DAMAGE DIRECTION OF WOODEN RESIDENTIAL HOUSES DURING THE 2016 KUMAMOTO EARTHQUAKE − STRONG GROUND MOTION CHARACTERISTICS AND PLOT PLAN OF SITE

−A case study based on victim interviews in Mashiki town, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan−

Abstract

This paper reports the results of field investigation with wooden residential houses in Mashiki Town that were damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. Interviews of earthquake victims were conducted to investigate the house plans of seven damaged houses. Based on these plans, earthquake response analysis was conducted to simulate the direction of damage of the seven damaged houses. It was found that the load-bearing walls in the longitudinal direction of some damaged houses were inadequate to withstand the strong motion during the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake between east, northeast and west, southwest, which was responsible for the damage of many house.