Vibration testing and analysis of a multiply supported piping system

The behavior of nuclear power plant piping systems during earthquakes, and the most appropriate and economical mode of supporting such piping, is an issue of major concern. Consequently, the verification and validation of piping analysis methods and assumptions used in the design and safety assessment of nuclear power plants are of great interest. As part of its program on the validation of seismic calculational methods, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is specifically interested in the validation of the multiple support piping analysis module of the SMACS (Seismic Methodology Analysis Chain with Statistics) computer code (Johnson et al. 1981). Data for comparing the dynamic behavior of various pipe hanger configurations and validating piping response analyses were recently obtained in the large shaker experiments (SHAG) conducted at the HDR (Heissdampfreaktor) test facility in Kahl/Main, Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).