Earthquake Experience and Seismic Qualification by Indirect Methods in Nuclear Installations

The objective of this TECDOC is to provide a technical background to help regulators, plant owners and designers in the definition, implementation and review of seismic qualification procedures for components and equipment, mainly for existing plants, consistent with the IAEA safety standards. Many engineering companies and utilities have developed their own methodologies for these purposes. A common feature of these approaches is that they rely to a large extent on engineering judgement and therefore the review and assessment of the qualification processes are sometimes rather difficult. This publication intends to provide information and recommendations for the improvement of the reliability of these procedures, for the understanding of their limitations and applicability, and for their optimal use.