Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 3.25
Collapse of the Showa Bridge during the Niigata
earthquake on June 16, 1964. (
Photograph from the Godden
Collection, EERC, University of California, Berkeley.
)
Damage was especially severe at the relatively new Port of Kobe. In terms of damage
to the port, the EERC (1995) stated:
The main port facilities in Kobe harbor are located primarily on reclaimed land along the
coast and on two man-made islands, Port Island and Rokko Island, which are joined by bridges
to the mainland. The liquefaction and lateral spread-induced damage to harbor structures on the
islands disrupted nearly all of the container loading piers, and effectively shut down the Port of
Kobe to international shipping. All but 6 of about 187 berths were severely damaged.
Concerning the damage caused by liquefaction, the EERC (1995) concluded:
Extensive liquefaction of natural and artificial fill deposits occurred along much of the
shoreline on the north side of the Osaka Bay. Probably the most notable were the liquefaction
failures of relatively modern fills on the Rokko and Port islands. On the Kobe mainland, evi-
dence of liquefaction extended along the entire length of the waterfront, east and west of Kobe,
for a distance of about 20 km [12 mi]. Overall, liquefaction was a principal factor in the exten-
sive damage experienced by the port facilities in the affected region.
