Earthquake Preparation

These are just some examples of how people can prepare for an earthquake. This would reduce the effects greatly.

Preparing evacuation plans	Each workplace, restaurant, bar and school must have an earthquake evacuation procedure. This must be tested periodically. The procedure would ensure each person knew how to evacuate the building they were in and where to register after the earthquake was over.
Earthquake practice days	Once a year, all companies and school must practise their earthquake evacuation procedure. This takes a whole day for the people to practise the drill, sit through a debrief and alter the plan as necessary. If each person practises the evacuation procedure, the death toll is likely to be lower.
Organising emergency supplies	Stockpiles of canned food, water, medical supplies and fuel must be organised and stored. A handful of people will be trained to distribute these emergency supplies. It is likely that most shops will be closed for a period of time after the earthquake, so this may be the only source of food and water available.
Training emergency services	The police, fire service and ambulance crews spend one day a month receiving training about how to react in the aftermath of an earthquake. Regular training is the only way to ensure a swift and successful rescue takes place.
Earthquake warning system	A network of warning messages and information broadcasts would be set up. These will be broadcast on television and radio. Messages will also be sent via text message and e-mail. Television and radio signals may not be available if the earthquake causes masts to collapse.
Building regulations	New buildings must adhere to the regulations and all other buildings need to be made ‘earthquake-resistant’ within ten years. Those buildings without such alterations are likely increase the death toll.

Example of changes to buildings etc.:

• Computer-controlled weights on roof to reduce movement.
• Steel frames which can sway during earth movements.
• Automatic window shutters to prevent falling glass.
• Open areas where people can assemble if evacuated.
• Foundations sunk into bedrock avoiding clay.
• ‘Birdcage’ interlocking steel frame.
• Outer panels flexibly attached to steel structure.
• Fire-resistant building materials.
• Roads to provide quick access for emergency services.
• Rubber shock-absorbers in foundation pillars to absorb earth tremors. 

Earthquake-resistant Building Design Examples: 

http://askmichellegeography.blogspot.com/2012/04/case-study-of-management-of-tectonic.html

^This would be a more detailed post with real-life examples to put it in context.

This links to reducing impacts of Earthquakes:
http://askmichellegeography.blogspot.com/2012/04/reducing-impacts-of-earthquakes.html

Kobe Earthquake, 1995

Based on my own research, some data could be different to what you find.. 

Case Study of the Management of a Tectonic Event in an HIC: Kobe Earthquake, 1995

Intro facts: Cause of the earthquake:

• The earthquake was caused by the Philippines Plate being subducted under the Eurasian Plate.
• The focus was very shallow; it was only about 15km.
• The epicentre was very close to Kobe, around 20km away.

Intro facts: Short term impacts of the earthquake

• Nearly 200,000 buildings were destroyed.
• A 1km stretch of the elevated Hanshin Expressway collapsed.
• 120 of the 150 quays in the port of Kobe were destroyed.
• Electricity, gas and water supplies were disrupted.
• Fires caused by broken pipes and ruptured electricity lines, swept the city.
• An estimated 230,000 people were made homeless.
• The number of deaths was put officially at 5500.
• At lest 40,000 people suffered serious injury.

How Was The Earthquake Disaster Managed?

Before the earthquake: Prediction

• The Japanese government established the Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee in 1892 in response to the Nobi earthquake (1891) which caused significant damage in Japan. However, they failed to predict the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
• Even though Japan has one of the most advance Earthquake prediction systems, they failed to predict it. Kobe had not had a major earthquake for more than 400 years so there was less prediction equipment there than in other areas of Japan.
• Although people on duty could see that there were many tremors (prior to the earthquake), they did not raise the alarm. It could be that they were getting complacent because they had not received a huge earthquake for a long time.

Before the earthquake: Preparation 

-        Illusion of preparedness made people complacent-caught unaware.

-        There were still many old, traditional houses in Kobe. They had heavy tiles on the roofs to withstand typhoons; but they injured many people when the wood supporting the roof collapsed.

-        Most new buildings built had been designed to be earthquake proof; but because of liquefaction, they still toppled over. The houses were not retrofitted, resulting in many elderly people injured.  Transport infrastructure not retrofitted either.

-        They didn’t have sufficient emergency supplies. Especially water-couldn’t fight fire efficiently.

+        Schools and factories had regular earthquake drills.

After the earthquake: Response In The Short Term

·         They had to get clean, fresh water from other parts of the country.

·         The Japanese government evacuated people into temporary shelters because they still faced the dangers of fires and unstable buildings. The government was criticized for being so slow in mobilizing the army-sluggish response.

·         Bulldozers were brought in to clear fallen buildings.

·         The local fire department put out the fires.

·         Civilians helped to rescue others who were trapped.

·         Medical aid centres were set up.

After the earthquake: Response In The Medium & Long Term

• By January 1999, 134,000 housing units had been constructed. All homes and buildings had to be built to strict regulations and they were made more earthquake resistant. (Flexible frames, steel support.)
• Water, electricity, gas and telephone services were fully working by July 1995.
• Within a year, 80% of the port was working but the Hanshin Expressway was still closed.
• The railways were back in service by August 1995.
• More instruments were installed in the area to monitor seismic activity.
• Major transport routes were reinforced so they do not get destroyed or damaged in the event of another major earthquake.
• Earthquake resistant shelters were constructed in local parks.
• The city plan was more spaced out, buildings were further apart so that if one collapsed, it would not create a domino effect. Buildings were not allowed to be built on unstable land.
• Developed more open space in the city so that people had a large area to evacuate to.
• Japan refused international aid for a while then finally let them in.

Earthquake-Resistant Building Design

This is based on a piece of HW and is my own research..there are lots more you can find out for yourself though! :)

Earthquake Resistant Building Design

Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 is located in Taipei, Taiwan. It started construction in 1999 and was completed in 2004. It is 101 stories above ground and 5 stories below. It is 509.2 meters tall.

1.      The design of this building achieves strength and flexibility through the use of high performance steel construction. Taipei 101 is supported by 36 columns, as well as 8 ‘mega columns’ made with 10,000 psi (pounds per square inch-a unit of pressure) concrete.

2.      Every 8 floors, outrigger trusses connect columns in the building’s core to those on the exterior. This makes it one of the most stable buildings in the world.

3.      The foundation of the Taipei 101 is very strong. It has 380 piles 80 meters deep in the ground, it extends as far as 30 meters into the bedrock. Each pile is 1.5 meters in diameter and can withstand a load of 1,000-1,320 tonnes.

4.      One interesting feature of the Taipei 101 is its steel pendulum. It serves as a tuned mass damper that weighs 660 tonnes. It cost US$ 4 million. It is suspended from the 92^nd to the 88^th floor and can be viewed. It is computer controlled, if the building sways to one side due to strong winds or seismic waves, it goes in the opposite direction. It offsets the movement of the building. This keeps the building balanced and prevents it from being top-heavy and collapsing.

5.      The blue-green glass are double paned and glazed. They offer heat and ultraviolet protection and can block external heat by up to 50%. It can sustain impacts of 7 tonnes.

Tuned Mass Damper

 

Torre Mayor

The Torre mayor is in Mexico City. It started construction in 1999 and was finished in 2003. It has 57 stories and is 225 meters tall.

It uses large Fluid Viscous Dampers as a primary means of seismic energy dissipation. There are a total of 98 dampers, 24 of which are large; each rated at 570 tonnes output force. They are located in the long walls of the building. The short walls have 74 smaller dampers, each rated at 280 tonnes output force. The dampers are installed in mega brace elements, up to 20 meters in length. A single damper can span up to six floors.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/smart-structure.htm

Earthquake Isolated Base Technology

This technique uses a coil or any other flexible support placed in between the structure's foundation. There is a movement interaction with the seismic waves, thus if the earthquake moves the foundation in one direction, the support will move the opposite direction and this confers immobility to the building. Some modern building are incorporated with cross-supports in between frame support, these also hold building together during tremor.

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Reducing Impacts of Earthquakes

Prediction

• Currently impossible to predict when an earthquake will happen. But if you can, it would give people time to evacuate which would reduce the number of injuries and deaths.
• There can be clues that an earthquake is about to happen, such as lots of small tremors, cracks appearing in rocks and strange animal behaviour (e.g. rats abandoning nests). 
• It's possible to predict where future earthquakes may happen using data from past earthquakes e.g. mapping where earthquakes have happened shows which places are likely to be affected again,  or where there is a gap where there haven't been major EQs along a fault line there is a probability of an earthquake occurring there-these places can prepare themselves for the impacts of an earthquake. 

Building techniques

• Buildings can be designed to withstand earthquakes. e.g. by using materials like reinforced concrete or building special foundations that absorb an earthquake's energy. 
• Constructing earthquake-resistant buildings reduces the number of buildings destroyed by an earthquake, so fewer people will be killed, injured, made homeless and made unemployed. See post on 'Earthquake-resistance Building Design'.  

Planning

• Future developments, e.g. new shopping malls, can be planned to avoid the areas most at risk from earthquakes. This reduces the number of buildings destroyed by an earthquake. 
• Firebreaks can be made to reduce the spread of fires. http://www.ehow.com/facts_6857140_firebreak-made_.html
• Emergency services can train and prepare for disasters, e.g. by practising rescuing people from collapsed buildings and by stockpiling medicine and other equipment. This reduces the number of people killed.
• Governments can plan evacuation routes to get people out of dangerous areas quickly and safely after an earthquake. This reduces the number of people killed/injured by things like fires. 

Education

• Governments and other organisations can educate people on what to do in the case of an earthquake. (e.g. stand in a doorway) and how to evacuate. This reduces deaths. --Schools and companies should practise earthquake drills regularly. 
• People can be told how to make a survival kit containing things like food, water, a torch, a radio and batteries. The kits reduce the chance of people dying if they're stuck in the area. 

Aid

• Poorer countries that have been affected by earthquakes can receive aid from governments or organisations-it can be things like food, water, money or service people (e.g. doctors/rescuers)
• Aid helps to reduce the impacts, e.g. money-aid is used to rebuild homes, reducing homelessness. 

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