Recent advances and design options of the aseismic bearing pad concept for reduction of seismic loading

The intent of this paper is to: briefly review the developed concepts from a mechanics standpoint; summarize the results of recent testing and applications; discuss the complexities and subtleties of differences between concepts, and highlight the effectiveness of each within selected frequency ranges. On this basis, the paper will provide a forum for application of each concept within the nuclear design community. The potential licensing implications of incorporating the ABP concept into nuclear plant design are be discussed in light of actual experience extrapolated to several dominant regulatory processes; namely the French, German, Japanese, Canadian and American. The intent is to identify potential licensing issues, spur additional research and development in these areas, and continue to bring the concept to the attention of the nuclear community to facilitate acceptance and application. (orig./HP)