Lifelines

The Post-Earthquake Investigation Committee of the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering (TCLEE), a technical council of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), organized a team of five TCLEE members with support from ASCE. The TCLEE team performed a reconnaissance of the lifelines affected by the M sub w 8.4 earthquake in southern Peru. In general, lifeline damage was much less than has been seen in events of similar magnitude. This was apparently due to the large distances between major population centers and the general lack of lifelines in the rural, sparsely populated areas affected by the earthquake. Interestingly, lifeline damage was greater in cities 300-500 km southeast of the epicenter than it was in cities closer to the epicenter. The larger cities in this area of southern Peru include Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna, which are respectively 230 km, 320 km, and 420 km from the epicenter (see area map in the Preface, page xi). These cities are located in the upper elevations, away from the coastal area where the epicenter was located. The smaller coastal cities of Camana, Mollendo, and Ilo all experienced some lifeline damage. These cities are respectively 100 km, 220 km, and 300 km from the epicenter. Landslides (rockfalls and poorly compacted fills) caused the vast majority of damage to roads, railroads, and water systems. The majority of damage occurred in and around Moquegua. A tidal wave severely damaged lifeline systems in Camana (Chapter 7, Tsunami) and highways and railroads were also damaged (Chapter 6, Highways and Railroads).