Whilst earthquakes are rare in the UK there is, nonetheless, a government requirement to meet certain earthquake standards for nuclear power stations. Strachan and Henshaw designed and manufactured gantry cranes to raise and lower fuel rods in nuclear reactors and as a result were required to demonstrate that they had executed the necessary testing to ensure structural integrity during an earthquake event.
NASTRAN finite element models were created to represent the gantry structure and these were analyzed, using natural frequency analysis and the application of power spectral densities of past worldwide earthquakes to calculate the gantry response to a 'typical' earthquake event.
This analysis highlighted several areas requiring design modifications and formed the basis of further, more comprehensive earthquake analyses.
I worked closely with the Strachan and Henshaw engineers to develop the models and advise them on the approach to be taken. I trained them on the techniques to be used and assisted in the interpretation of the results.
