Learning from Japan’s Disaster-Proofing Strategies

An article on Bloomberg reports that Japan’s infrastructure is already one of the safest globally. Yet, the country continues to invest in disaster risk reduction from natural and climate-related disasters.

Strong earthquakes with a magnitude of six or higher frequently hit the island nation, as did several tropical storms.

The worst and most recent disaster that the country encountered was the 2011 Tohuko earthquake that sparked a massive Tsunami, killing more than 15 thousand people and causing a meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The nuclear power plant disaster released harmful radioactive materials into the atmosphere and forced thousands of people to evacuate the area.

According to a United Nations report, climate-related disasters are also increasing significantly. Global disaster events rose from 2,212 to 7,348 in the past two decades, affecting 4.2 billion people and costing $2.97 trillion.

The article said Japan is ramping up disaster risk reduction investments via seismic engineering and artificial intelligence advances. It is investing around US$144.4 billion in its anti-disaster preparations. 

The country is upgrading its infrastructure, such as roads, schools, and airports, and building resilience against massive earthquakes, severe wind, and flooding through supercomputers that predict weather events.

Japan has a unique disaster-proofing law called “kenchikushi”, which holds its licensed architects and engineers liable for any building defects for ten years.

The article cites some of Japan’s notable structures incorporating innovative techniques and climate-resilience.

The Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest broadcasting tower at 634 meters and is the city’s tourist attraction. Engineers designed a steel truss tower to adapt to strong winds, allowing winds to pass through the gaps.

The building also has a unique vibration control system that can reduce vibration by up to 50% during an earthquake and 30% during strong winds. On its base, layers of steel and rubber act as shock absorbers.

The article says Japan has been using this technique since the 1980s, and it is now replicated overseas, particularly in Apple Inc.’s Silicon Valley Headquarters.

Newer medium-rise buildings in Japan incorporate wood into their steel-frame structures. “Steel can withstand pulling forces while wood withstands compressive forces; each material compensates for the other’s shortcomings,” says Yoshitaka Watanabe, Maeda’s chief engineer.  

The use of timber in construction also reduces the environmental impact of construction, reducing its GHG emissions.

Carbon-neutral materials, such as timber and carbon-neutral steel, play a role in reducing GHG emissions to mitigate climate change. Check out our related blog: Carbon Neutrality in Materials Manufacture Design of Infrastructure.

Click the link below to read the entire article on Japan’s Disaster-Risk Reduction Strategies.