Liquefaction - induced ground deformations during the 1923 Kanto earthquake

ABSTRACT

Three case histories of liquefaction-induced ground displacement generated by the 1923 Kanto earthquake are reviewed herein. By re-examining already published damage reports and interviewing local residents, sites of liquefaction-induced ground failure and displacement were identified. The general character and regional extent of these displacement patterns and failures are described, and geomorphological and geotecnical data from displacement sites are examined. Liquefield layers were evaluated by comparing the color and grain size of the vented materials and soil samples taken from bore holes made at each displacement site, and on analytical methods for assessing susceptibility to liquefaction as employed in the Japanese Highway Bridge Code.