RAPID: Workshops to Facilitate Engineering Research Related to 2011 Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake and Tsunami

2011年3月9日发生的日本东北关东大地震和随后发生的海啸，虽然不幸造成了毁灭性的破坏，但却是非常独特的事件，具有无与伦比的科学和工程意义。这次地震对建筑环境造成了广泛的破坏，但也有一些建筑物在强烈的震动中幸存下来。 显然，日本研究人员已经收集了一些关于受损和未受损结构的信息，并愿意与美国同行分享这些信息。 通过进一步深入分析这些信息，可以了解这些结构失效和幸存的原因，目的是防止在未来的事件中发生这种情况。 该项目将支持一组研究人员前往日本，使他们能够与日本工程师和研究人员会面，收集有关地震和海啸造成的损失的数据和信息，以便与美国研究人员分享。该团队将与日本研究人员举行研讨会和会议，以收集有关研究兴趣数据的信息，并通过网络广播研讨会，Webex类型的研讨会和会议将这些信息传播给美国更广泛的研究界。预计这将导致美国和日本研究人员之间的未来国际研究合作，对强震期间建筑环境的性能进行深入的科学调查，最终目标是减轻此类特大事件和灾害的影响。

The Tohoku-Kanto earthquake of March 9, 2011 and the tsunami that followed it, though unfortunately devastating, are very unique events of unparalleled scientific and engineering interest. This earthquake has caused extensive damage to built environment, yet there are examples of structures that have survived the strong shaking. Apparently, Japanese researchers have already collected some information about the damaged and undamaged structures and are willing to share this information with their US counterparts. Much can be learnt from further in-depth analysis of this information to understand the causes of failures and survivals of these structures with the objective of preventing this from happening in future events. This project will support the travel to Japan of a team of researchers to enable them to meet with Japanese engineers and researchers to gather data and information about the damage caused by this earthquake and tsunami that can be shared with US researchers. The team will hold workshops and meetings with Japanese researchers to gather information about what data of research interest is available, and disseminate this information to the wider research community in the US through webcast seminars, Webex-type workshops, and meetings. This is expected to lead to future international research collaborations between the US and Japanese researchers for in-depth scientific investigations about the performance of the built environment during strong earthquakes, with the final objective of mitigating the impact of such mega-events and disasters.