Effects of Earthquakes on Civil Engineering

The Problem

 

 As we approach the third month of 2012, we can only wonder what lies ahead for this year.  There have been many predictions for 2012 ranging anywhere from new technology being released to the end of the world. The topic that I would like to focus on is natural disasters – earthquakes in particular.  Some believe that the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters are increasing, whereas others believe they are remaining the same. Nevertheless, no matter what you believe, you cannot deny the fact that natural disasters continue to occur. Therefore, they are an issue that we need to be prepared for in order to know how to handle them appropriately. 

 

I’m sure many of us recall what happened on March 11, 2011 involving the 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a 23 foot tsunami that left Japan in ruins.  This tragedy was an example of a natural disaster that no one could do much about.  But there are some natural disasters that are controllable, or maybe even preventable.   Natural disasters occur when extreme magnitude events cause severe damage to society.  Therefore, if we are able to manage the impact of a natural event on society, it may no longer be a natural disaster.


In regard to earthquakes specifically, the natural disaster in Japan was a wake-up call to the United States. Approximately 30,000 people died in Japan, many in the days after the tsunami due to the fact that help could not reach those who needed it. This is where Civil Engineering comes in.  Engineers knew before this disaster that the coastal regions of the United States (California, Oregon, and Washington specifically) were at risk of natural disasters, but they didn’t even imagine anything to this scale happening.
  

Steps For Prevention

With our newly attained knowledge, we have now begun to prepare in case it happens in the United States.  One of the main ways that Civil Engineers are changing their work habits is by designing cities – or putting new means of transportation in place in that city – to allow a better flow of traffic in case a disaster does occur.  By doing this, hopefully it will prevent death due to lack of accessibility.   

Additionally, Civil Engineers are focusing more on the type of soil they are building structures on in the coastal regions.  In Japan, most of the actual structures were built well enough to withstand the rising water without collapsing, but the soil they were built on was not.  As a result, some houses tilted down as much as four feet due to a phenomenon called liquefaction (continued shaking that essentially turns solid soil into liquid; shown above).  Oregon State University is working closely with the Oregon Department of Transportation in order to research steps to reduce liquefaction along with other effects of earthquakes.  Also as a part of their cooperative research, they have concluded that 1,100 bridges in Oregon alone are at risk of liquefaction if a natural disaster were to occur.  They are working to reconstruct and/or relocate these bridges in order to make them safe for use of the general public. 

Conclusion

I think that the field of Civil Engineering as a whole is taking very good steps in order to make the coastal regions of the United States a safer environment to live in.  The research of OSU will assist with how to design coastal cities better, along with the arrangement of structures within them. Hopefully, they will also be successful in finding ways to prevent liquefaction from happening in order to limit the damage of a natural disaster.  Thankfully we are learning before the event occurs, so through continued research and action we should be able to save lives by preparing well for the unknown.