SITE SPECIFIC PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ANALYSIS AND SEISMIC EVALUATION OF POWER HOUSE: A CASE STUDY OF MEWA KHOLA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

Abstract

Nepal have an high amount of freshwater, which offers a great opportunity for generating renewable energy, due to its topography for hydropower projects. However, this potential has its own challenges. Natural disasters like floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) can pose serious risks to these projects. A key component of any hydroelectric project is the powerhouse, which plays a crucial role in producing energy and its failure might significantly affect the nation's capacity to produce electricity. This thesis examines the effects of ground movement on Mewa Khola Hydroelectric Power house with the aim of developing a response spectrum particular to the site and evaluating the power house seismic resistance. A Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) was conducted to evaluate the seismic risks associated with the power house site and this process assisted us in creating a seismic hazard curve. Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) was measured for a range of earthquake event levels and return periods. The PGA, for instance, was determined to be 0.55g for the Design Basis Earthquake (DBE) with a 475- year return period. A site-specific response spectra specifically for Design Earthquakes (DBE) was constructed in order to compare the result with the response spectra from the Indian Standard (IS 1893:2016) and the Nepal Building Code (NBC 105:2020). Finite element model of the powerhouse was carried out using Structural Analysis Program(SAP) 2000 V24 to assess the structure's seismic response in accordance with both site-specific hazard analysis and standard codal provision.