Journal of Natural Disaster Science

SEISMIC BEHAVIORS OF LIFELINE UTILITY SYSTEMS -LESSONS FROM A RECENT JAPANESE EXPERIENCE-

Tsuneo KATAYAMA
Associate Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo

(Received 26 December, 1980, and in revised form 7 January, 1981)

Abstract

The effects of the 1978 Off-Miyagi earthquake (Miyagiken-oki earthquake) on the electric power, city gas, water supply and sewerage systems mainly in the city of Sendai are first summarized. Emphasis is placed on the general restoration processes of these systems rather than on the damage inflicated on each component structure or equipment. The latter half of this paper is devoted to the quantitative description of the damage sustained by the minor distribution underground pipelines in the water supply and city gas systems mostly in Sendai by the Off-Miyagi earthquake.

Key words

earthquake, seismic disaster, lifelines, utilities, buried pipelines