Project Purpose
The purpose of this project was to compile equipment performance data from past earthquakes and organize the data into a database that would be useful in the analysis of equipment vulnerabilities. Anshel Schiff had collected extensive damage data for selected earthquakes and organized the information into a Filemaker Pro database. This database was used as the starting point for this study. Supplementary data related to ground motions and undamaged equipment were collected for substations in the database. The database was then augmented with performance data that was developed from additional substations and earthquakes. Finally, for selected equipment classes the data were compared with existing fragility curves developed using expert opinion.
Specific project tasks were to:
- evaluate the existing database for content and quality;
- add ground motion data either from site recordings or from simulated ground motion based on earthquake specific attenuation relations;
- add data from additional substations and earthquakes;
- review existing equipment classification system developed by the Utilities Working Group;
- document the database; and
- compare the data with existing fragility curves for selected classes of equipment.
Earthquakes and Substations Represented in Substation Equipment Database
| Earthquake | Substations | |
| San Fernando (2/9/71, Mw = 6.6) |
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| Point Mugu (2/21/73, Mw = 5.3) |
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| Santa Barbara (8/13/78, Mw = 6.0) |
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| Coalinga (5/2/83, Mw = 6.4) |
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| Morgan Hill (4/24/84, Mw = 6.2) |
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| North Palm Springs (7/8/86, Mw = 6.0) |
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| Whittier Narrows (10/1/87, Mw = 6.0) |
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| Whittier Narrows Aftershock (10/4/87, Mw = 5.3) |
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| Tejon Ranch (6/10/88, ML = 5.2) |
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| Sierra Madre (6/28/91, Mw = 5.8) |
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| Loma Prieta (10/17/89, Mw = 7.0) |
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| Landers (6/28/92, Mw = 7.3) |
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| Northridge (1/17/94, Mw = 6.7) |
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