Seismic Design and Rehabilitation Strategies for Power Systems with Considerations to other Extreme Events Investigator/Institution:

Substations, key components of electric power systems, are susceptible to significant damage under seismic events. The overall goals of this task are seismic design and rehabilitation of existing substations using advanced technologies to reduce the likelihood of failure and/or to enhance the probability of postearthquake system functionality in a timely manner. It will also ensure long-term reliability and longevity of critical equipment, which is essential in light of ever increasing dependence of modern societies on electrical power. Furthermore, this task will evaluate design and rehab techniques that are developed solely for seismic loads under other hazards such as the blast load due to a terrorist attack. In other words, a multi-hazard approach will be employed in defining the performance objective within the context of performance based engineering. To ensure implementation of the results, collaborations with the end users such as LADWP, Bonneville Power Administration, and Southern Edison Company are an integral part of this task.