Building damage during the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

This paper describes the building damage incurred during the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake in relation to ground motion characteristics. First, with regard to the long-duration ground motion, the damage of a base-isolation building is described. The damage to the 8–9-story buildings in the Aobayama campus of Tohoku University, in a hilly zone, is also described in relation to site-specific ground motion amplification. As specific building damage, pile foundation damage is described. The ceiling board drop damage is also presented as an example of non-structural element damage. Finally, the lessons learnt from the earthquake in terms of building damage are summarized.