A construction materials company has built the first tsunami evacuation tower in the devastated Tohoku region at the site of its factory in Sendai that was severely damaged by the disaster last year.
A construction materials company has built the first tsunami evacuation tower in the devastated Tohoku region at the site of its factory in Sendai that was severely damaged by the disaster last year.On May 17, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products Co. unveiled the structure, saying it was built using lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011.The tower is 7.8 meters tall and can accommodate up to 100 people on its 72-square-meter rooftop. The company said the design allows for a tsunami evacuation tower as tall as 15 meters.The tower has no walls to reduce the impact of a tsunami. Sitting atop six pillars, the company said the structure will remain standing even if one of the pillars is broken or destroyed. The building is equipped with solar-powered lighting.Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products said the structure can be completed in a minimum of two weeks.The company said the price for the standard 7.8-meter tsunami evacuation tower will be around 30 million yen ($378,000), although it can vary, depending on ground features and the tower’s height.Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products plans to sell the tower to municipalities and businesses.