Abstract
Field investigation of infrastructure damage following the March 2011, Tohoku, Japan, Tsunami uncovered failure of numerous fuel storage containers as a result of the high inundation depths and velocities associated with the event. Observations focused on two areas, Ishinomaki, Japan and Onagawa, Japan, where inundation depths of up to 6 and 17 m, respectively, were measured. The failure modes observed include: crushing of containers as a result of inward hydrostatic forces or debris impact, tie down failures as a result of elevated buoyancy forces, and sliding failures as a result of the hydrodynamic forces imparted during the event. The loss of restraint resulted in movement of the containers outside of their containment walls, fuel spillage, and ground contamination. Sample calculations based on observed container failure, water levels, and estimated flow velocities illustrate the demands and failure patterns observed. A retrofitting mechanism is proposed to minimize loss of fuel storage containers during tsunami events.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-1138668. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The authors would like to thank the ASCE journal reviewers for their comments and thorough critique of the manuscript, which has allowed improvements in the discussion.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 27 • Issue 4 • August 2013
Pages: 373 - 380
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 17, 2011
Accepted: Feb 8, 2012
Published online: Feb 10, 2012
Published in print: Aug 1, 2013
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