Application Guide for the Design of Flexible and Rigid Bus Connections between Substation Equipment Subjected to Earthquakes, PEER Report 2010-04

Abstract: 

Interaction between equipment subjected to earthquakes is an area of major concern to engineers intent on seismically hardening a substation. The buswork connections installed between equipment greatly affect the seismic performance of that equipment. If the buswork is not properly designed, equipment that would otherwise survive may fail, resulting in unnecessary financial losses or reliability impact. The use of seismically designed connections, whether flexible, rigid, or a combination of both, increases the probability that a facility will still be operational after an earthquake.

This application guide addresses the design of flexible and rigid buswork connections to incorporate the seismic interaction between equipment. A complete design process is presented along with a detailed description of the required input, and details for a proper installation. The guide also addresses the concept of developing standard details to use for most common types of flexible connections as opposed to custom designing all connections. Practical design examples are provided for flexible and rigid buses. Available data on the dynamic properties of substation equipment are provided as well.

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Author: 
Jean-Bernard Dastous
Armen Der Kiureghian
Publication date: 
September 1, 2010
Publication type: 
Technical Report
Citation: 
Dastous, J., & Der Kiureghian, A. (2010). Application Guide for the Design of Flexible and Rigid Bus Connections between Substation Equipment Subjected to Earthquakes, PEER Report 2010-04. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA.