Seismic Design Guidelines for Substation Facilities

This paper discusses one utility's seismic design guidelines for assuring continuity of service at substation facilities during and after future earthquakes. Presented is an aggregate analysis of a five-year research and development program conducted by the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) in order to determine the seismic properties and withstand capability of critical substation components. The most significant aspect of these seismic design procedures is the incorporation of cost/risk considerations early in the design effort.