SITING OF HIGH RISK INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES: THE ROLE OFNATURAL PHENOMENA SUCH AS EARTHQUAKES

摘要

Siting is the process of selecting a suitable location for any type of facilities, based onrnthe appropriate assessment and definition of the design parameters in order to protect thernfacility from environmental hazards and to minimize the impact of the plant to thernenvironment. This process becomes more and more relevant and sophisticated with thernincreasing complexity of the facility under design and the associated risk in case of failure.rnThe siting procedure includes an analysis of the geological stability of the site under static andrndynamic conditions and the definition of the design loads related to natural phenomena, suchrnas earthquakes.rnThe methodology for the definition of the design earthquake and associated topics forrnNuclear Power Plants, is described in the IAEA Safety Guide 50 SG S1 Revision 1, (for whichrnthe Author has worked for many years), and is briefly summarized here. The position of somernimportant States concerning the minimum requirements and exclusion criteria for NPP’srnsiting and seismic design are summarized along with comments on the different approachrnused. Using the “global view” on the nuclear methodology, an hypothesis on the way thernNPP’s seismic criteria can be applied to high risk industrial plants, considering the risk levelrnof such plants and related cost-benefit analysis, is made as conclusion.