Updated Implementation Guidelines for SSHAC Hazard Studies (NUREG-2213)

On this page:

• Publication Information
• Abstract

Download complete document

• NUREG-2213 (PDF – 4.96 MB)

Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: October 2018
Date Published: October 2018

Prepared by:
J. Ake¹
C. Munson¹
J. Stamatakos²
M. Juckett²
K. Coppersmith³
J. Bommer⁴

¹U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC

²Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory
Analyses San Antonio, Texas

³Coppersmith Consulting
Walnut Creek, California

⁴Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom

Marcos Rolón Acevedo, NRC Project Manager

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Availability Notice

Abstract

This document contains guidance for conducting expert assessments through the structured process that is referred to as the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (or SSHAC) process. It serves as an update to the original SSHAC guidance in NUREG/CR-6372, "Recommendation for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis: Guidance on Uncertainty and the Use of Experts" (NRC, 1997) and the implementation guidance provided in NUREG–2117, "Practical Implementation Guidelines for SSHAC Level 3 and 4 (NRC, 2012c). This document builds on the framework described in the prior NUREGs and incorporates lessons learned from conducting recent SSHAC studies. This document does not invalidate the prior guidance documents or the studies conducted accordingly; however, the intent of this NUREG is to provide the most current standalone guidance. While the prior NUREGs contain useful concepts and historical context, this document should be used for conducting future SSHAC studies.

Specifically, this document: (i) clarifies terminology and key concepts that are essential for all SSHAC studies; (ii) strengthens the implementation framework for Level 3 studies, based on extensive recent experience; (iii) provides guidance on the attributes of Level 1 and 2 studies; and (iv) presents a revised and more rigorous framework for decision-making regarding the updating of existing SSHAC studies. These updated guidelines describe an acceptable framework to implement the recommendations in Regulatory Guide 1.208 (NRC, 2007) with respect to performing a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis study.