Japan Quake Shows Need for Seismic Certification
The large magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011 has reiterated the need for special seismic certification of nonstructural components in essential facilities. Due to strong ground shaking the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor was forced into an emergency shut down due to a failure in its cooling system.
This failure was caused by the inability for the backup diesel generators to function properly following the earthquake, due primarily to tsunami induced flooding. While the failure of these generators may not directly be linked to earthquake shaking, the importance of nonstructural systems is reverberated. Special seismic certification is aimed at ensuring critical facilities such as this nuclear facility can safely operated immediately following a seismic event.
