The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

1
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

• Tarvinder Gohel
• Susan Leckie

2
Geological Background

• Triple destructive plate boundary
• Japan is a typical volcanic island arc
• Area is very prone to geological activity

3
Background

• January 17th 1995 (5.46am local time)
• 7.2 on Richter Scale
• Epicentre 25km south of Kobe (Focus 16km)
• Over 5000 deaths (33000 injured more indirect
  deaths)
• 100s Billions Damage (Direct Indirect costs)

4
Effects

• Kobe is built on 2 artificial islands (Port/Rokko
  Islands)
• Suffered widespread liquefaction and settlement
• Buildings founded on the liquefied ground
  resulted in leaning or toppling

5
Effects

• Primary effects caused collapse of older
  buildings
• Secondary effects caused fires
• Collapse of an 18-span viaduct section of Hanshin
  Expressway
• Destruction of utilities and lifelines throughout
  city

6
General Solutions

• Disaster Management
• Disaster supplies warehouse
• Disaster response generators
• Increase land strength on reclaimed areas
• Land readjustment
• Building code amendments
• GPS based monitoring and prediction systems
• Extensive fault mapping

7
Engineering Solutions

• Building dampers
• Seismic isolators
• Bearings as energy dissipaters
• Reinforced concrete piers (Hanshin Highway)
• Concrete filled steel tube beam columns
• Emergency walls