Seismic and Structural Evaluation of Philippine Research Reactor-1 Structures

Abstract

The Philippine Research Reactor 1 (PRR-1), operated by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), is the first and only nuclear facility that has operated in the country until its shutdown in 1988. The civil structures of PRR-1 were originally designed for a peak ground acceleration of 0.2 g and the response of these structures in the event of an earthquake is a major concern from the viewpoint of operational safety considering that the structures are more than 60 years old. In support of the planned reoperation of the facility with the Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education, and Research (SATER), PNRI contracted the services of a private company to undertake the structural evaluation of the existing facilities. The contract included geotechnical investigation and seismic hazard analysis, which are reported in this paper. Key results demonstrated that the PRR-1 structures are suitable for operating SATER and are classified as Hazard Category 4. Moreover, the findings from the evaluation will serve as the basis for the retrofitting and refurbishment activities that will be conducted for the PRR-1 facility to meet the life-safety performance objective of SATER.