RPSE

The destruction in Japan due to the immense earthquake and almost immediate tsunami is a wake up call - Japan has a well earned reputation for being prepared for these events, just not at this level. World wide and locally, the debate is sure to get started on N plants, one of California's Senators was giving his learned opinion on his web site.

Senator Sam Blakeslee Issues Statement On Seismic Safety Concerns About California Nuclear Power Pla As a geophysicist with a doctorate in earthquake studies, Senator Sam Blakeslee today issued a statement regarding the seismic safety of California’s nuclear power plants in the wake of the tragic and devastating damage Japan has sustained due to the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami. Senator

Seismic loads on basement walls? A lot of geotechs (and structural engineers) seem to struggle with this, and the design loads vary considerably. Lars reviewed this paper we think it helps unwrap some of the issues around this subject.

http://www.calgeo.org/downloads/2010-Technical-Paper-SEAOC-Lew-et-al-FINAL-rev1.pdf