Search

There are two types of disaster relief volunteer center: those established by public agencies and those established by the private sector. During disasters, organizations can be divided into those run according to a command and control (C&C) model and those run according to an improvisational and autonomous model. After the Great Hanshin Earthquake, public disaster relief volunteer centers were unified under a C&C model, which generated conflict with private organizations. The diversity of volunteers reduced due to the “drive for orderliness” created by the C&C model. In this study, we performed a detailed case study of the disaster relief volunteer centers established after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. As a result, it became clear that management and control systems were developed to deal with two factors: the positive effects of volunteers helping each other, and the negative effects of volunteers being strangers. Moreover, we found that the ambivalence of volunteers was responsible for the differentiation and conflict between public and private organizations. Finally, we show that it is possible to overcome this differentiation and conflict by having a combination of public and private disaster volunteer centers involving a variety of actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new methodology for accurate response prediction of large structures is proposed. • It uses EMD, MI index, and a probabilistic Bayesian-based training algorithm. • An MI index is proposed to determine the optimum number of neurons in the NN model. • Bayesian regularization is proposed to train the optimized NN model. • It is applied to a 1:20-scaled 38-story highrise building and a 5-story steel frame. Abstract An accurate response prediction model is of great importance in various applications such as damage detection, structural health monitoring, and vibration control. Development of such a methodology for large civil structures is challenging because of their size and complicated behavior and noise-contaminated, nonlinear, and nonstationary nature of the signals. In addition, the prediction model must have a low computational burden for real-time applications. In this article, a new methodology and a nonlinear autoregressive exogenous model (NARX)-based recurrent neural network (NN) model is presented for accurate response prediction of large structures. The methodology is based on adroit integration of three concepts: a recent signal processing concept, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), mutual information (MI) index from the information theory, and a probabilistic Bayesian-based training algorithm. The EMD method is used to remove the noise in the measured signals. An MI index is proposed to determine the optimum number of neurons in the hidden layer of the NN model with the goal of reducing the computational requirements without affecting its performance. Finally, Bayesian regularization (BR) is proposed to train the optimized NN model. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is assessed by predicting the structural response of a 1:20-scaled 38-story highrise building structure subjected to seismic excitations and ambient vibrations, and a five-story steel frame subjected to different levels of the Kobe earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of disaster risk governance was stated in the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in 2005. However, effective measures towards strengthening disaster risk governance from the science and technology community have not been sufficiently implemented since then. In the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) in 2015, "strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk" was established as one of the four action items, and many roles for the science and technology community were stated in the SFDRR. This report introduces the discussions and outcomes regarding the role of the science and technology community in strengthening disaster risk governance at the Global Forum on Science and Technology for Disaster Resilience 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research deals with seismic response of underwater fluid-conveying concrete pipes during the earthquake in Kobe. The pipe is reinforced with nano-fiber reinforced polymer (NFRP) layer. The displacement filed of the structure is considered based on the sinusoidal shear deformation theory. Navier-Stokes equation is applied to estimate the force due to the inner fluid. Furthermore, the effect of the outer fluid is taken into consideration as an equivalent force. The governing equations are derived on the basis of energy method and using Hamilton's principle. Differential quadrature method (DQM) and Newmark method are applied to obtain the dynamic deflection of the system. The effect of parameters such as NFRP layer, volume percent and agglomeration of nano-fibers, boundary conditions, inner and outer fluids, thickness to radius and length to thickness ratios on the dynamic deflection of the structure is examined. The results show that with increasing the thickness to radius ratio and volume percent of nano fiber and using NFRP layer, the dynamic deflection decreases while considering the inner and outer fluids and agglomeration effect of nano fiber and increasing the length to thickness ratio, the dynamic deflection of the structure increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Geológico y Minero is the property of Instituto Tecnologico Geominero De Espana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The active disturbance rejection control of a delayed 2-degree-of-freedom structure against earthquake motion force is investigated. A shaking table that resembles the acceleration profiles of most known earthquakes is used to generate the horizontal force. To compensate the motions caused by the earthquake simulator, an active tuned mass and damper system is attached to the structure. Due to the strong effects of the motion forces as a disturbance input, an active disturbance rejection controller including an extended state observer is designed and implemented. The controller designed is modified with including a state predictor to address the control input delays induced by the remote networked control or actuator delays. The stability of the whole system is verified via Lyapunov analysis and tested on the structure sample including shaking table. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach to regulate the structure motions in different earthquake scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1995 Mw 7.2 Kobe earthquake produced an ~ 18 km-long surface rupture zone with a maximum right-lateral displacement of ~ 1.8 m along the pre-existing active Nojima Fault in southwest Japan. Field investigations showed that the co-seismic surface ruptures caused severe damage to trees, some of which survived the disaster during the past twenty years along the co-seismic fault scarp. Analysis of tree-rings from the trunk of a 46-year-old Beech tree (Fagus crenata Blume) revealed that the tree was cracked by earthquake-induced damage and that the tree-rings grown during the five-year period after the 1995 earthquake become sharply narrower in width compared to those grown before the earthquake. Our findings indicate that the earthquake damaged trees along the co-seismic fault scarp and hindered the growth of tree-rings by severing the roots. Thus, the results support the idea that older trees growing along or around fault zones can be used for identifying seismic fault events and for dendrochronological studies related to geomorphological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the emergent interest in risk communication as a strategy for disaster risk reduction. Communication plays an essential role in understanding risk, but studies suggest that people often do not respond in the way that risk experts anticipate. For risk communication to be effective, vulnerable communities need to understand risk within the local context as well as in terms of sustainability. Risk messages offer communities a way to enhance their collective knowledge of existing vulnerabilities, leading them towards alternative solutions for action. A longitudinal study of the Mano community development approach and its recovery from the 1995 Kobe earthquake illustrates how risk communication dynamics contributed to the community’s sustainable risk reduction. The study concludes that risk communication is a collaborative way for a community to work with risk experts, own their risk information, influence existing policies and practices, develop solutions to reduce vulnerability, and ultimately enhance a community’s capacity for managing future risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Regional seismic damage prediction based on multiple-degree-of-freedom shear model and nonlinear time-history analysis can comprehensively consider the characteristics of buildings and ground motions. Two major challenges of applying such methodology, namely (1) parameter determination and (2) damage assessment of buildings in urban scale, are addressed in this study. The reliability of the proposed methods are validated using the tests of three individual buildings and the observed seismic damages of Longtoushan Town in 2014 Ludian earthquake of China. Finally, a regional seismic damage prediction is performed for a large urban region, which demonstrates the applicability and scalability of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the effectiveness of a MR damping system with lumped mass for a longitudinal vibration control of two-span bridge, preventing spans from pounding each other and mitigating its seismic responses when earthquake-induced load is inflicted. The MR damping system with lumped mass proposed in this study it was constituted by three components: a MR damper (30 kN) which connected two spans of a bridge and two spans themselves made different mass and stiffness. Its function was designed to impose an effective check on relative displacement and pounding. In order to prove its effectiveness, a two-span bridge (8.3 m long) was constructed with a MR damper installed beneath the two spans. First, a mathematical model of the bridge was derived; also, a model of the MR damper was verified through a separate test on its performance. Next, shaking table tests were carried out by inflicting 150% of El-centro earthquake and 60% of Kobe earthquake to see how effective the system would be in mitigating seismic responses. All the tests were done under various conditions (un-control, passive off, passive on, Lyapunov control, and Clipped-optional control) in order to closely examine and analyze under which condition mitigation could be maximized and how mitigation could be effected. As a result of the tests, it was found that the MR damping system with lumped mass was effective in preventing two spans from pounding each other and its active performance decreased the relative displacement of the bridge structure. Therefore, it was proven to be effective in attenuating the seismic responses of two-span bridge in longitudinal direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on findings of a study on Hyogo Long-term Vision Project in Japan, citing its impact of community development, resilience, and well-being, as of January 2017. It states that Hyogo Long-term Vision Project was started as a part of its post-disaster reconstruction after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 through participation of local people, and mentions prominence of local autonomy, endogenous development, community resilience in the project.

This article investigates the effect of banks' lending capacity on firms' investment. To identify exogenous shocks to loan supply, we utilize the natural experiment provided by Japan's Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in 1995. Using a unique data set that allows us to identify firms and banks in the earthquake-affected areas, we find that the investment ratio of firms located outside the earthquake-affected areas but having a main bank inside the areas was significantly smaller than that of firms located outside the areas and having a main bank outside the areas. Our findings suggest that loan supply shocks affect firm investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the transient properties of dominant frequencies and their components during soil liquefaction were evaluated by the nonstationary Fourier spectra of the records at Kawagishi-cho during the Niigata-ken Chuetsu-oki earthquake in 1964, at Port Island during the Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake in 1995, and at K-NET CHB024 during the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku earthquake. The deterioration ratio of soil shear stiffness was calculated from the ratio of dominant frequencies at the beginning and the ending of the liquefaction process. The displacement profile was calculated through numerical integration of the acceleration record, and the shear strain was calculated from the relative underground displacement of Port Island from 0 to 83 m from ground level (GL-0m to GL-83m) to GL-83m. The deterioration ratio of shear stiffness was also evaluated by fitting the maximum shear strain to the G-g relation, and the deterioration ratio was evaluated by the nonstationary spectrum was confirmed by the coincidence of both evaluated values. The property of the nonstationary Fourier spectra is confirmed from the analytical result to artificial design waves, which provide important information for revision of the design wave. The response property of pulse waves was analyzed by the response envelope spectra for the Ricker wavelet. The properties of dominant components in the artificial seismic wave for seismic design were compared with those of the measured seismic records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 17, 1995, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred in southern Hyogo Prefecture, a substantially urban area of Japan's main island, Honshu. Now known as the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, this disaster damaged or destroyed 639 686 houses and took 6434 lives. Within the disaster area, the Japanese Red Cross (JRC) Hyogo Blood Center had regional responsibilities for collecting, testing, processing, storing, and distributing blood components, including red blood cells (RBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrates (PLTs). Platelet shakers collapsed, forcing the discard of 103 PLT bags (1125 units) that could not be temperature-controlled or agitated. RBCs and FFP in refrigerated and frozen storage, respectively, remained in temperature control with the help of dry ice imported from non-affected areas. Local blood collection was suspended and replaced by products from other blood centers. Local demand for blood components decreased to 66% of comparable pre-quake demand. Emergent supplies rather than reserved supplies of blood components were markedly increased after the earthquake. Communication infrastructure damage prompted JRC Hyogo Blood Center to send blood delivery vehicles loaded with RBCs and FFP on a circuit of main hospitals in the affected area. Local blood donation and processing resumed 20 days after the quake. In retrospect, a nationally coordinated system of production and distribution demonstrated JRC's ability to meet transfusion demand after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and prompted changes in anticipation of subsequent disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explains a cultural sociological approach to research on social inequality. "Cultural sociological" means that we do not regard social inequality as resulting only from a distributive order of goods, income and positions, but also from an evaluative order created and reproduced by the actions of social groups. Concerning the topic of this thematic issue, this means that, from a sociological perspective, we see "weakness" not only as the social vulnerability of actors and groups resulting from a lack of material resources, education and power, but also as an attribution and assessment which can have a variety of social consequences. "Weakness" can compel others to help the weak and defend their interests. But if the weak are to be protected and empowered, they must be identified as "weak" in the first place, and this act of identification can have paradoxical consequences. As we demonstrate with evidence from East Asia, the social designation as "weak" can have many adverse effects for the weak groups themselves, because it blames them for their own weaknesses and publicly condemns, disparages, or stigmatizes them. Based on an analysis of the situation of victims of the Fukushima disaster in Japan and of rural migrants and their offspring living in Chinese metropoles, we show how social designations of weakness can produce negative classifications that signal disrespect to weak actors and limit their opportunities for action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan is periodically wracked by "Great Earthquakes" (daijishin) - seismic events so destructive that they leave massive amounts of textual and graphic evidence, much of it produced by people who did not experience the events directly. Using this cache of information, it is possible to see how the idea of the "disaster victim" has changed over time and circumstance. My paper traces this role across five Great Earthquakes that spanned roughly 150 years (1855-2011), a period convergent with modern Japan. I will argue that the sense of who and what has been victimized by the shaking of the earth - who has suffered, what weight to attach to their loss, what actions to take and emotions to feel regarding their situation - has changed regularly, and surprisingly, over this rather short period. There is, in other words, no common Japanese experience of victimhood, even in the context of one disaster type over a relatively short historical period. The article is one contribution to an as-yet unexamined history and comparative study of the modern role of disaster victim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1995, the Kobe earthquake occurred in the second largest economic region of Japan, and its economic damages were accounted around 10 trillion yen. This paper presents an empirical investigation of long-run economic effects of the event based on a time-series data. The results indicate that the event had created statistically significant deviations from the pre-earthquake growth path of Kobe. In addition, the comparison with the projected pre-event growth path revealed that the long-run effects have resulted in a steady decline of per capita GRP, while the short-run impacts led to some positive impacts from recovery and reconstruction during the first several years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of seismo-lower ionospheric perturbation for the Kobe earthquake (EQ) has been revisited with a relatively new phenomenon of ULF (ultra-low-frequency) magnetic field depression effect. By using the ULF data in Japan only at Kakioka belonging to Japan Meteorological Agency (because data from Memambetsu and Kanoya were not available), we have found that a very clear ULF depression was observed at Kakioka on 14 January 1995. A comparison with our former result on subionospheric VLF (very low frequency) propagation anomaly indicates that the occurrence of ULF depression exhibits a temporal coincidence (synchronization) with that of subionospheric VLF anomaly. This may be acceptable because the ULF depression can be explained in terms of enhanced absorption of magnetospheric ULF waves through the disturbed lower ionosphere prior to an EQ. The result of ULF magnetic field depression in this paper is likely to provide a further support to the presence of the lower ionospheric perturbation before the Kobe EQ. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When religious organizations of all types mobilized relief efforts in the wake of the 17 January 1995 Great Hanshin/Awaji earthquake in western Japan, their contributions failed to translate into favorable media coverage. By contrast, religious aid responses after the 11 March 2011 Great East Japan earthquake disasters attracted a largely positive mainstream media response. This article surveys Japan's major daily newspapers, popular books, academic reports, and other published treatments of religious responses to these two major disasters to assess a shift in recent post-disaster "religion" media narration. It suggests reasons for a change in tone from skepticism to support and points to questions about an evolving selection process that determines which religious actors fit and which are left out of a burgeoning post-2011 media picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the practice of machizukuri to help a community recover from disasters. Topics covered include the prevalence of the practice in Japan, the use of the approach after the Great Hanshin Awaji earthquake and the impact of the event on the port city of Hanshini. Also mentioned is the importance of the approach to the recovery of Canterbury in New Zealand.

The long-run effects of the 1995 Kobe earthquake have been studied in various papers (Chang in Disasters 34(2):303-327, ; DuPont and Noy in Econ Dev Cult Change, ; Okuyama in Singap Econ Rev, ), and their findings have revealed the continuous and significantly negative economic trend in Kobe, suggesting that considerable structural changes occurred in the Kobe economy resulting from the damages from and subsequent reconstruction activities after the earthquake. At the same time, Fujiki and Hsiao (Disentangling the effects of multiple treatments-measuring the net economic impact of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. IMES Discussion Paper 2013-E-3. Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, ) concluded that the effects from the event were only short-lived and the persistent decline of the Hyogo economy had come from structural change of the economy. In order to investigate the disaster-induced structural changes further, this paper aimed to analyze the extent to and the composition of the structural change, based on the input-output framework. While the previous study (Okuyama in Econ Syst Res 26(1):98-117, ) lacked the 1995 data and was inclined toward a longer-run analysis, this paper examined immediate structural changes after the event employing the estimated 1995 input-output tables for the damaged region based on the observed macroeconomic data and with a set of different assumptions (Ashiya and Jinushi in Kokumin Keizai Zasshi 183(1):79-97, ). The results show that the significant structural changes were observed in the damaged region and that many manufacturing sectors tightened the regional interindustry linkages, whereas service sectors weakened their regional linkages in the aftermath. In addition, the assumptions of how the reconstruction demands would have been leaked out appear to make some critical differences in the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantify the ‘permanent’ socio-economic impacts of the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake in 1995 by employing a large-scale panel dataset of 1,719 cities, towns, and wards from Japan over three decades. In order to estimate the counterfactual—i.e., the Kobe economy without the earthquake—we use the synthetic control method. Three important empirical patterns emerge: First, the population size and especially the average income level in Kobe have been lower than the counterfactual level without the earthquake for over fifteen years, indicating a permanent negative effect of the earthquake. Such a negative impact can be found especially in the central areas which are closer to the epicenter. Second, the surrounding areas experienced some positive permanent impacts in spite of short-run negative effects of the earthquake. Much of this is associated with movement of people to East Kobe, and consequent movement of jobs to the metropolitan center of Osaka, that is located immediately to the East of Kobe. Third, the furthest areas in the vicinity of Kobe seem to have been insulated from the large direct and indirect impacts of the earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of the distribution of earthquake magnitudes for the period 1990-1998 in a broad area surrounding the epicenter of the 1995 Kobe earthquake. The frequency-magnitude distribution analysis is performed in a nonextensive statistical physics context. The nonextensive parameter q, which is related to the frequency-magnitude distribution, reflects the existence of long-range correlations and is used as an index of the physical state of the studied area. Examination of the possible variations of q values is performed during the period 1990-1998. A significant increase of q occurs some months before the strong earthquake on April 9, 1994 indicating the start of a preparation phase prior to the Kobe earthquake. It should be noted that this increase coincides with the occurrence of six seismic events. Each of these events had a magnitude M = 4.1. The evolution of seismicity along with the increase of q indicate the system's transition away from equilibrium and its preparation for energy release. It seems that the variations of q values reflect rather well the physical evolution towards the 1995 Kobe earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional wisdom that the devastation wrought by the 1995 Kobe (Great Hanshin-Awaji) earthquake did not have any long-term impact on the Japanese economy, or much impact on Kobe itself, is wrong. We reevaluate the evidence using a new methodology, synthetic control, and find a persistent and still continuing adverse impact of the quake on the economy of Kobe more than a decade after the event. Using the methodology developed by Abadie et al. (Journal of the American Statistical Association , 2010), we construct counterfactual dynamics for the Kobe economy. We identify a decline in per capita GDP that is attributable to the quake and is persistent, long-term, and clearly observable even 13 years after the quake. GDP per capita for 2008 was ¥400,000 per person lower (12% decrease) than it would have been had the earthquake not occurred. Importantly, this adverse long-term impact is identified in a wealthy region of a high-income country and with the backing of a deep-pocketed fiscal authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional passive base-isolation systems provide an effective means to mitigate the responses of seismically excited structures. A challenge for these systems can be found in accommodating the large base displacements during severe earthquakes. Recently, active base-isolation systems, combining actively controlled actuators with passive isolation bearings, have been shown experimentally to produce reduced base displacements, while maintaining similar responses of the superstructure obtained by the passive base-isolation systems. The active control devices used in hybrid isolation systems are typically driven by an external power source, which may not be available during severe seismic events. Another class of isolation systems is smart base isolation, in which semiactive control devices are used in place of their active counterparts. This control strategy has been proven effective against a wide range of seismic excitation; however, there has been limited effort to experimentally validate smart base-isolation systems. In this study, the focus is on experimentally investigating and verifying a smart base-isolation system using real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS), which provides a cost-effective means to conduct such experiments because only the portion of the structure that is poorly understood needs to be represented experimentally, while the reminder of the structure can be modeled using a computer. In this paper, a prototype magnetorheological damper is physically tested, while the isolated building concurrently is simulated numerically. A model-based compensation strategy is used to carry out high-precision RTHS. The performance of the semiactive control strategies is evaluated using RTHS, and the efficacy of the smart base-isolation system is demonstrated. This smart base-isolation system is found to reduce base displacements and floor accelerations in a manner comparable with the active isolation system without the need for large external power sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on principles of the regional hydrogeodeformatics, we reveal the earth's global arrhythmic deformation pulsation, which manifests itself in short-term (several months) cycles of expansion and compaction of lithosphere plates. These processes are most evident within the global Endodrainage system (GEDS), which connects the deep segments of the Earth with its surface. We show that the global principal direction of the deformation signal movement is eastward (arriving from areas where this deformation pulse is initiated). Using some examples, we demonstrate the interconnection between deformation cycles and a series of catastrophic earthquakes, as well as some natural and natural-technogenic catastrophes. The need to monitor the global 'geodynamic weather' is substantiated and the principles of a monitoring system for the Earth's deformation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified pseudo-static limit equilibrium approach is used to analyse a full-scale slope failure that occurred during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. The slope is 28 m high, having a gentle angle of 26·5°, and has a factor of safety as high as 2·43 in the absence of an earthquake. In addition to a factor of safety, the critical failure surface obtained from pseudo-static analysis is compared with that of the actual failure surface. Contradictory to some design codes that use only a horizontal seismic coefficient, this study finds that a rational analysis must take into consideration both horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations. The analysis including vertical acceleration may give a shallower or deeper failure surface than cases where vertical acceleration is ignored. An analysis combining horizontal and upward accelerations results in a deeper failure surface than when only downward or no vertical acceleration is considered. The effects of soil properties on the slope stability are also investigated. The study suggests that for near-fault earthquakes, slopes may be subjected to vertical (upward) seismic coefficient as large as 90% that of horizontal, larger than that specified in existing design codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a framework for evaluating the effects of population ageing on disaster resilience. In so doing, it focuses on the 1995 Kobe and 2004 Chuetsu earthquakes, two major disasters that affected Japan before the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake. It analyses regional population recovery on the basis of pre-disaster and post-recovery demographic characteristics using defined transition patterns of population ageing. The evaluation framework demonstrates that various recovery measures make different contributions to disaster resilience for each transition pattern of population ageing. With reference to regional population ageing, the framework allows for a prediction of disaster resilience, facilitating place vulnerability assessments and potentially informing policy-making strategies for Japan and other countries with ageing populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, the 'earthquake-resistant pipe ratio' and the 'amount of stored water for emergency' have been used to evaluate the anti-earthquake performance of water supply facilities. In the past, however, those evaluations were made mainly from the viewpoint of the supplier, and evaluations from the customer's (citizen's) viewpoint have been insufficient. For simpler explanations to customers, the evaluation model based on 'living conditions,' related to emergency water use in the restoration period, has been established and a verification study has been conducted using an analysis model for evaluating the effect of various seismic upgrade measures adopted in Kobe City. Verification results show that the seismic improvement measures would produce a shorter restoration period compared with the time for the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake and that a greater amount of water would be available in the restoration period, leading to wider and more frequent use of water by citizens [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake, Japanese society has become accustomed to the presence of volunteers in the pre- and post-disaster environments, more specifically, in preparedness, response and recovery. The present study draws on the disaster research literature in exploring the social contexts in which groups of Kobe earthquake volunteers converged in January 1995 and formed organizations that continued to respond to national and international disasters during the 15 years that followed the 1995 earthquake. Based on the first author's own longitudinal participant observation at a non-profit organization, the Nippon Volunteer Network Active in Disaster (NVNAD), the present study traces the development of the NVNAD over the last 15 years. The study's basic conclusion is that, over the years, organized volunteerism in Japan has witnessed a struggle between the development of formal organizations emphasizing interagency cooperation and coordination of volunteers on one hand and the maintenance of a more affective social support-oriented approach with volunteers being physically and emotionally present to disaster survivors on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to investigate a method for estimating the production capacity loss rate (PCLR) of industrial sectors damaged by a disaster, such as an earthquake, tsunami, or nuclear radiation, particularly the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. PCLR is fundamental information required to gain an understanding of economic losses caused by a disaster. In particular, this paper proposes a method of PCLR estimation that considers the two main causes of capacity losses as observed from past earthquake disasters, namely damage to production facilities and disruption of lifeline systems. To achieve the quantitative estimation of PCLR, functional fragility curves considering the relationship between production capacity and earthquake ground motion and lifeline resilience factors for capturing the impact of lifeline disruptions have been adopted, while actual recovery curves are considered mainly for damaged facilities. Through the application of this method to the case study of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the PCLR in various industrial sectors is estimated; the estimated PCLR in the manufacturing sectors are then compared to the corresponding index of industrial production. The results demonstrate that the estimated values are close to the actual production indices in the overall manufacturing sector and many of the individual sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 1995, the Kobe Earthquake occurred in the second largest economic region of Japan, and its economic damages were accounted around 10 trillion yen. A catastrophic event of this magnitude would have surely created some long-run effects to the regional economy as well as to the surrounding regions. Additionally, the recovery and reconstruction activities would have affected the economic structure of the region and interdependence between regions in a potentially different way from the original growth trend before the event. While these long-run economic effects may have become sizable, few studies have been conducted to empirically measure or evaluate such effects, due to the significant noises in economic data muddled with macroeconomic influences from the outside. This paper presents an empirical investigation of long-run economic effects of the Kobe Earthquake, using structural decomposition methods. The results indicate significant changes in economic structure of the Kobe economy, and the changes are quite different across sectors and among factors. An additional investigation using shift-share analysis yielded the regional-specific changes; the corresponding decomposed factors of structural analysis with shift-share results appear complicated, and changes in regional final demand were found to be most influential to the changes in output for many sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hydrological and geochemical studies for earthquake prediction in Japan during the last two decades are reviewed. Following the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake, the central approach to research on earthquake prediction was modified. Instead of precursory detection, emphasis was placed on understanding the entire earthquake cycle. Moreover, the prediction program for the anticipated Tokai earthquake was revised in 2003 to include the detection of preslip-related precursors. These changes included the promotion of the following hydrological and geochemical studies for earthquake prediction: (1) development and/or application of statistical methods to extract small fluctuations from hydrological/geochemical data, (2) evaluation of the detectability of preslip-related anomalies in terms of groundwater levels in wells in the Tokai region, and (3) establishment of a new groundwater and borehole strain observation network for Nankai and Tonankai earthquake prediction research. The following basic geochemical studies were carried out: (1) development of a new monitoring system using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, (2) experimental studies on hydrogen generation by the grinding of rock and crystal powders, (3) comprehensive monitoring of groundwater gas and precise crustal deformation, and (4) mantle-derivative helium observation to compare with seismic velocity structures and the distribution of non-volcanic tremors. Moreover, hydrological and geochemical investigations related to the evolution of fault zones were introduced within the framework of fault zone drilling projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A majority of the existing analytical approaches for displacement-based seismic design of geosynthetic-reinforced earth structures (GRESs) have been developed by considering only a translational mode of failure (external sliding stability), and consequently do not provide a means for assessing the seismic displacement of GRESs due to rotational movements (internal stability). Internal rotational failure can degenerate to a translational one should it be more critical; however, the reverse is not true, which makes rotational failure a more generic mechanism. To address this issue, this paper presents a new analytical-numerical framework for the displacement-based design of GRESs, which assesses the potential for earthquake-induced displacements via an internal stability (rotational) failure mechanism. For design purposes, in order to determine the superimposed force in the reinforcement due to seismicity and its associated displacement, the proposed approach examines two limiting conditions: (a) the upper-bound force that can be mobilised in the reinforcement, as determined by pseudo-static limit equilibrium; and (b) the force that can be induced in the reinforcement by a given earthquake acceleration applied over a finite time increment. Either condition satisfies equilibrium. The prevailing seismically induced force and displacement in the reinforcement for each time increment are determined by selecting the smaller value that results from these two conditions. As an auxiliary tool, a set of pullout simulations was performed using finite-element analysis in order to relate the force and displacement in the geosynthetic reinforcement for various geosynthetic stiffnesses. To illustrate the application of the proposed method, a design example using a Kobe earthquake record is presented. For this example, the superimposed force in the reinforcement due to seismicity, the seismic displacement, and the seismic rotation are calculated. The required unfactored geosynthetic strength is then determined using a uniform distribution function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This manuscript presents the results of an investigation into the effect of various configurations of lattice-shaped soil improvement on the seismic response of liquefiable soil deposits using 3-dimensional seismic effective stress analysis with an advanced constitutive model for sandy soils. The particular problem considered is based on the soil stratigraphy of the down-hole seismic array site at Port Island, Kobe, and the input ground motion recorded at this location in the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Nine different soil improvement geometries are considered by changing the number and wall thickness of improved soil cells for the site. For each of the different improvement geometries, the salient features of the ground response are presented, including: (i) peak surface acceleration, displacement and response spectra; (ii) excess pore pressure, stress path, and stress–strain response of the enclosed unimproved soil; and (iii) peak deformations of the improved soil, among others. Finally, the obtained results for all considered improvement geometries are summarised based on improved area ratio (R IA ); improvement length-to-height ratio (R LH ); and normalised construction cost (R CC ). The results demonstrate the complexity of the seismic response and interaction between improved and enclosed liquefaction-susceptible native soils when subjected to strong ground shaking; the dependence on both the improved area and length-to-height ratios; as well as the wealth of insightful information that advanced effective stress analyses can provide for assessing the seismic response of such soil deposits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Considerable damage occurred to steel structures during the Kobe earthquake in Japan. Numerous exposed-type column bases failed in several consistent patterns caused by brittle base plate fracture, excessive anchor bolt elongation, unexpected early anchor bolt failure, and inferior construction work. An exposed-type column base receives axial force and biaxial bending when receiving an arbitrary multidirectional earthquake motion. Up to now, numerous researchers have examined methods to identify their stiffness and strength, but those studies have heretofore been restricted to in-plane behaviors. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the inelastic behavior of exposed type steel column bases under biaxial lateral loading and axially compressive-tensile loading, which is a closer simulation of the real seismic excitation. In this study, exposed type steel column bases with different failure types, anchor bolt yielding and base plate yielding, are tested under different loading programs, then moment resisting mechanisms and failure modes are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 1,100 young students living in Japan at a range of distances up to 500 km from the 1995 Kobe M7 earthquake were interviewed. A statistically significant abnormal rate of early wakening before the earthquake was found, having exponential decrease with distance and a half value approaching 100 km, but decreasing much slower than from a point source such as an epicentre; instead originating from an extended area of more than 100 km in diameter. Because an improbably high amount of variance is explained, this effect is unlikely to be simply psychological and must reflect another mechanism--perhaps Ultra-Low Frequency (ULF) electromagnetic waves creating anxiety--but probably not 222Rn excess. Other work reviewed suggests these conclusions may be valid for animals in general, not just children, but would be very difficult to apply for practical earthquake prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 and has moved through the various phases into the recovery stage. After the earthquake we conducted two surveys involving approximately 8000 families with pre-school aged children and 466 families with disabled children. Symptoms related to PTSD were found more frequently in the small children whose houses had been severely damaged one year after the earthquake. Although the symptoms decreased, they were still present more frequently in the children and their mothers with severely damaged homes in 1998. Our results show children with intellectual or emotional disabilities displayed many behavioral problems. The physically disabled children required medical resources and specialized support in a structured environment. Both groups voiced the need to set up specialized facilities for people with disabilities. Following the Central Java Earthquake in 2006, we have engaged in “children house” activities in the disaster stricken area in collaboration with Gadjah Mada University. Through this activity, we have been able to share what works in helping children with disabilities and their families. From our experience we have found exchanging of information among the people in the disaster stricken areas helps to reduce the psychological damage of the children and aids in their recovery process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Annals of Public & Cooperative Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to study the seismic performance of self-centering moment-resisting steel frames with posttensioned connections taking into account nonlinear material behavior, for better understanding of the advantages of this type of structural system. Further, the seismic performance of traditional structures with rigid connections is compared with the corresponding equivalent posttensioned structures with semirigid connections. Nonlinear time history analyses are developed for both types of structural systems to obtain the maximum and the residual interstory drifts. Thirty long-duration narrow-banded earthquake ground motions recorded on soft soil sites of Mexico City are used for the analyses. It is concluded that the structural response of steel buildings with posttensioned connections subjected to intense earthquake ground motions is reduced compared with the seismic response of traditional buildings with welded connections. Moreover, residual interstory drift demands are considerably reduced for the system with posttensioned connections, which is important to avoid the demolition of the buildings after an earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I discuss anthropological approaches to natural disaster. Based on a comparative view between the Great East Japan Earthquake and The Great Hanshin Earthquake, I discuss the validity of fieldwork, which is the traditional method of research in anthropology, and explore the possibility of anthropological contributions to the study of natural disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the dynamics of using numbers to construct an image of social reality in disaster areas. Numbers are neither objective nor value-neutral but are rather generated, transmitted and shared with social signification. In other words, numbers can be thought of as simply socially constructed information. Statistics and other numbers usually work in positive ways. However, it is also possible that using numbers in the media can lead to unintended messages that could produce negative consequences. We conducted field studies in disaster-stricken areas of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China and compared findings to the case of the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan in order to examine how numbers-in terms of the amount of donations, the timeline of reconstruction projects and casualty figures-construct social reality and cause a variety of social dysfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]