Posted on 03/18/2011 11:29:04 AM PDT by DTogo
Amid the human tragedy, tsunami destruction and nuclear crisis in Japan, another story has gone unreported in the densely populated suburbs of Chiba prefecture just east of Tokyo: the liquefaction of hundreds of acres of reclaimed land. We all know that sand castles on the beach do not last against the tide, and neither do sound houses built on foundations of sand.
The possible liquifecation of large segments of bayside property built up since WWII has long been a concern of geologists and disaster agencies in Japan, and has recently been experienced on a large scale in Christchurch where several neighborhoods are expected to be condemned and abandonded.
The link above highlights the personal account of one gaijin literally watching the ground crack around him, and then the ground water bubble above the surface. I've also heard from family in Chiba that numerous sidewalks, roads, and also some housing structures were affected by liquefaction. Using the Japanese term for liquefaction 液状化(eki jou ka, literally change to a liquid state) in the Youtube search box, numerous personal accounts in Japan can be found.
HERE a very well-informed young lady videotapes the liquefaction of the sidewalk in Urayasu, and identifies it as such when you hear here say at 33sec that it's ekijouka and "they say that mud will come out of the ground."
In front of a crowd of daytime shoppers in Shin Urayasu the sidewalks buckle, crack and the earth "bleeds" mud for all to see.
This video shows some of the aftermath along one of many affected roads.
Mission District, San Fransisco, 1989...
日本 ピング (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
We know about liquefaction on the California coast. In 1989, the part of San Francisco that was land fill (Marina District - huge damage and fires) took a huge hit while that which was built on original rock foundation saw little damage.
Wow.
Wasn’t Mexico City also built on what was a swamp?
Actually, it was the Marina...
Yikes. Tokyo has one hell of alot of landfill real estate.
They have some big buildings there.
What are they sitting on?
Well, not exactly. That part near GG Bridge is part of the Marina landfill which liquefied. However, further inland, the foundations are attached to original rocky land and there was little damage.
Wow scary stuff....
Wow. Those videos are frightening.
Nothing to see here folks. Keep moving....keep moving
I had to look this up after reading about the quake in Christchurch...think “quicksand”...
How do you know it hasn’t been considered?
Tokyo Disney is closed.
They will make a decision on when to reopen on Monday.
Yes, with some of my family on top of it.
The phenomena is well known to foundation engineers. Buildings resting on properly designed and properly quantified pile foundations resist the liquefaction.
The slabs shown are apparently compressing the sand/soil and when the water is pressed out the slab falls. The fact that all or more indicates irregular or non homogeneous fill over the ares. The slabs likely have no piles under them
Tsunamis's are all about liquidfaction..
Those things liquefy villages, towns, even citys..
Like a blender or juicer..
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