Extensive soil liquefaction was observed during the 1995 Kobe earthquake, creating damage to port and harbour facilities in Port Kobe. Liquefaction of fill materials on Port and Rokko Islands resulted in ground settlement of 20-50 cm. Lateral spreads caused many concrete caisson quay walls in the port to displace as much as 5 m seaward and subside 1-2 m. Some piles under warehouses near quay walls were found to be broken under the loads imposed by surrounding ground movements. On Port and Rokko Islands, the improved ground sites using the vibro-compaction method or the sand compaction piles method sustained less deformation and damage than did the adjacent ground. The fill materials used for Port and Rokko Islands consist of a wide range of soils, from gravel to silt. The comparison of the compiled laboratory data of liquefaction resistance of the fill to the estimated induced stresses by the earthquake indicates that the fill was likely to liquefy early in the earthquake. (A) (This paper was presented at the Colloquium held in December 1995 at the Institution of Civil Engineers, entitled 'Permanent soil deformations after earthquakes - implications for design', IRRD 895793).