The Fujinuma Dam in southern Fukushima Prefecture failed during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The 18.5 meter embankment dam had a weak foundation and was not heavily compacted, resulting in a slope stability failure during the strong seismic shaking. This caused a breach that allowed the reservoir to overtop and completely destroy the main dam. The failure of the main dam then caused a rapid drawdown failure of the auxiliary dam due to loss of hydraulic pressure. Rehabilitation proposals include adding downstream berms, increasing the dam height, replacing soil, and reinforcing with geogrid.
The Fujinuma Dam in southern Fukushima Prefecture failed during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The 18.5 meter embankment dam had a weak foundation and was not heavily compacted, resulting in a slope stability failure during the strong seismic shaking. This caused a breach that allowed the reservoir to overtop and completely destroy the main dam. The failure of the main dam then caused a rapid drawdown failure of the auxiliary dam due to loss of hydraulic pressure. Rehabilitation proposals include adding downstream berms, increasing the dam height, replacing soil, and reinforcing with geogrid.
The Fujinuma Dam in southern Fukushima Prefecture failed during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The 18.5 meter embankment dam had a weak foundation and was not heavily compacted, resulting in a slope stability failure during the strong seismic shaking. This caused a breach that allowed the reservoir to overtop and completely destroy the main dam. The failure of the main dam then caused a rapid drawdown failure of the auxiliary dam due to loss of hydraulic pressure. Rehabilitation proposals include adding downstream berms, increasing the dam height, replacing soil, and reinforcing with geogrid.
miles HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS Type of Dam: Embankment Dam CAUSES OF FAILURE Location: Southern Fukushima Prefecture Breach resulting from a slope stability Maximum Height: 18.5 meters failure. Reservoir Capacity: 1.5 million cubic meters a) Weak foundation Also called: Fujinuma-ike b) Non-homogeneous fill Construction Began: 1937 c) Not heavily compacted Construction Completed: 1949 d) Very strong seismic shaking Two embankment dams retaining the e) High reservoir water level reservoir: f) Occurred soon after the 18.5 m-High Main Dam earthquake Crest Length: 133.0 meters Crest Width: 6.0 meters ANALYSIS OF TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE EFFECT 6.0 m-High Auxiliary Dam TO THE FUJINUMA DAM Date of Failure: March 11, 2011 Failure in Main dam “There are no currently no drawings available - Earthquake force pushed the toe of writings to detail the design and construction of the dam that forced the soil in the embankment the dam.” dam to topple. Thus, allowing the water to overtop the dam. The failure in overtopping TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE further destroyed the main dam completely. Magnitude: 9.0-9.1 in Richter’s Scale When: March 11,2011 14:46 (JST) Failure in Saddle dam Epicenter: 70 kilometres (43 mi) East of - The failure in the main dam caused the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku the water in the reservoir to quickly decrease, leaving the hydraulic pressure within the soil of the saddle dam. This failure is called Rapid Tohoku Tsunami Drawdown. • Occurred 200km off the coast and took 10-15 minutes to reach the shore POSSIBLE REHABILITATION METHODS • Tsunami reached North and South Proposed Methods: American and stretched all the way a) Adding downstream berms From Alaska to Chile b) Increasing freeboard • Triggered warnings in over 50 c) Enlarging a dam countries d) Replacing improper soil • Highest waves were recorded at e) Enhancing drainage system 38.9 meters f) Reinforcing with Geogrid