Civil Engineering EPRI – Questions With Solutions
Tacoma Narrows Bridge ✔️Ans -wind-induced disaster of civil
design
Civil Engineering ✔️Ans -maintain structural integrity of
structures, systems, and components
soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -refers to the dynamic response of
a structure coupled to its supporting medium; depends on characteristics such
as earthquake ground motion, surrounding soil profile, and structure itself
little/no soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -motion at base of
structure is essentially the same as ground motion recorded at a distance
away from the structure
light, surface-founded structure; founded on rock or stiff soil
single-story house or office building
strong soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -motion at the base of the
structure is substantially different from ground motion recorded a distance
away from the structure
massive structure, partially embedded in the ground, soft soil deposit
nuclear containment building
main effects of soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -flexibility of
foundation causes a decrease in the natural frequency of the system (the
measure of the overall stiffness or rigidity of the system); frequency decrease
depends on the relative stiffness of the structure with respect to the soil
increase in effective damping of the system; main factor contributing to the
increase in damping is the loss of energy by radiation of waves away from the
foundation
, flexibility of soil results in the introduction of rotational components of the
motion at the base of the foundation when subjected to horizontal motion
soil stability ✔️Ans -important design consideration at nuclear
plant site
St. Lucie plant is on a barrier island, so the soil found at the plant site would
have to be removed during construction and replaced with backfill material
St. Lucie ✔️Ans -plant on a barrier island that had soil removed
and replaced with backfill
soil-structure analysis ✔️Ans -variation of soil properties with
depth, uncertainties in the measured/determined soil properties, material
nonlinear behavior of the soil, possible interaction with neighboring
structures
varied approaches are often used since no single analysis method can account
for all soil effects
external flooding ✔️Ans -caused by rain, or in coastal areas, wave
run-up
Fukushima, Japan ✔️Ans -earthquake and subsequent tsunami
caused flooding that led to loss of all but one of the emergency diesel
generators on this six unit site; all units lost off-site power and the on-site
electrical distribution equipment; core overheated and fuel cladding burned;
hydrogen gas vented from the reactor exploding in the containment building,
releasing fission products from the fuel into the environment.
Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska ✔️Ans -record level flooding of the Missouri
river caused by excessive rain threatened this plant, but no damage was done
to the facility
site preparation ✔️Ans -plan for proper excavation because
improper backfill or excavations through the clay cap could affect water
intrusion and invalidate assumptions regarding the structural response of the
buildings; moving dirt requires special equipment, and the need to
understand and adhere to proper operations of the equipment
Tacoma Narrows Bridge ✔️Ans -wind-induced disaster of civil
design
Civil Engineering ✔️Ans -maintain structural integrity of
structures, systems, and components
soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -refers to the dynamic response of
a structure coupled to its supporting medium; depends on characteristics such
as earthquake ground motion, surrounding soil profile, and structure itself
little/no soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -motion at base of
structure is essentially the same as ground motion recorded at a distance
away from the structure
light, surface-founded structure; founded on rock or stiff soil
single-story house or office building
strong soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -motion at the base of the
structure is substantially different from ground motion recorded a distance
away from the structure
massive structure, partially embedded in the ground, soft soil deposit
nuclear containment building
main effects of soil-structure interaction ✔️Ans -flexibility of
foundation causes a decrease in the natural frequency of the system (the
measure of the overall stiffness or rigidity of the system); frequency decrease
depends on the relative stiffness of the structure with respect to the soil
increase in effective damping of the system; main factor contributing to the
increase in damping is the loss of energy by radiation of waves away from the
foundation
, flexibility of soil results in the introduction of rotational components of the
motion at the base of the foundation when subjected to horizontal motion
soil stability ✔️Ans -important design consideration at nuclear
plant site
St. Lucie plant is on a barrier island, so the soil found at the plant site would
have to be removed during construction and replaced with backfill material
St. Lucie ✔️Ans -plant on a barrier island that had soil removed
and replaced with backfill
soil-structure analysis ✔️Ans -variation of soil properties with
depth, uncertainties in the measured/determined soil properties, material
nonlinear behavior of the soil, possible interaction with neighboring
structures
varied approaches are often used since no single analysis method can account
for all soil effects
external flooding ✔️Ans -caused by rain, or in coastal areas, wave
run-up
Fukushima, Japan ✔️Ans -earthquake and subsequent tsunami
caused flooding that led to loss of all but one of the emergency diesel
generators on this six unit site; all units lost off-site power and the on-site
electrical distribution equipment; core overheated and fuel cladding burned;
hydrogen gas vented from the reactor exploding in the containment building,
releasing fission products from the fuel into the environment.
Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska ✔️Ans -record level flooding of the Missouri
river caused by excessive rain threatened this plant, but no damage was done
to the facility
site preparation ✔️Ans -plan for proper excavation because
improper backfill or excavations through the clay cap could affect water
intrusion and invalidate assumptions regarding the structural response of the
buildings; moving dirt requires special equipment, and the need to
understand and adhere to proper operations of the equipment
