Earthquake response spectra for seismic design of nuclear power plants in the UK

Earthquake actions for the seismic design of nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom are generally based on spectral shapes anchored to peak ground acceleration (PGA) values obtained from a single predictive equation. Both the spectra and the PGA prediction equation were derived in the 1980s. The technical bases for these formulations of seismic loading are now very dated if compared with the state-of-the-art in this field. Alternative spectral shapes are explored and the options, and the associated benefits and challenges, for generating uniform hazard response spectra instead of fixed shapes anchored to PGA are discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.