March1979RegulatoryGuide1.132SiteInvestigationsforFoundationsofNuclearPowerPlants[DivisionIndex|RegulatoryGuideIndex|NRCHomePage]PublicationInformationTableofContentsA.IntroductionB.DiscussionC.RegulatoryPositionD.ImplementationAppendixA:DefinitionsAppendixB:MethodsofSubsurfaceExploration1AppendixC:SpacingandDepthofSubsurfaceExplorationsforSafety-related1FoundationsAppendixD:ReferencesA.IntroductionParagraph100.10(c)andAppendixA,SeismicandGeologicSiteCriteriaforNuclearPowerPlants,to10CFRPart100,ReactorSiteCriteria,establishrequirementsforconductingsiteinvestigationstopermitevaluationofthesiteandtoprovideinformationneededforseismicresponseanalysesandengineeringdesign.Requirementsincludethedevelopmentofgeologicinformationrelevanttothestratigraphy,lithology,geologichistory,andstructuralgeologyofthesiteandtheevaluationoftheengineeringpropertiesofsubsurfacematerialssafety-relatedsitecharacteristicsareidentifiedindetailinRegulatoryGuide1.70,StandardFormatandContentofSafetyAnalysisReportsforNuclearPowerPlants,RegulatoryGuide4.7,GeneralSiteSuitabilityCriteriaforNuclearPowerStations,discussesmajorsitecharacteristicsthataffectsitesuitability.Thisguidedescribesprogramsofsiteinvestigationsthatwouldnormallymeettheneedsforevaluatingthesafetyofthesitefromthestandpointoftheperformanceoffoundationsandearthworksundermostanticipatedloadingconditions,includingearthquakes.Italsodescribessiteinvestigationsrequiredtoevaluategeotechnicalparametersneededforengineeringanalysisanddesign.Thesiteinvestigationsdiscussedinthisguideareapplicabletobothlandandoffshoresites.ThisguidedoesnotdiscussdetailedgeologicfaultinvestigationsrequiredunderAppendixAto10CFRPart100,nordoesitdealwithhydrologicinvestigationsexceptforgroundwatermeasurements.Thisguideprovidesgeneralguidanceandrecommendationsfordevelopingsite-specificinvestigationprogramsaswellasspecificguidanceforconductingsubsurfaceinvestigations,thespacinganddepthofborings,andsampling.Becausethedepthoftheactualsiteinvestigationsprogramwillbehighlysitedependent,theproceduresdescribedhereinshouldbeusedonlyasguidanceandshouldbetemperedwithprofessionaljudgment.Alternativeandspecialinvestigativeproceduresthathavebeenderivedinaprofessionalmannerwillbeconsideredequallyapplicableforconductingfoundationinvestigations.AppendixAtothisguideprovidesdefinitionsforsomeofthetermsusedinthisguide.Thesetermsareidentifiedinthetextbyanasterisk.AppendixBtabulatesmethodsofconductingsubsurfaceinvestigations,andAppendixCgivesguidelinesforthespacinganddepthofboringsforsafety-relatedstructuresinregionsoffavorableoruniformconditionsReferencescitedinthetextandappendicesarelistedinAppendixD.TheAdvisoryCommitteeonReactorSafeguardshasbeenconsultedconcerningthisguideandhasconcurredintheregulatoryposition.B.Discussion1.GeneralSiteinvestigationsfornuclearpowerplantsarenecessarytodeterminethegeotechnical*characteristicsofasitethataffectthedesign,performanceandsafetyofplants.Theinvestigationsproducetheinformationneededtodefinetheoverallsitegeologytoadegreethatisnecessaryforanunderstandingofsubsurfaceconditionsandforidentifyingpotentialgeologicandearthquakehazardsthatmayexistatthesite.Investigationsforhazardssuchasfaulting,landslides,cavernousrocks,groundsubsidence,andsoilliquefactionareespeciallyimportant.Siteinvestigationsalsoprovideinformationneededtodefinelocalfoundationandgroundwaterconditionsaswenasthegeotechnicalparametersneededforengineeringanalysisanddesignoffoundationsandearthworks.Geotechnicalparametersneededforanalysisanddesigninclude,butarenotlimitedto,tboseusedtoevaluatethebearingcapacityoffoundationmaterials,lateralearthpressuresaffectingwalls,thestabilityofcutsandslopesinsoilandrock,theeffectofearthquake-inducedmotionstransmittedthroughunderlyingdepositsontheresponseofsoilsandstructures(includingthepotentialforinductingliquefactioninsoils),andthoseneededtoestimatetheexpectedsettlementofstructures.Geotechnicalparametersarealsoneededforanalysisanddesignofplantareafills,structuralfills,backfills,andearthandrockfilldams,dikes,andotherwaterretentionorfloodprotectionstructures.Siteinformationneededtoassessthefunctionalintegrityoffoundationswithrespecttogeologicandgeotechnicalconsiderationsincludes:a.Thegeologicorigin,types,thicknesses,sequence,depth,location,andarealextentofsoilandrockstrataandthedegreeandextentoftheirweathering;b.Thehistory,type,andextentofgeologicdeformation;c.Orientationandcharacteristicsoffoliations,bedding,jointing,andfaultinginrock;d.Groundwaterconditions;e.Thestaticanddynamicengineeringpropertiesofsubsurfacematerialsf.Informationregardingtheresultsofinvestigationsofadversegeologicalconditionssuchascavities,joints,faults,fissures,orunfavorablesoilconditions;g.Informationrelatedtoman'sactivitiessuchaswithdrawaloffluidsfromoradditionoffluidstothesubsurface,extractionofminerals,orloadingeffectsofdamsorreservoirs;andh.Informationdetailinganyothergeologicconditiondiscoveredatthesitethatmayaffectthedesignorperformanceoftheplantorthelocationofstructures.2.ReconnaissanceInvestigationsandLiteratur