%0 Journal Article
%T Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Deformations Computational Assessment during Tohoku Earthquake
%A Davide Forcellini
%A Fabio Della Bartola
%A Angelo Marcello Tarantino
%J ISRN Civil Engineering
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/408961
%X Liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during Tohoku earthquake resulted in significant damage, and disruption of functionality for structures and life. The paper aims at reproducing this on-site evidence presenting the state of the art about the most credited qualitative approach and comparing these methods with numerical computation. In this regard, finite element (FE) simulations are increasingly providing a versatile environment in order to assess economical and effective damage. In the study, several systematic three-dimensional FE computations have been conducted to numerically evaluate the effects in terms of liquefaction-induced lateral deformations. The analysis is performed in correspondence with Urayasu City, where the registered liquefaction consequences on residential buildings were wide if compared with the ordinary seismic shake. This study can be used both for post-earthquake evaluations and for pre-earthquake vulnerability predictions. 1. Introduction The 11th of March 2011 (05:46:24.51 UTC) Tohoku Earthquake can be considered the largest ( 9.0-9.1) in the recent history of Japan and one of the five largest earthquakes of the modern era (United States Geological Survey¡¯s USGS). The earthquake excited a large tsunami that devastated coastal communities in Japan. The most sites affected by liquefaction-induced deformations are inside the named Kanto Plate, a very recent zone with alluvial formations on which many Japanese cities stand. The main effects of liquefaction-induced ground failures were observed around the northern and north-eastern shorelines of Tokyo Bay (e.g., Shin Kiba, Urayasu, Inage, Kaihin Makuhari, Chiba, Isobe, and Mihama), communities along the river Tone (Choshi, Sawara, Itako, Katori, and Kamisu), and areas along the Naka River including Hitachinaka, Miko, and Oarai [1¨C6]. In particular, the main damages were observed in the Kanto Plain region at many urban cities, which includes the Tokyo Bay and Tone River areas. The liquefied soils were fill materials or young alluvium [5]. Lateral spreading consisted of the development of large horizontal ground displacements due to earthquake-induced liquefaction. This phenomenon resulted in significant damage and considerable replacement costs for existing buildings and civil engineering structures (quay walls, bridge piers, etc.) since it imposed notable lateral loads and may lead to widespread failures. Such adverse response was previously documented during several seismic events, such as the earthquakes of Niigata, Japan (1964, [7¨C10]), Dagupan City, Philippines (1990,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.civil.engineering/2013/408961/