Taking earthquake-resistant design capabilities overseas

Among Japan's outstanding construction technologies is earthquake resistance technology. What makes it so outstanding is that it is built with all of its wisdom to achieve the ideal earthquake resistance. For each region, past earthquakes and the characteristics of the ground have been investigated to determine the strength of the earthquake that will occur. Currently, authorized by the Building Standards Act, efforts are being made to prevent fatal damage from the largest earthquakes of intensity 6 or higher, and to minimize damage as much as possible from earthquakes with a high possibility of occurring of intensity 5 or higher. Since this method involves deducing past earthquake experience into the future, the expected strength of earthquakes varies depending on the region. Even though Japan is an earthquake-prone country, there are regions where no major earthquakes have occurred, so there is no need to consider seismic force there, but even so, as a minimum, it is required that buildings can withstand more than 70% of the standard earthquake strength. In this way, earthquake countermeasures are the basis and the way of Japanese construction technology.

What about overseas? There are countries and regions that say they don't experience earthquakes. But are they really nonexistent? Also, many countries seem to have earthquake resistance standards, but what kind of wisdom is behind those standards?

Considering this, when Japanese people Structural Engineering overseas, shouldn't they take the minimum earthquake countermeasures required in Japan, even in areas that are said to be earthquake-free? This will also ensure safety during construction and structural soundness. It is possible that the traditional structural systems of the area implicitly contain the minimum necessary earthquake resistance. On the other hand, if Japanese methods are ignored because the area is said to be earthquake-free and meets the law, there is a risk that the architecture built in Japan will end up being weak.

When constructing in areas that clearly need earthquake countermeasures, it may be better to consider a different approach than simply adopting traditional earthquake resistance technology that ensures strength, even though Japan's earthquake resistance technology is superior. Although Japan has advanced earthquake resistance technology, it is also bound by past history. New mechanisms such as the seismic isolation and vibration control currently being promoted in Japan, or the recently developed elastic structural system that can withstand earthquakes of magnitude 7 using new steel materials, may be easier to understand.

Another advantage of Japanese construction technology is the precision and quality of the construction that actually achieves earthquake resistance. As can be seen from the Sichuan earthquake and the damaged buildings in Haiti, in other countries, concrete is full of boulders, there is no rebar, or the reinforcement is not properly arranged. If there are such defects, the soundness of the structure as a whole cannot be ensured. In Japan, a foundation for ensuring strength is permeated throughout design and construction, and earthquake-resistant design is carried out on that basis.

Japanese construction technology is excellent. It is not just about desk analysis and following the law, but about using wisdom to make the structure healthy and to enhance its significance. Let's be aware of this and advance into overseas markets with confidence.