Ground and Civil structure of Nuclear Power Plant

Special earthquake-resistant design methods are employed in the design of nuclear power plants since much higher earthquake resistance must be ensured for them than for ordinary structures. This is because any structural damages due to earthquake in major parts of a nuclear power plant could lead to radiation hazards for the public at large. The very first nuclear power plant in Japan was approved for the Tokai Power Station in 1959. The experience gathered since that time in the design and construction of numerous power plants, accumulation of data of vibration tests conducted on actual facilities or on models of similar size, and developments in seismology or methods of structural analysis have contributed to remarkable progress in design methods.