According to the Japan Meteorological its epicentre was in 34.6 north and 135.0 east in the northern tip of Awaji Island with a focal depth of 14 km. According to the results of the recorded in 24 observation centre, the fracture which triggered the earthquake was happened inside the Nojima Fault. Also investigation in the sea bed by the Ocean observatory Centre shows that the cracks occurred in Nojima Fault. This fault forms a part of a group of faults known as the "Rokko Fault', which extends from Awaji Island through Kobe City to the foot of Mount Rokko. The movement of the fault can be explained by the Tectonic characteristic of west Japan. The main reason for the big earthquakes in west part of Japan are the tectonic activities of the Eurasian, the Pacific, the North America and the Philippine plates. The collision between these plates in

the central part of Honshu (Japan main island) is the main source of strain accumulation in the crust of western part of Japan.

The Kobe earthquake exposed more modern and engineered buildings to stronger forces than any previous earthquake. The preliminary report indicates more studies are needed to evaluate seismic codes, design practice and construction methods; and to make improvements based on the studies. The failure of transportation structures produced dramatic and frightening images flashed across the world following the quake. Perhaps the most memorable image was a bridge on the Hanshin expressway which "rolled over." Most of the damage to bridges occurred to older structures designed before modern earthquake engineering. The damage was typically column shear and structures that broke instead of bending. Other more modern structures suffered extensive damage due to liquefiable soils along the bay. The Akashi Suspension Bridge bore the brunt of the earthquake with essentially no damage -- an example of how engineering can prevent damage during earthquakes. Rail facilities were hard hit -- and more casualties and fatalities would have resulted if the quake had occurred during commute times. Railway structures failed because of shear failures in support structures, inadequate restraint between spans at critical joints, and large ground movements causing spans to fall off supports; also many cars rolled because of the ground movement. The Port of Kobe suffered extensive damage, mainly due to liquefaction. Modern design criteria are more stringent and liquefiable soils can now be ident

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