The geotechnical issues of the damage caused by the great east Japan disaster and reconstruction for the Tohoku region

Abstract

The 2011 Off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake which occurred on March 11 caused serious damage to the infrastructural facilities in the eastern area of Japan due to the strong motion of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. This paper includes a brief outline of the earthquake damage to various facilities in relation to geotechnical engineering, and the main geotechnical engineering problems which have emerged after this disaster, including ground subsidence caused by crustal movement, the consolidation of soft clay and liquefaction, liquefaction induced damage to river levees and tailing dams, the geotechnical damage related to Tsunami impact, and disaster waste management.