Located near a volcano in southern Japan, 450 foam houses draw worldwide attention for their durability. Despite the lightweight materials, the homes at the resort are sturdy enough to withstand the deadly magnitude 7 earthquakes that occurred in 2016 in Kumamoto prefecture, according to a statement by its manager, Masaya Konishi.
Near the volcano in southern Japan, 450 foam houses built by a health resort attract visitors from all over Asia with their earthquake resistance. It is stated that these houses were built to withstand severe earthquakes in the region, according to the statement made by health facility managers. For this reason, the durability of foam houses stands out as an important issue for the people living in the region and makes an important contribution to the tourism of the region.
To make the houses, dozens of pieces of polystyrene foam, each weighing 80 kg, are glued together. These foam pieces have been specially chosen to create a lightweight structure during construction. In this way, houses have been made more resistant to natural disasters such as earthquakes. As an adhesive, a special material is used to firmly bind the foam pieces together. In this way, foam houses have a solid and durable structure. Masaya Konishi, manager of the resort Aso Farm Land, said that although lightweight materials are used, the houses are designed and built to withstand the deadly earthquakes that occurred in Kumamoto prefecture in 2016.
Earthquakes in Kumamoto
Two earthquakes in Kumamoto on April 16, 2016 caused a major disaster in Kumamoto City, Kyushu Prefecture, Japan, along with a series of aftershocks that continued for six months. The earthquakes were recorded at magnitudes 7.0 and 6.2 respectively and occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers. While 50 people lost their lives in these two earthquakes, 3,129 people were injured. Many structures in Kumamoto and Ōita Prefectures were severely damaged by earthquakes, and many collapsed or caught fire. Due to the disaster, more than 44,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes.
Masaya Konishi stated that the foam houses were not damaged in the earthquake and not a single glass was broken. He also said that wind and earthquakes don’t damage foam houses because they don’t have beams that can break. With these features, foam houses can be an excellent option to provide a safe living space in areas where earthquakes and other natural disasters occur.
Japan Dome House company, which manufactures polystyrene parts, announced that its sales increased two to three times after the 2016 earthquakes. Using a building system made of polystyrene parts, Japan Dome House can quickly and economically build durable structures. The use of this system provides many advantages such as reducing house construction costs and shortening construction times, especially in areas with earthquake risk.
Japan Dome House company states that houses made of polystyrene material do not rust or rot, and therefore houses can last up to 300 years. In addition, it is stated that the construction period of the houses is 7 days on average and the cost is approximately 2 thousand dollars (approximately 38 thousand liras). This means a considerably lower cost and a shorter construction time compared to traditional house building methods. In addition, due to the light weight of the foam houses, it also provides ease of transportation and installation. All these advantages can lead to the fact that houses made of polystyrene material will become more popular in the future.
