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Near-source effects and non-linear site response at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, in the 2007 Chuetsu-Oki earthquake: evidence from surface and downhole records and 1D numerical simulations

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to clarify the extent of near-source effects and non-linear soil response that took place at the Japanese nuclear site of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, during the MW 6.6 Niigata-Ken Chūetsu-Oki earthquake (July, 16th 2007). The interest of this case study stems from the relative small source-to-site distance and shallow hypocenter depth, coupled with the consistent seismic record database available from two down-hole arrays of strong motion accelerometers, installed within the nuclear site. Records were processed first to highlight those features related to near-source conditions, such as directivity and polarization, and, subsequently, to identify dependence of site response on the direction of motion and on the non-linear soil behaviour. Moreover, borehole interferometry was used to check the two available velocity profiles (estimated by in situ PS logging) used for 1D linear equivalent numerical simulations. In one case, an improved agreement with the empirical amplification functions was obtained using a smoothed profile. The main non-linear features highlighted by signal processing were globally reproduced by means of linear-equivalent analyses, that pointed out the strong influence of the input motion direction. Among the principal results of this research, it was found that the hanging-wall and directivity effects along with the non-linear site-effects dominate the ground response during the main shock, and that the site amplification features are strongly dependent on the rotation angle of the horizontal components.

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Acknowledgements

This work, within the SINAPS@ project, benefited from French state funding man-aged by the National Research Agency under program RNSR Future Investments bearing Reference No. ANR-11-RSNR-0022-04. The research reported in this paper has been supported in part by the SEISM Paris Saclay Research Institute. TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) is gratefully appreciated for disseminating the valuable strong motion records during the 2007 Niigataken Chuetsu-Oki earthquake.

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  1. Laboratoire de Mécanique des Sols, Structures et Matériaux CNRS UMR 8579, CentraleSupélec - Université Paris-Saclay, 8-10 Rue Joliot Curie, 91190 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France

    Filippo Gatti, Fernando Lopez-Caballero & Didier Clouteau

  2. Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Politecnico di Milano, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Filippo Gatti & Roberto Paolucci

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  1. Filippo Gatti
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  2. Fernando Lopez-Caballero
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  4. Didier Clouteau
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Correspondence to Filippo Gatti.

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Gatti, F., Lopez-Caballero, F., Paolucci, R. et al. Near-source effects and non-linear site response at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, in the 2007 Chuetsu-Oki earthquake: evidence from surface and downhole records and 1D numerical simulations. Bull Earthquake Eng 16, 1105–1135 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-017-0255-y

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