Journal of Natural Disaster Science

FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE OF EARTHQUAKE DISASTER COUNTERMEASURES IN LIFELINES

Nobuoto NOJIMA
Graduate Student, Kyoto University
Hiroyuki KAMEDA
Professor, Urban Earthquake Hazard Research Center, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University
and
Masanobu SHINOZUKA
Professor, Princeton University

(Received 2 May, 1990 and in revised form 8 August, 1990)

Abstract

Earthquake disaster countermeasures in lifeline systems have been analyzed from the standpoint that the comprehensive operability of urban lifelines is a requisite of urban earthquake disaster prevenion. We have classified countermeasures in four categories: 1) upgrading seismic performance of network components, 2) improvement of network organization, 3) implementing system automation, and 4) disaster prevention operations by humans. Using these categories we investigated the present state of earthquake disaster countermeasures established by lifeline industries; specifically, the water supply, city gas supply, electric power supply, telephone and telecommunication service, road traffic, and urban railway systems. Although diverse objectives and the individual composition of a system prescribe the available measures for each lifeline system, a common structure for earthquake disaster countermeasures is clearly recognized. Earthquake-induced interactions among individual lifeline systems also are discussed, with emphasis on promoting closer communication and cooperation.

Key words

urban lifeline networks, classification of earthquake disaster countermeasures, risk analysis, system links, lifeline interactions