Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures (
Standards ASCE/SEI 4-16

Prepared by the Task Committee on Dynamic Analysis of Nuclear Structures of the Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures Standards Committee of the Codes and Standards Activities Division of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE

Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures, Standard ASCE/SEI 4-16, presents the analytical framework to develop a risk-informed approach to the design of nuclear structures under earthquake motions. Intended to complement ASCE 43, this standard addresses the seismic analysis of new and existing facilities. It provides criteria to develop calculated responses that have a specified likelihood of being exceeded conditional on the design basis earthquake shaking.

Topics include:

• Modeling of structures, including material properties, stiffness, mass, damping, hydrodynamic effects, and dynamic coupling criteria;
• Analysis methods, including linear response–history, linear response–spectrum, frequency domain, equivalent static, multistep, nonlinear response–history, approximate inelastic response–spectrum, and nonlinear static;
• Soil–structural interaction modeling and analysis, including probabilistic approaches;
• Input for subsystem analysis, including in-structure response spectra, in-structure time series, characteristics for coupled subsystem analysis, and subsystem damping values; and
• A variety of specific applications, including buried pipes and conduits, dynamic soil pressures on walls, vertical liquid storage tanks, distribution systems, dynamic sliding and uplift analysis, and seismically isolated structures.

This standard also includes two nonmandatory appendixes and extensive commentary on applying the provisions. Appendix B is new and offers information on nonlinear, time-domain soil–structure interaction analysis.

ASCE/SEI 4-16 has been thoroughly revised and expanded to update the previous version, ASCE 4-98. Used in conjunction with the companion standard, Seismic Design Criteria for Structures, Systems, and Components in Nuclear Facilities, ASCE/SEI 43, this standard provides critical information for structural design engineers, safety engineers, nuclear facility managers and operating personnel, and government regulators.