Older Construction No Match for Extreme Weather|專家:颱風引起暴潮 關西機場淹水主因

Japan's Kansai International Airport is located on an artificial island just 5 meters above sea level. In the past, it was regarded as a victory for man over nature. After the airport was shut down by Typhoon Jebi, scholars said the way the airport was constructed left it sinking and even though the airport has an elevated design, it will be hard for it to withstand extreme weather.


The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years forced the closure of Kansai International Airport, which is located just 5 meters above sea level on an artificial island. Japan rarely sees typhoons of Jebi's strength and flooding was caused by a combination of strong winds and tides.
Typhoons are like pipes in that they exert a pull of up to several meters on the surface of the water. This combined with wind force results in a storm surge.

Construction on the artificial island, which measures 4 kilometers long and 2.5 kilometers wide, began in 1987. Experts say subsidence began almost immediately and the airport was continuously elevated to prevent flooding. The airport has sunk almost 8 meters to date, compared to initial estimates of 5.7 meters.

Uncertain variables in construction are very scary. There is no such thing as 100 percent certainty in construction design and there are risks that simply can't be predicted. Sometimes, there's nothing you can do.

The airport had to be built this way due to the area's dense population and lack of available land. Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport are both also situated less than 10 meters above sea level. Singapore previously announced all new terminals would be elevated.

In order to reduce risk, you have to be more conservative. However, being more conservative means you have to spend much more money.

Experts say the damage to Kansai highlights the fact that decades-old construction is no match for the challenges posed by extreme weather. Although backflow is not a concern for Taiwan's airports, flooding put Taoyuan International Airport out of commission for over 10 hours after a spell of torrential rain two years ago. In short, more investment is clearly needed in weather-resistant construction technology.