2017 Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 133-144
The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused massive ground damage, including liquefaction of sandy grounds, collapse of river levees and lands developed for housing, etc., particularly in regions across eastern Japan. Not only damage to “currently unqualified” structures that did not conform to existing design standards and codes but also ground damage that could not be explained within the framework of conventional geomechanics and geotechnical engineering was observed. Particularly in the latter case, therefore, it has become necessary to develop new techniques in geomechanics without being restrained by the conventional framework. From the above standpoint, this paper reviews the research that has been carried out in the field of geotechnology after the Great East Japan Earthquake. More specifically, new knowledge relating to the mechanism of liquefaction damage at Urayasu City and other ground deformation caused by the earthquake is introduced, together with the results of research carried out on ground strengthening techniques.
