sigma overview

In January 2011, an industrial consortium composed of the French electric power utility (EDF), the French company AREVA, the Italian electricity company ENEL (Ente Nazionale per l’Energia eLettrica), and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) launched an international research and development program. This program, named SIGMA (SeIsmic Ground Motion Assessment), lasted for 5 years and involved a large number of international institutions.

The main objective of the research programme was to establish a framework to be used in the future to produce stable and robust hazard estimates. Better characterization and more stable uncertainty estimation could provide input for the updating of regulations. It was expected that total uncertainties will be reduced by significantly lowering epistemic uncertainty, and subsequently, this research programme would significantly contribute to the following efforts:

• Validate, homogenize and stabilize input databases for seismic hazard calculations;
• Produce accepted and validated methods and calculation tools;
• Reduce total uncertainties;
• Improve confidence in seismic hazard assessments; and
• Foster technical and scientific exchanges among French and other European organizations.

A large number (30) of worldwide academic, research and professional institutions contributed to the project and their contributions resulted in the publication of 75 technical reports reviewed by the Scientific Committee, 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals and numerous communications in international conferences, workshops and symposia. The total cost of the programme amounted to 7.5 million Euro over a period of 5 years