Εμπειρία Ελληνα καθηγητή αντισεισμικών κατασκευών από σεισμό στην Ιαπωνία
Δημοσιεύτηκε: 14 Ιαν 2025, 17:07
Professor Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis
Exactly a year ago, I visited this building during its construction and posted about it on LinkedIn (see below). Today, Monday, January 13, I went back to take some pictures of the finished building. I was planning to post an update about it on LinkedIn—at least that’s what I told my colleague. And then… this happened.
As a Greek, I’ve experienced many earthquakes since I was a child. In Greece, it’s almost an annual event. As an earthquake engineer, I’ve spent my career studying them and mainly their effects on structures. But today, in Japan, I felt an earthquake that was entirely different from anything I’ve experienced before.
I was having dinner with a colleague, who is also a professor in earthquake engineering in Japan. We were talking when our phones started buzzing and the warning came! It said a strong earthquake was about to happen (screenshot below). In Japan, these early warning systems are common, and even a few seconds of notice can make a difference. We had around 20 seconds to process what was happening and prepare ourselves mentally. Nobody moved.
When the shaking started, it felt very different from what I was used to in Greece. The movement was horizontal, not like a pendulum that swings back and forth, and it felt smooth, very smooth. It was clear that the building we were in has base isolators, which allow the structure to move with the ground rather than resisting it. Because of this, nothing in the room fell over. It was a very controlled experience for 6.9R, unlike the shaking I’ve felt in reinforced concrete buildings, where you hear the sound of concrete cracking.
Another difference was the psychological aspect. I knew that Japanese buildings are designed to withstand strong earthquakes, I work here too after all, and that gave me a sense of security. My friend, who has experienced many earthquakes in Japan, remained completely calm. In fact, he smiled just before the hit!
The entire experience was remarkable for how controlled it felt. There was no sense of panic, no visible damage whatsoever. This wasn’t just because of the technology, like base isolators, but also because of how well-prepared and resilient the systems and people in Japan are when it comes to earthquakes.
This earthquake was a reminder of how much can be achieved with the right preparation and engineering.
I hope this short story from someone who is familiar with earthquakes and designs seismic-resistant structures gives you a new perspective on how to approach earthquake resilience.
*Note the time we received the warning (21:19) and the time of issuance from Japan Metereological Agency (21:38). The conclusions are yours...
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kdtsavda ... er_desktop
Exactly a year ago, I visited this building during its construction and posted about it on LinkedIn (see below). Today, Monday, January 13, I went back to take some pictures of the finished building. I was planning to post an update about it on LinkedIn—at least that’s what I told my colleague. And then… this happened.
As a Greek, I’ve experienced many earthquakes since I was a child. In Greece, it’s almost an annual event. As an earthquake engineer, I’ve spent my career studying them and mainly their effects on structures. But today, in Japan, I felt an earthquake that was entirely different from anything I’ve experienced before.
I was having dinner with a colleague, who is also a professor in earthquake engineering in Japan. We were talking when our phones started buzzing and the warning came! It said a strong earthquake was about to happen (screenshot below). In Japan, these early warning systems are common, and even a few seconds of notice can make a difference. We had around 20 seconds to process what was happening and prepare ourselves mentally. Nobody moved.
When the shaking started, it felt very different from what I was used to in Greece. The movement was horizontal, not like a pendulum that swings back and forth, and it felt smooth, very smooth. It was clear that the building we were in has base isolators, which allow the structure to move with the ground rather than resisting it. Because of this, nothing in the room fell over. It was a very controlled experience for 6.9R, unlike the shaking I’ve felt in reinforced concrete buildings, where you hear the sound of concrete cracking.
Another difference was the psychological aspect. I knew that Japanese buildings are designed to withstand strong earthquakes, I work here too after all, and that gave me a sense of security. My friend, who has experienced many earthquakes in Japan, remained completely calm. In fact, he smiled just before the hit!
The entire experience was remarkable for how controlled it felt. There was no sense of panic, no visible damage whatsoever. This wasn’t just because of the technology, like base isolators, but also because of how well-prepared and resilient the systems and people in Japan are when it comes to earthquakes.
This earthquake was a reminder of how much can be achieved with the right preparation and engineering.
I hope this short story from someone who is familiar with earthquakes and designs seismic-resistant structures gives you a new perspective on how to approach earthquake resilience.
*Note the time we received the warning (21:19) and the time of issuance from Japan Metereological Agency (21:38). The conclusions are yours...
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kdtsavda ... er_desktop
