Activity of OECD/NEA/CSNI/WGIAGE Seismic Engineering Sub-Group in the Field of Seismic Hazard and Seismic Behavior of Civil Structures and Mechanical Equipment: Findings, recommendations and Perspective

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was established on February 1958. The NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) is an international committee with broad responsibilities for safety technology and research programs. The CSNI Working Group on Integrity and Ageing of Components and
Structures (WGIAGE) has the main mission to advance the current understanding of those aspects relevant to ensuring the integrity of structures, systems and components (SSC) under design and beyond design loads.
Within the WGIAGE, the seismic engineering sub-group was initiated in 1996. The sub-group deals with any type of activity relating to the seismic safety of nuclear installations. It covers a large spectrum of topics in the fields of Earth and engineering sciences, in their respective interaction with the seismic safety
of nuclear installations.
The objective of this paper is to present recent activities of the seismic engineering sub-group, which covers seismic hazard and seismic behavior of civil structures and mechanical equipment. The paper will particularly focus on the main findings and recommendations, based on the lessons learnt from the three
fields of activity described above. It will also draw perspectives in connection with the medium-term strategy of the WGIAGE seismic engineering sub-group. The sub-group is especially willing to pursue its continuous effort to develop synergies among earth scientists, geotechnical and structural engineers through
periodic workshops focused on these areas. Finally, the sub-group regards the education of new generations as an acute issue in a period when numerous experienced engineers retire. Hence, it strongly encourages training and education activities dedicated to new generations of engineers.