Towards improving provision of wooden temporary housing: Analysis of repairs of temporary housing built by local contractors after the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

Japan has well-established legal frameworks, policies, and precedents to support housing reconstruction. Although the standard process for providing temporary housing is through the prefabricated builders association, after the devastating 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and tsunami the need for temporary housing exceeded the capacity of the prefabricated builders association members. In Fukushima Prefecture, 6639 out of 17,143 total temporary housing units were built by local contractors, thereby also playing a significant role in the local economy and regional redevelopment. Superior in heat insulation performance and comfort compared to prefabricated temporary housing, livability of wooden temporary housing was highly evaluated. However, as survivors needed to live in temporary housing for much longer than the design period of 2 years, the housing units deteriorated and needed repairs. To identify issues with design and construction, this research analyzed the types, number, and factors of repairs of wooden temporary housing in Fukushima after the GEJE between 2012 and 2017. Facing the reality of longer term occupancy and exposure to the elements, wooden temporary housing was vulnerable to failures caused by rain and leakage, low quality fittings, and compromised foundations. By understanding which parts of the buildings did not hold up over several years of inhabitation, design and construction can be improved in future construction of wooden temporary housing, by increasing the construction specifications, including requiring the use of high-quality and reliable products. With these improvements, wooden temporary housing can support not only disaster survivors, but also regional and local economies and sustainable timber building culture.