Topics

Towards rapid support activities by regional
construction contractors when a giant
earthquake has occurred

MATSUDA Naoko, Senior Researcher
TAKEYA Shuichi, Head (Dr. Eng.)
Construction Economics Division, Research Center for Land and Construction Management(Key words) Great East Japan Earthquake, regional construction contractors, disaster response management
1. Introduction
Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake
occurred, regional construction contractors quickly
began activities to support the restoration ofinfrastructure functions, which was linked tolarge-scale rescue and live-saving activities. TheNILIM conducted a questionnaire survey concerning
the actual state of support activities by regional
construction contractors in cooperation with Tohoku
Regional Development Bureau and Tohoku
Federation of Construction Contractors Associations,
receiving responses from 806 companies. From thesurvey results, many facts about future disastermanagement were learned. This report introduces theresults of an analysis of factors behind the rapid
support activities.
2. Resources contributing to the support activities
The Figure shows the results of aggregating
resources used for rapid support activities by Aomori,
Akita and Yamagata Prefectures where the damage
was relatively light and by the interior regions andcoastal regions of the three prefectures where thedamage was large (Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima
Prefectures). In all regions, “Personnel” showed ahigh percentage. In the coastal regions of the threedamaged prefectures, “Construction machinery”
showed over 80% . In the interiors of the threedamaged prefectures, “Construction materials”
showed a relatively high percentage. It can beconcluded that in order to conduct rapid support
activities immediately after an earthquake, it isnecessary to provide construction machinery andconstruction materials in addition to personnel.
3. Methods of securing resources
An analysis was done to clarify how to secure thepersonnel, construction machinery and construction
materials required for rapid support activities, by
Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata Prefectures and by theinterior regions and coastline regions of the threedamaged prefectures. The results for personnel(operators) are introduced below.

Figure. Resources Used for Rapid Support Activities
0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Aomori, Akita, Yamagata
青森・秋田・山形Pref.

The
3 damaged prefectures:
被災3県（岩手・宮城・福島）
interior regions
内陸部(Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima)The
3 damaged prefectures:
被災3県（岩手・宮城・福島）
coastal regions
沿岸部(Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima)

人材の活用
Useof personnel
Useof construction materials
建設資材の活用

建設機械の活用
Useof construction machinery
Useof disaster response use materials
災害対応用物資の活用

Othersその他

In all regions, to obtain sufficient operators, they
secured most from among their own employees
followed by employees from cooperating companies
inside the prefecture. In addition, on the coastlines of
the three damaged prefectures, many operators werecontributed by cooperating companies outside theprefecture. This was conspicuous on the coastlines ofIwate Prefecture and Miyagi Prefectures in particular.
Similar results were obtained concerning resources
other than operators. In severely damaged regions,where insufficient resources were secured bycooperating companies inside and outside theprefecture, permitting rapid support activities.
4. Conclusions
We wish to carry out research to find out how tosmoothly secure resources needed for support
activities from cooperating companies and leasing
companies etc and in which regions to make priority
investments in order to prepare for great earthquakes.
[Sources]
TECHNICAL NOTE of NILIM No. 729
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bcg/siryou/tnn/tnn0729.ht
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