant column tests were performed to determine model soil preparation conditions, such as compaction density and ratio of soil-gravel contents. After the model preparation, the shear wave velocity (VS) profile of the model was evaluated using in-flight bender element tests and compared with the insitu VS profile. The containment building and its foundation were modeled by aluminum according to the scaling law. A series of dynamic centrifuge tests were performed with 1/50-sized model using the recorded base motion at Chi-Chi earthquake. By comparing the recorded data during earthquake with centrifuge test data, the applicability of centrifuge test in the simulation of soil-foundation-structure interaction of NPP containment system was assessed.