ABSTRACT
Most earthquakes are followed by post-earthquake events, e.g. liquefaction, aftershocks, landslides, etc., and the damage from these events may even be worse than that from the earthquake itself. Among these, postearthquake fire (PEF) is considered one of the most destructive earthquakebased events to be widely experienced in urbanized regions. The scale of PEFs has rarely been vast and they have often occurred as scattered fires, but they have sometimes been of catastrophic proportions. Recorded information has proven that damage from PEF has, on occasion, been four times that from the earthquake itself. PEF can cause damage not just to buildings, but also to the environment, society, economy, and industry. While investigation of these forms of damage in urban regions deserves attention, this book places more emphasis on the damage to buildings. The damage from PEF to building structures is two-fold: the damage due to the burning of combustible materials, which possess substantial value; and the damage caused by excessive structural load on the structural members.
