40% of privately-owned buildings that survived Hiroshima A-bombing have defects
Aug. 2, 2016
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
According to a survey conducted by the City of Hiroshima, about 40 percent of the privately-owned buildings that survived the atomic bombing have defects, such as corrosion on the roofs. The survey of these buildings registered by the city also highlights the large concern of the costs involved in repairing such structures as they grow older. This is the first major survey of privately-owned buildings that survived the atomic bombing.
Within a five-kilometer radius of the hypocenter are 87 buildings registered as “A-bombed buildings” by the city government, of which 66 are privately owned. The city government sent a questionnaire to the owners of these buildings in January, and the owners of 54 buildings responded by the end of May. Of these 54 structures, 47 are wooden buildings and seven are made of reinforced concrete or other materials.
The owners of 23 structures (42.6%) said their buildings have defects. As to the locations of these defects, 13 cited the roof, 10 the floor, and nine the walls. Regarding the cause, 17 attributed the problem to corrosion, 10 to defective roof tiles and other flaws, and eight to a tilt in the buildings themselves. The respondents were able to select more than one answer to each question. Almost half of the respondents are worried that their buildings might collapse in the future or that the roofs may leak.
About the challenges faced in preserving these buildings, the owners of 35 structures (64.8%) mentioned the costs involved in making repairs. As to whether or not they will preserve their buildings, 44 (81.5%) said that they will seek to preserve them while two (3.7%) said they might tear down their buildings in the future because of the difficulties involved in maintaining them.
The city has implemented a program to subsidize the costs of repairs, with owners receiving full reimbursement for costs within a limit of 30 million yen for a wooden structure and 80 million yen for a non-wooden structure such as a building made of reinforced concrete. The city government undertook this survey in order to clarify issues involved in making use of the subsidy program and gain a better understanding of the actual conditions surrounding these buildings. The city’s Peace Promotion Division commented that they will use the results of the survey to look into the subsidy program and consider new support measures so that the program will be utilized more effectively.
(Originally published on August 2, 2016)
According to a survey conducted by the City of Hiroshima, about 40 percent of the privately-owned buildings that survived the atomic bombing have defects, such as corrosion on the roofs. The survey of these buildings registered by the city also highlights the large concern of the costs involved in repairing such structures as they grow older. This is the first major survey of privately-owned buildings that survived the atomic bombing.
Within a five-kilometer radius of the hypocenter are 87 buildings registered as “A-bombed buildings” by the city government, of which 66 are privately owned. The city government sent a questionnaire to the owners of these buildings in January, and the owners of 54 buildings responded by the end of May. Of these 54 structures, 47 are wooden buildings and seven are made of reinforced concrete or other materials.
The owners of 23 structures (42.6%) said their buildings have defects. As to the locations of these defects, 13 cited the roof, 10 the floor, and nine the walls. Regarding the cause, 17 attributed the problem to corrosion, 10 to defective roof tiles and other flaws, and eight to a tilt in the buildings themselves. The respondents were able to select more than one answer to each question. Almost half of the respondents are worried that their buildings might collapse in the future or that the roofs may leak.
About the challenges faced in preserving these buildings, the owners of 35 structures (64.8%) mentioned the costs involved in making repairs. As to whether or not they will preserve their buildings, 44 (81.5%) said that they will seek to preserve them while two (3.7%) said they might tear down their buildings in the future because of the difficulties involved in maintaining them.
The city has implemented a program to subsidize the costs of repairs, with owners receiving full reimbursement for costs within a limit of 30 million yen for a wooden structure and 80 million yen for a non-wooden structure such as a building made of reinforced concrete. The city government undertook this survey in order to clarify issues involved in making use of the subsidy program and gain a better understanding of the actual conditions surrounding these buildings. The city’s Peace Promotion Division commented that they will use the results of the survey to look into the subsidy program and consider new support measures so that the program will be utilized more effectively.
(Originally published on August 2, 2016)
