Immediately after the Tohoku Area Pacific Offshore Earthquake struck—around 14:46 on March 11—Shimizu
Corporation established an Earthquake Disaster Headquarters (EHD) at its Tokyo head office, and has since conducted
restoration and support activities, which include transport of emergency relief supplies and materials, evaluative
investigations of damaged buildings and civil structures, and emergency and restorative measures, working together
with Emergency Task Forces (ETFs) established at the Tohoku and Kanto branch offices which are located in the affected
areas.
The Earthquake Restoration & Support Office was newly established on April 1 to provide full support for restoration
work in the affected areas via a newly created nationwide support system.
We remain committed to focusing in every possible way on restoration of damaged buildings and
civil structures, and reconstruction in the areas affected by the disaster.
Our main response for restoration and support to date is described below:
(1) Framework of the organization
1) Initial response
- Directly after the earthquake struck, based on its “Guideline for Earthquake Disaster Countermeasures,” Shimizu
established an Earthquake Disaster Headquarters (EDH) (Incident Commander: Yoichi Miyamoto, President of Shimizu
Corporation) on the 22nd floor of the Tokyo head office, and Emergency Task Forces (ETFs) at branch offices throughout
the country. Following establishment of a teleconferencing system at 16:30, communication between EDH and ETFs was
initiated, and instructions were issued to EFTs nationwide by the President via teleconferencing.
Earthquake Disaster Headquarters (EDH)
Emergency Task Force at the Tokyo head office in teleconference.
2) Activities up to March 31
- In the early morning of March 12, EDH and ETFs at the Tokyo head office (including the Building Task Force, Civil
Engineering Task Force, and Administration Task Force) were moved to the Cafeteria on the 3rd floor, and we, a group
of over 300-strong, started preparations to provide full support to the Tohoku and Kanto branch offices. We hold
teleconferences regularly in order to share information among EDH and ETFs.
3) From April 1
- Shimizu decided to establish the Earthquake Restoration & Support Office (Director: Hiroshi Tojo, Senior Managing
Officer), which is to be directly supervised by the President, to provide full support for restoration work in the
affected areas.
The activities of the Tohoku and Kanto branch offices will be facilitated in close coordination
with professional teams from the Building, Design, Mechanical & Electrical, Civil Engineering, Production Technology,
Procurement, Marketing & Sales Promotion, and General Affairs divisions which were formed under the Earthquake
Restoration & Support Office.
(2) Assessment of damage at company-related facilities
- We confirmed the absence of major damage and the capability of continuous use of the Tokyo head office, branch
offices, and other offices across the country on March 11. Restoration of minor damage at the Tohoku and Kanto branch
offices has already been completed.
(3) Inspections to determine damage at our construction sites
- We checked on damage at all our construction sites in Tohoku, Kanto-Koshin, Hokuriku and in the Tokyo metropolitan
area and confirmed the presence of minor damage and the absence of major damage. Of the construction sites in the
Tohoku and North Kanto areas, construction has resumed where possible after being temporarily halted to provide safety
measures against earthquake aftershocks.
(4) Dispatch of personnel to evaluate situation and assess restorative measures
- Since the expedited dispatch of a team of 10 professional structure and equipment engineers to the affected areas
on March 12, approximately 300 specialists had been dispatched to the affected areas (the Tohoku and North Kanto
areas) by March 30, mainly in order to support evaluative investigations of damaged buildings and civil structures.
As of April 5, this number was 72, including 23 restoration work supervisors.
- A motor coach service runs three times a week between the Tokyo head office and the Tohoku branch office to flexibly
assign and smoothly transfer personnel for restoration work in the Tohoku area, which is now in full swing.
(5) Transport of emergency relief supplies and materials
- Since the first fleet of trucks carrying emergency relief supplies departed for Sendai from the Niigata office
at 23:30 on March 11—the day the earthquake struck the area—emergency relief supplies and materials for
restoration work have been continuously transported by shuttle from the Tokyo head office and the Niigata office
to the Tohoku and North Kanto areas. Materials were transported in earnest starting around March 20, and a total
of approximately 400 truckloads of relief supplies and materials had been dispatched by March 31.
- Shimizu has been providing supplies, including emergency food, potable water, and commodities, to evacuation centers
and medical organizations designated by municipality. Approximately 16,000 packaged meals had been dispatched and
170 portable toilets provided by March 31.
Loading emergency relief supplies from the Tohoku branch office destined for evacuation centers
and medical organizations
Loading emergency relief supplies for the Tohoku area
(6) Evaluative investigations of damaged buildings and civil structures
1) Primary evaluative investigations
- By March 31, Shimizu had carried out approximately 5,400 primary evaluative investigations, mainly for our clients.
| Tohoku area |
: approximately 700 |
| Kanto-Koshin area |
: approximately 1,100 |
| Tokyo Metropolitan area |
: approximately 3,600 |
2) econdary evaluative investigations (pre-survey for restoration work)
- Shimizu conducted secondary evaluative investigations for restoration work based on the results of primary evaluative
investigations, when necessary. We had carried out approximately 800 evaluative investigations by March 31, and sequentially
reviewed the disaster recovery plans.
Specialists conducting secondary evaluative investigations in the Tohoku area
Reviewing the disaster recovery plans based on the secondary evaluative investigations
(7) Emergency measures and restoration work
1) Emergency measures
- After implementation of primary evaluative investigations, we provided safety measures against possible secondary
damage, dismantled any damaged portions, and carried out emergency measures on damaged buildings to enable temporary
use. Emergency measures have been completed for nearly all the buildings and civil structures for which primary evaluative
investigations were carried out.
2) Restoration work
- To date, 70 extensive restoration projects (with construction periods of more than one month) have been ordered
by our clients mainly in the inland areas of the Tohoku and North Kanto areas, for which we have started construction
following studies for disaster recovery plans.
(8) Strengthening of electricity-saving against power shortages
- As electricity supply became tight following the earthquake, we strengthened electricity-saving at the Tokyo head
office, branch offices, and offices nationwide. By various means, including suspension of heating/cooling and escalators,
and partial stoppage of elevators and lighting, we have reduced electricity use by up to approximately 55% at the
Tokyo head office compared to before.