Table Of ContentPreliminary Reconnaissance Report
of the 2011 Tohoku-Chiho Taiheiyo-Oki
Earthquake
GEOTECHNICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND EARTHQUAKE
ENGINEERING
Volume 23
Series Editor
Atilla Ansal, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute,
Bogˇaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
Editorial Advisory Board
Julian Bommer, Imperial College London, U.K.
Jonathan D. Bray, University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A.
Kyriazis Pitilakis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Susumu Yasuda, Tokyo Denki University, Japan
For further volumes:
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Architectural Institute of Japan
Editor
Preliminary Reconnaissance
Report of the 2011
Tohoku-Chiho Taiheiyo-Oki
Earthquake
Editor
Architectural Institute of Japan
Shiba 5-26-20, Minato-ku
108-8414 Tokyo
Japan
ISBN 978-4-431-54096-0 ISBN 978-4-431-54097-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-54097-7
Springer Tokyo Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Foreword
The March 11, 2011, Tohoku-Chiho Taiheiyo-Oki earthquake of Mw 9.0 left enor-
mous destruction in Japan where we had thought science, technology, and seismic
engineering were well developed. The aftermath has not been localized only in east
Japan but has extended over the entire country. The tsunami was one of the most
serious events. The disaster left a number of lessons for many people who are
involved with engineering and construction of buildings and infrastructures.
Buildings in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki, the prefectures closest to
the epicenter, suffered some structural damages. However, buildings in wider areas
experienced large numbers of nonstructural damages in inner and outer walls and
ceilings. Nonstructural damage to buildings was so severe that it should be regarded
as a serious problem. Also the liquefaction in Chiba Prefecture, which neighbors
Tokyo, caused major dif fi culties to the people living in the region around Tokyo
Bay. This earthquake shook buildings not only in east Japan but also those in Tokyo
and Osaka, regions distant from the epicenter. Some areas experienced fairly strong
ground motion.
The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants shocked people
around the world. Such an incident in Japan, which produces a limited amount of
energy from its own resources except for nuclear energy, is recognized not only as
a nuclear disaster but also as a challenge of how we can develop the future of society
in this country.
Besides the earthquake disaster, Japan already had been experiencing the com-
pound effects of an aging society with fewer children, population concentration in
large cities and depopulation in rural areas and provincial towns. To develop a stable
and sustainable society, these issues must be considered. Society must be sustain-
able and it must maintain an edge in global economical competition. It should also
accommodate citizens’ lifestyles.
We have to prepare for future seismic events in Japan and other countries. We
need to use our experience to develop strategic ideas to implement structural safety,
nonstructural safety, and protection against tsunamis.
When we examine a regional area, we must keep in mind that a large earthquake
is an event that may happen once in several hundred years. Consequently, it would
v
vi Foreword
be the fi rst disaster experience for the people who reside in the region, and earthquake
risk management may not be easy to implement. Thus it is critical to record the
experiences of building responses and city earthquake sustainability in a report and
to share the information with the public in many regions so as to reduce the risks of
disaster.
This English version is based on the preliminary reconnaissance report issued in
July 2011 in Japanese by the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ). I hereby express
my gratitude to Professor Hisahiro Hiraishi, who heads the research committee on
disaster of the AIJ, and to researchers and engineers who participated in reconnais-
sance and in the publication of the report.
Tokyo, Japan Akira Wada
Preface
This report is on the disaster caused by the magnitude-9.0 gigantic subduction-zone
earthquake that occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture on March 11, 2011. It
was the largest earthquake that has struck Japan in its recorded history.
The Disaster Committee of the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) was respon-
sible for coordinating AIJ members for reconnaissance and investigation of the
disaster. The effort faced many dif fi culties as the AIJ headquarters of fi ce is located
in Tokyo. For several days immediately after the earthquake, cell phone and Internet
communications between Tokyo and Tohoku were interrupted, so there were
signi fi cant problems in coordinating the reconnaissance. The search for people
missing as a result of the tsunami and the concurrent rescue efforts went on for
several months. Essential supplies, including such daily necessities as food, water,
and fuel, were in short supply for weeks due to the failure of logistics systems in
Sendai, Fukushima, and other cities and towns. Extensive damage to the infrastruc-
ture and transportation systems made it dif fi cult to enter the affected areas. The
accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants added worries about radio-
active contamination. The Disaster Committee therefore decided to request AIJ
members to voluntarily suspend reconnaissance efforts as well as trips from outside
of the Tohoku area for a while.
On March 30, 2011, the Disaster Committee issued T he Guidelines for Damage
Survey Method . These guidelines requested AIJ members to undertake reconnais-
sance activities only in coordination with the Disaster Committee. It remained
dif fi cult, however, to enter the regions devastated by the tsunami and the area suf-
fering from the effects of the nuclear accident. In late April, the main target in the
devastated areas had shifted from the phase of searching for the missing to the
recovery phase, and the clearance of debris fi nally started in many towns. Hence the
Disaster Committee lifted the voluntarily suspension of reconnaissance efforts on
April 25 through the amendment of T he Guidelines for Damage Survey Method , for
the sake of collecting valuable data. As the situation improved in the affected area,
AIJ members, working with the Committee, could conduct a well-coordinated
reconnaissance.
vii
viii Preface
Considering the extent of the damaged area, the number of towns devastated by
the tsunami, and the unprecedented nuclear accidents, the disaster taught us some
important lessons and will directly and indirectly affect our future society
signi fi cantly. This book in English is an abridged version of the Japanese-language
interim report entitled P reliminary Reconnaissance Report Issued on the 2011
Tohoku-Chiho Taiheiyo-Oki Earthquake by the Disaster Committee of AIJ. We
hope this report will offer readers some valuable lessons in providing a stronger
backbone for countries that face the risk of earthquake and tsunami disasters.
The Disaster Committee members extend our deepest respect and gratitude to the
AIJ members of the Tohoku Chapter and the Kanto Chapter for their dedicated and
energetic reconnaissance activities; to other chapters of AIJ, including but not lim-
ited to the Tokai and Hokuriku chapters for their speedy reconnaissance activities;
to the committee members of AIJ Research Steering Committees and the Academy
Board for their comprehensive and systematic survey implementation; and to other
AIJ members who worked very hard on this project. We also express our great
appreciation for the cooperation of national and municipal governments and the
various degrees of support from local citizens, without which we could not have
made this report.
Finally, and most importantly, we express our sincere condolences to the victims
of the disaster and pray for a speedy recovery of the devastated area.
Tokyo, Japan Hisahiro Hiraishi
Contents
1 Outline of Investigation and Damage ...................................................... 1
1.1 Outline of Damage Investigation ........................................................ 1
1.2 Outline of Damage .............................................................................. 2
1.2.1 Damage Statistics .................................................................... 2
1.2.2 Overview of Damage in Tohoku District ................................ 8
1.2.3 Overview of Damage in Kanto District ................................... 13
1.2.4 Other Damage ......................................................................... 17
References .................................................................................................... 27
2 Earthquake, Geology, and Tsunami ......................................................... 29
2.1 Earthquake and Ground Motions ........................................................ 30
2.1.1 General Information on the Main Shock ................................. 30
2.1.2 Source Process of the Main Shock .......................................... 33
2.1.3 Observed Strong Motion Records ........................................... 37
2.1.4 Strong Motion Generation Areas ............................................ 43
2.1.5 Site Effects in These Areas ..................................................... 47
2.1.6 Soil Nonlinearity ..................................................................... 49
2.1.7 Long Period Motions............................................................... 51
2.1.8 Damage Potential of Observed Strong Motions ...................... 51
2.1.9 Summary on Earthquake and Ground Motions ....................... 54
2.2 Ground Motion Records in Tohoku District ....................................... 55
2.2.1 Ground Motion Records .......................................................... 55
2.2.2 Earthquake Records in Buildings ............................................ 65
2.2.3 Comparison of Strong-Motions Between
the 2011 and Other Earthquakes Records ............................... 79
2.3 Topography and Geology .................................................................... 83
2.4 Tsunami ............................................................................................... 89
2.4.1 Mechanism of the Tsunami Generation .................................. 89
2.4.2 Tsunami Inundation Area ........................................................ 90
2.4.3 Time History of Observed Tsunami ........................................ 94
ix
x Contents
2.4.4 Maximum Inundation Heights and Maximum
Run-Up Heights ...................................................................... 99
2.4.5 An Example of Tsunami Damage: Taro-Cho
Case in Miyako City ................................................................ 101
2.4.6 History of the Tsunamis in Japan ............................................ 109
References ....................................................................................................110
3 Damage to Timber Buildings .................................................................... 115
3.1 Overview of Investigation/Introduction .............................................. 116
3.2 Damage due to Ground Motion .......................................................... 116
3.2.1 Vibrational Damage to Houses ................................................ 117
3.2.2 Vibrational Damage to Storehouses ........................................ 118
3.2.3 Vibrational Damage to Barns .................................................. 121
3.2.4 Vibrational Damage to Schools ............................................... 121
3.2.5 Vibrational Damage to Temples and Shrines .......................... 124
3.2.6 Vibrational Damage to Other Buildings .................................. 124
3.2.7 Building Damage due to Landslides ....................................... 125
3.2.8 Damage due to Liquefaction ................................................... 126
3.2.9 Ground Deformation and Other Damage ................................ 126
3.3 Time History Analysis ........................................................................ 128
3.3.1 Analytical Model ..................................................................... 128
3.3.2 Analytical Results ................................................................... 129
3.4 Damage due to the Tsunami ............................................................... 130
3.4.1 Sites of Reconnaissance .......................................................... 130
3.4.2 Damage in Plain Areas ............................................................ 130
3.4.3 Damage in Sloping Lands ....................................................... 141
3.4.4 Relationship Between the Horizontal Tsunami
Force and the Lateral Strength of Timber Building ................ 145
References .................................................................................................... 148
4 Damages to Reinforced Concrete Buildings ............................................ 149
4.1 Outline of Damage Survey .................................................................. 150
4.1.1 Introduction ............................................................................. 150
4.1.2 Target of Field Survey ............................................................. 151
4.1.3 Seismic Intensity ..................................................................... 151
4.1.4 Post-earthquake Damage Evaluation Standards ...................... 151
4.1.5 Summary ................................................................................. 152
4.2 K Middle School in Kamaishi City ..................................................... 153
4.3 Y Elementary School in Ichinoseki City ............................................ 155
4.4 S Junior High School in Shichigahama Town..................................... 155
4.5 TH Elementary School in Sendai City ................................................ 158
4.6 N Junior High School in Sendai City .................................................. 160
4.7 F College in Fukushima City .............................................................. 162
4.8 M-Junior High School in Motomiya City ........................................... 166
4.9 S Primary School in Sukagawa City ................................................... 170
