Tsunami shelter

Abstract

To provide a tsunami shelter that requires little time or effort to construct, including the cost of the structure, and that can protect human lives with a high probability from the time a tsunami strikes until a predetermined time has elapsed. [Solution] The shelter comprises a main body 2 that is sealed at least at the upper part and secures a living space S inside, and an outer wall 3 that surrounds the main body 2 and interferes with the mechanical effects on the main body 2 caused by water force and flowing objects generated by a tsunami, the outer wall 3 is supported by the ground, and the floor 4 inside the living space S is supported by the outer wall 3 or the ground that supports the outer wall 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tsunami shelter that can be evacuated during the occurrence of a tsunami.

Background Art

[0002] Tsunamis caused by major earthquakes or the like rush towards land at a terrifying speed and may cause buildings such as houses to collapse. In order to escape from such a tsunami, it is necessary to evacuate to a place higher than the tsunami arrival point. However, it is difficult to evacuate alone in places without high ground nearby, or for children, the elderly, and the disabled. In addition, evacuation facilities are generally provided in remote locations. Considering the speed of the above-mentioned tsunami, not only the elderly and those with difficulty walking, but also healthy people and evacuation guides are likely to be left behind. Therefore, it cannot be said to be sufficient as a measure to suppress human casualties during a tsunami.

[0003] In response to such problems, shelters that can be installed near residences have been developed for the purpose of securing an evacuation place that can be evacuated in a short time close to the living environment of residents (see Patent Document 1). The shelter described in Patent Document 1 is composed of an airtight outer shell having a living space inside. An opening that allows people to enter and exit is provided on the front side of the side portion of the outer shell, and the living space is provided at a position above the upper end of the opening.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A shelter like the one described in Patent Document 1 prevents the water level from rising above the top edge of the opening, preventing air from escaping the shelter and thus preventing water from entering the living space, thus enabling survival for a predetermined period of time. However, the shelter itself, including the part that secures the air, needs to be durable against the water pressure of a tsunami and the sediment washed away by the tsunami, which presents problems such as the time and effort required for construction, including the cost of the integrated structure. As a solution, a tsunami shelter that floats with the tsunami using a sealed boat has been developed, but it is inferior in terms of comfort and has been criticized for not ensuring safety.

[0006] This invention was made in response to these problems, and aims to provide a tsunami shelter that does not require much time or effort to construct, including the cost of the structure, can protect human lives with a high probability from the time of the tsunami until a predetermined time has elapsed, and is also highly comfortable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the tsunami shelter of the present invention is: The shelter comprises a main body that is sealed at least at its upper level to secure a living space inside, and an outer wall that surrounds the main body to interfere with the mechanical effects on the main body caused by water and flowing objects generated by a tsunami, The exterior wall is supported by the ground or the like, and the floor within the living space is supported by the exterior wall or the ground or the like that supporting the exterior wall. According to these features, the shelter itself will not lose air during a tsunami, ensuring that the living space remains intact, and the outer walls, supported by the ground, will effectively protect the shelter from the pressure of the tsunami and the impact of debris and other flowing objects carried by the tsunami. Furthermore, vibrations from the shelter itself under the influence of a tsunami will not be directly transmitted to evacuees, allowing them to stay safely and comfortably within the living space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a tsunami shelter in Example 1. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the assembly procedure for the exterior wall section. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is an illustrative diagram showing a tsunami shelter being exposed to a tsunami. [Figure 5] This is an illustrative image showing a situation where the water level around a tsunami shelter has dropped and sediment has accumulated around it. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a tsunami shelter in Example 2. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the cover used in the tsunami shelter in Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments for implementing the tsunami shelter according to the present invention will be described below based on examples. [Examples]

[0010] The tsunami shelter according to Example 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Reference numeral 1 in Figure 1 denotes the tsunami shelter to which the present invention is applied (hereinafter referred to as the shelter). The shelter 1 is an evacuation shelter mainly placed near a residence (not shown) built along the coast, and is mainly composed of a shelter body 2 and an outer wall 3 that supports the shelter body 2.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the shelter body 2 is made of plastic, and to provide a sense of security to people and animals inside the living space S, it is preferable to use light-transmitting plastic for at least the upper surface. It is mainly integrally formed from fiber-reinforced plastic, with the upper end forming a dome-shaped, roughly bell-like shape, and forming a roughly circular shape in plan view. The bottom of the shelter body 2 is open, and the floorboard 4, which constitutes the floor area where evacuees in the living space temporarily wait, is supported by support fittings AA extending from the outer wall 3 or the ground supporting the outer wall 3, which will be described later. The living space S extends above the floorboard 4. Note that the shelter body 2 does not have to be dome-shaped, roughly bell-like at the top; the entire structure may be cylindrical, i.e., shaped like an inverted bucket. By making the shelter body 2 out of plastic in this way, if people cannot easily get out of the shelter body 2's exit after a tsunami, they can be rescued by cutting the plastic. Although the shelter body 2 is made of plastic, any material weaker than the outer wall 3 (metal, concrete, thick plastic, etc.) will be easier to break during rescue, thus facilitating rescue.

[0012] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the floorboard 4 has a cylindrical section 5 extending from its perimeter below the peripheral wall section 7 of the shelter body 2, and the hollow space of the cylindrical section 5 is in communication with the living space S. A notch 4a is formed in the floorboard 4, and this notch 4a of the floorboard 4 and the opening at the lower end of the cylindrical section 5 form the entrance 6 to the living space S. The living space S of the shelter body 2 is airtight, with no ventilation openings above except for this entrance 6 and the gap between the opening at the lower end of the cylindrical section 5 and the floorboard 4. In addition, it is possible to easily enter the living space S by placing a ladder or the like over the entrance 6 as needed.

[0013] The floorboard 4 is positioned at least above the lower end 7a of the surrounding wall portion 7, and the shelter body 2 has a raised floor structure with space below the floorboard 4. The lower passage 8 is formed as a space that is below the floorboard 4 that constitutes the floor and is open downwards to the vicinity of the lower end 7a of the surrounding wall portion 7.

[0014] A protruding ridge (protrusion) 9 is formed in the vertical center of the peripheral wall 7. The protruding ridge 9 has a longitudinal side along the circumferential direction, although it is not shown here. Also, a projection 11 is formed in the vertical center of the peripheral wall 7, spaced apart from the protruding ridge 9 in the circumferential direction and projecting outward. The functions of this protruding ridge (protrusion) 9 and projection 11 are used as stoppers for the shelter body 2 when installing the shelter body 2 after the outer wall section has been constructed. Although not shown, these are not used when first placing the lower end 7a of the peripheral wall 7 of the shelter body 2 on a base plate 34 or the like, which is made of concrete, and then constructing the outer wall section 3 to surround the shelter body 2 with the divided retaining wall structure 333.

[0015] The upper end of the shelter body 2 is provided with a handle-shaped suspension support 12. A crane hook of a crane, etc., described later, can be attached to the suspension support 12.

[0016] The outer wall section 3 is mainly constructed as a combination of concrete segmented sections 333, but reinforcing bars and reinforcing plastics may be used to reinforce its strength. Thus, the outer wall section 3 consists of multiple segmented sections 333, which are combined to form a ring shape and create an upper opening 3a. Each segmented section 333 has an upright section 13 and a base section 14 that extends outward from the lower end of the upright section 13. In addition, at least one of the segmented sections 333 has a communication opening 16 formed in a part of the upright section 13, and a passage 3A extending upward along the outer wall section 3 is provided. This passage 3A is covered with a cover 3B, and a ladder 3C extending upward is provided inside the cover 3B. The inner edge shape formed by the upright section 13 is substantially the same as the outer edge shape of the peripheral wall section 7 of the shelter body 2, and is formed to be slightly larger than the peripheral wall section 7 of the shelter body 2. In other words, the shelter body 2 is loosely fitted inside the upright portion 13 of the outer wall portion 3. In this embodiment, the passage 3A is covered by the cover 3B, but the passage 3A may also be formed by creating a recess or protrusion in the vertical direction between the shelter body 2 and the outer wall portion 3, as long as the passage 3A is not blocked or damaged by rubble.

[0017] Further, on the upright portion 13 of the divided body 333 of the outer wall portion 3, a locking portion 18 is formed on a part of the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface, spaced apart from the rib portion 9 in the circumferential direction. The locking portion 18 is composed of a pair of guide portions 18a, 18a that extend parallel to each other in the vertical direction of the inner circumferential surface. The guide portions 18a, 18a are slightly larger than the circumferential dimension of the protruding portion 11 formed on the circumferential wall portion 7 of the shelter body 2 and are spaced apart from each other. By arranging the protruding portion 11 between the guide portions 18a, 18a, the relative phase between the shelter body 2 and the outer wall portion 3 is positioned. The protruding portion 11 and the locking portion 18 function as rotation restricting means for the shelter body 2 and the outer wall portion 3. In addition, when the shelter body 2 is not circular in plan view, or when the shelter body 2 and the outer wall portion 3 have a shape that restricts rotation with each other, the protruding portion 11 and the locking portion 18 constituting this rotation restricting means may be omitted.

[0018] The approach portion 15 is connected to the communication port 16 formed in the upright portion 13 of the outer wall portion 3, facilitates the entry and exit of people, and also serves as a drainage path for water that easily accumulates on the bottom plate 34, which is a foundation body that reinforces the ground (soil, asphalt ground, existing concrete ground). In the present invention, the strong portion including the soil existing in these grounds GL is referred to as the ground or the like for explanation.

[0019] The shelter body 2 is open at the bottom, and the floor board 4 that constitutes the floor portion where the evacuees in the living room space temporarily wait is fixed to the bottom plate 34, which is a foundation body that reinforces the outer wall portion 3 or the ground (soil, asphalt ground, existing concrete ground) that supports the outer wall portion 3, and is supported by a support fitting AA that extends upward.

[0020] Both ends of the mooring member 20 are attached to the anchor hook 19 fixed to the upper end portion 13a of the upright portion 13 of the outer wall portion 3 and the suspended support portion 12 provided at the upper end portion of the shelter body 2, respectively. That is, the mooring member 20 constitutes a connecting device that connects the upper end portion 13a of the outer wall portion 3 and the upper end portion of the shelter body 2.

[0021] The mooring member 20 is configured with carabiners 20a, 20a at both ends of a chain, and the carabiners 20a, 20a can be attached to and detached from the anchor hook 19 and the suspension support 12. The mooring member 20 is attached to the anchor hook 19 at the upper end of the upright portion of the outer wall 3 and to the suspension support 12 provided at the upper end of the shelter body 2, and rescue personnel, as described later, can attach and detach the carabiners 20a, 20a from above the upright portion 13.

[0022] As described above, the structure containing the living space and the protective structure are constructed as separate entities; that is, the shelter body 2 and the outer wall section 3 are separate structures. Therefore, the construction of the shelter 1, including the cost of the structure, is quick and easy. Furthermore, because the shelter body 2 and the outer wall section 3 are separate structures, the suspension support section 12 at the upper end of the shelter body 2 can be hooked onto a crane hook or the like, allowing for vertical movement. This makes maintenance of the shelter body 2 easy, not only during construction and rescue. Moreover, by constructing the outer wall section 3 as a segmented unit 333 that can be easily attached and detached with bolts, maintenance of the outer wall section 3 is also made easy.

[0023] Next, we will explain assuming an actual tsunami strikes. Here, we will assume that the initial incoming wave reaching Shelter 1 hits it from the right side of the screen in Figure 4, and the receding wave, which returns after some time has passed since the water flowed over Shelter 1, hits Shelter 1 from the left side of the screen in Figure 4.

[0024] Users who detect the approach of a tsunami due to a tsunami warning or other means can evacuate into the living space S through the communication opening 16 formed in the upright section of the outer wall 3, the lower passage 8 beneath the shelter body 2, or the entrances 6 formed around the floorboard 4.

[0025] The incoming and outgoing waves of the tsunami that reach Shelter 1 collide with the upright section 13 of the high-strength outer wall section 3, preventing damage to the shelter body 2 installed inside the upright section 13. Furthermore, because the upright section 13 of the outer wall section 3 is circular in plan view, regardless of the direction from which the incoming waves from the sea and the outgoing waves from the mountain side collide, the water flow is divided into two directions as it flows around the upright section. This reduces the force directly acting on Shelter 1 by the incoming tsunami waves, makes it difficult for vortices to form, and makes the outer wall section 3 less likely to be swept away. As a result, the fluid resistance of the water is reduced, and the possibility of damage to the outer wall section 3 itself is low.

[0026] Furthermore, since the outer wall section 3 is enclosed by the upright section 13, that is, the space supporting the shelter body 2 is open at the bottom by the approach section 15, seawater that flows in between the shelter body 2 and the upright section 13 of the outer wall section 3 can be quickly discharged to the outside.

[0027] Furthermore, even if the shelter body 2 temporarily floats due to buoyancy when the water level rises, it remains moored without detaching from the outer wall 3 because the upper end 13a of the outer wall 3 and the upper end of the shelter body 2 are connected by the mooring member 20. Depending on the length of the mooring member 20, it is also possible to completely prevent the shelter body 2 from moving upward relative to the outer wall 3, or to temporarily stop the upward movement with sandbags. Alternatively, wire mesh may be laid on the outer wall 3 above the shelter body 2 and removed during rescue operations.

[0028] Furthermore, the protrusions 11 formed on the peripheral wall portion 7 of the shelter body 2 are positioned between guide portions formed on the inner circumferential surface of the upright portion 13 of the outer wall portion 3, thereby restricting the rotation of the shelter body 2 and the outer wall portion 3. This prevents the shelter body 2 from rotating relative to the outer wall portion 3 when a tsunami strikes, resulting in superior habitability in the living space S.

[0029] Figure 5 shows the area approximately three hours after the first wave of the tsunami had receded, with sediment carried by the tsunami accumulating around Shelter 1.

[0030] It is preferable for users to notify rescue teams of their location by sending a distress signal using a communication terminal or similar device within their living space. Upon confirming the presence of Shelter 1, the rescue team first disengages the carabiners 20a, 20a (see Figure 1) of the mooring member 20 from at least one of the anchor hook 19 and the suspension support 12. Next, they hook the crane hook CF of crane C onto the suspension support 12 at the upper end of the shelter body 2 and lift it. This allows the shelter body 2 to be moved upward away from the outer wall 3, enabling evacuees to be guided outside.

[0031] Furthermore, it is recommended that the shelter body 2 be installed inside the outer wall section 3 such that its upper end is located below the upper end 13a of the outer wall section 3. This ensures that the outer wall section 3, supported by the ground, can reliably protect the shelter body 2 from the pressure of the tsunami and the impact of debris and other flowing objects carried away by the tsunami.

[0032] In this embodiment, the outer wall section 3 is made of concrete, allowing it to withstand the pressure of tsunamis and collisions with debris, buildings, and ships swept away by tsunamis using a simple construction method. In contrast, the shelter body 2 is mainly made of plastic, allowing it to be made lightweight and reducing the external force required to lift it upwards. Because the outer wall section 3 and the shelter body 2 can be combined to form a simple structure, the shelter 1 can be quickly constructed in areas where tsunamis are a concern. In particular, plastic is easy to cut with a cutting machine, enabling rapid rescue operations. Furthermore, as mentioned above, it is also easy to maintain. [Examples]

[0033] Similar to Embodiment 1, the outer wall section 3 is fixed to the concrete foundation base plate 34 with fixing materials such as anchor bolts A to ensure its strength, and the annular outer wall section 3 is mainly composed of a combination of concrete segmented sections 333. In this embodiment, at least one of the segmented sections 333 has a communication opening 16 below the upright section 13. Alternatively, all segmented sections 333 may be the same, and the communication opening 16 may be formed between the segmented sections 333.

[0034] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a cover body 23B made of metal or a similar material that is easy to process and has high strength is installed above the communication opening 16, and is secured to the upper end of the outer wall 3 by a locking part K. Side plates 23D extend vertically above and below, surrounding the evacuation passage 23A. A ladder 23C extending upward is provided inside the cover body 23B. In this way, a passage 23A covered by the cover body 23B is formed on the outer wall 3 outside the shelter body 2, and the cover body 23B prevents the passage from being blocked by rubble or damaged, so that a person can climb up to the upper end of the outer wall 3 by using the ladder 3C provided on the outer wall 3.

[0035] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included.

[0036] The exterior wall portion of the above embodiment is not limited to being supported by a base plate made of exposed concrete poured on the ground surface or a base plate 34 made of concrete poured into the ground, but may also be supported and fixed to an existing structure such as the ground or the roof of a building with anchor bolts. Furthermore, it is possible to use the strength of the breakwater wall of the quay as the strength of the exterior wall portion and construct a tsunami shelter close to the breakwater.

[0037] Furthermore, the exterior walls are not limited to being made of reinforced concrete; they may also be made of metal or synthetic resin, for example. Similarly, the shelter body is not limited to fiber-reinforced plastic; it may also be made of metal or another translucent resin material. If a translucent material is used, the upper part of the exterior wall is open, allowing external light to enter the shelter.

[0038] Furthermore, the shelter body and outer wall are not limited to being approximately circular in shape when viewed from above; for example, they may be elliptical or rectangular, and the shelter body and outer wall are not limited to being the same shape when viewed from above.

[0039] Furthermore, the structure of the shelter body 2 is not limited as long as at least the upper part is sealed and a living space is secured inside. For example, multiple entrances may be formed below the living space. Also, providing doors at each opening is effective in preventing the intrusion of rubble and water. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 Shelter 2. Shelter body 3 Exterior wall 3A aisle 3a Top opening 3B Cover 3C ladder 4. Floorboards (floor section) 5. Cylindrical part 6 Entrance / exit 7 Peripheral wall 7a Bottom end 8 aperture 9. Convex part 11 Protrusion 12 Hanging branch 13 Standing part 13a Upper end 14 Flange section 15 Approach Section 16 connecting ports 17 Support part 18 Locking part 19 Anchor hook 20 Mooring member 20a, 20a Carabiner 333 Outer wall (divided body) 34 Bottom plate (foundation) 23A aisle 23B Cover Body 23C ladder 23D side plate K Locking part S Living space Anchor AA support bracket

Claims

[Claim 1] The shelter comprises a main body that is sealed at least at its upper level to secure a living space inside, and an outer wall that surrounds the main body to interfere with the mechanical effects on the main body caused by water and flowing objects generated by a tsunami, A tsunami shelter characterized in that the exterior wall is supported by the ground or the like, and the floor of the living space is supported by the exterior wall or the ground or the like that supporting the exterior wall.

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