Originally published on Apr 1, 2024
Keiju General Hospital: A Miracle of Seismic Isolation
Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Keiju General Hospital in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, demonstrated a "miracle of Noto" by fully operating its seismic isolation structure, providing robust support for local medical services. The hospital's main building, equipped with a seismic isolation structure, successfully avoided damage.
Keiju General Hospital is one of the few large private hospitals on the Noto Peninsula, located along the Nanao Bay coastline. Despite the significant damage to over ten thousand homes and 134 non-residential buildings in Nanao City, the hospital's main building remained virtually undamaged.
The hospital's chairman, Kazuo Jinnai, stated that the building sustained no damage and did not experience power outages. Although the city faced severe water shortages, the hospital's main building was able to use filtered well water for emergency treatments, toilets, and drinking water.
In summary, Keiju General Hospital's seismic isolation structure demonstrated remarkable effectiveness following the earthquake, successfully protecting the building's structure and ensuring the continuous operation of medical services, highlighting the importance and efficacy of seismic isolation buildings.
Building Overview
Location: 89-1 Sakura-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and other locations
Site Area: 8,077.20 square meters
Building Area: 3,699.58 square meters
Total Floor Area: 16,044.47 square meters
Structure: Reinforced concrete, 7 floors above ground
Maximum Height: 31.00 meters
Eaves Height: 30.40 meters
Construction Period: March 2012 to October 2013 (19 months)
Purpose: General hospital
Architect and Supervision: Mitsubishi Corporation
Design Supervision: Joint venture of Ito Kizaburo Architectural Institute and Takenaka Corporation
Construction: Takenaka Corporation
The new hospital serves as a crucial hub for regional medical activities, especially during large-scale disasters. The building features a base isolation structure to ensure functionality and quick recovery in the event of an earthquake. Located in a port area, the first floor was designed higher than the expected tsunami height, and the seismic isolation layer uses laminated rubber bearings. To address concerns about ground liquefaction, grid-like ground improvements were made to support the building's shallow foundation.
Comments