Abstract
In the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, serious damage occurred in power plants and industrial plants due to the strong ground motion, soil deformation and tsunami. Many kinds of damage caused by strong motion, such as the buckling of tanks, the failure of hook bolts, or the falling of overhead cranes, and the dropping of over-hanging pipes were commonly observed. The tsunami also caused various kinds of damage, such as broken equipment due to collisions with floating objects and damage of tanks due to water pressure. Power system damage caused by electrical short circuiting also occurred. Although the earthquake caused a great deal of damage, seismic measures taken before the earthquake could mitigate damage of some facilities. This paper provides an overview of the damage of mechanical facilities caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, their typical damage cases, and the effects of the earthquake resisting methods.
