Ground Motion Effects from Nuclear Explosions: A Review of Damage Experience and Prediction Methods
Abstract
Ground motion from nuclear explosions can damage one- and two-story buildings when surface velocities are as low as 0.1 to 0.2 cm/sec, while high explosive blasting experience had previously suggested a threshold of between 5 and 10 cm/sec. Subsequent studies indicate that this damage correlates best with the average amplitude of the pseudo absolute acceleration (PSAA) in the 0.05 to 0.2 sec period range. Present data indicate a damage threshold of about 10 cm/sec2, while at PSAA's of about 1000 cm/sec2, damage to over half of the buildings can be expected. This damage is architectural in nature, consisting predominantly of cracked interior plaster, cracked brittle masonry walls, and damaged chimneys; about two-thirds of the Rulison damage was of this nature. The use of this damage prediction method requires the correct prediction of response spectra. The accuracy of such predictions has been greatly improved by employing frequency dependent yield and depth scaling.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 02, 1971
- Accession Number
- ADA383303
Entities
People
- Fred Holzer
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley