When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up to
have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was having so
much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out: "Everything is
moving outside." I looked though the window and I estimate that the
hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's happening?" I said:
"Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My response: "On the
19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know how to build a solid
structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few minor injuries (stuff
falling on people's heads).

On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."

On 24/09/2021 10:17 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
> experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
> 1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up to
> have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was having so
> much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out: "Everything is
> moving outside." I looked though the window and I estimate that the
> hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's happening?" I said:
> "Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My response: "On the
> 19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know how to build a solid
> structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few minor injuries (stuff
> falling on people's heads).
>
> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."

That story is older than I am.

On the subject of the quake, did anyone get any damage? We got some
cracked plaster and windows that the insurance company is going to take
care of, but a lady around the corner who's house is on stumps had the
whole house move quite a bit causing the floor to drop away from the
frame in a few places by around 30mm. It's a mess.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 24/9/21 10:17 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
> experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
> 1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up to
> have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was having so
> much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out: "Everything is
> moving outside." I looked though the window and I estimate that the
> hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's happening?" I said:
> "Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My response: "On the
> 19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know how to build a solid
> structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few minor injuries (stuff
> falling on people's heads).
>
> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."

Since Japan's location is prone to earthquakes they have learnt to live
with them and know how to build earthquake proof buildings, I'm
surprised there was so little damage around Melbourne, the way my house
moved around I expected to see damage but so far I can't find any.

--
Daryl

On 24/9/21 11:00 am, Noddy wrote:
> On 24/09/2021 10:17 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
>> experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
>> 1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up
>> to have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was
>> having so much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out:
>> "Everything is moving outside." I looked though the window and I
>> estimate that the hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's
>> happening?" I said: "Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My
>> response: "On the 19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know
>> how to build a solid structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few
>> minor injuries (stuff falling on people's heads).
>>
>> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
>> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
>> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
>> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
>> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
>> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."
>
> That story is older than I am.
>
> On the subject of the quake, did anyone get any damage?

Nothing here, maybe because my house is less than 2yrs old and has lots
of expansion joints in the brickwork.
My block is on top of a hill overlooking the Werribee River valley and
the ground is almost all fill so my house sits on 60 piers, at the rear
some are more than 6mtrs deep and at the front only about 1mtr so the
quake made me rather nervous but our builder did a very good job so no
problems.

We got some
> cracked plaster and windows that the insurance company is going to take
> care of, but a lady around the corner who's house is on stumps had the
> whole house move quite a bit causing the floor to drop away from the
> frame in a few places by around 30mm. It's a mess.
>
Not good, I wonder how my old house stood up, it was a 2 storey on
stumps, Melton West is all clay soil so I suspect there would have been
lots of movement.

--
Daryl

On 24/09/2021 12:08 pm, Daryl wrote:
> On 24/9/21 11:00 am, Noddy wrote:

>>>
>>> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
>>> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
>>> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
>>> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
>>> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
>>> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."
>>
>> That story is older than I am.
>>
>> On the subject of the quake, did anyone get any damage?
>
> Nothing here, maybe because my house is less than 2yrs old and has lots
> of expansion joints in the brickwork.
> My block is on top of a hill overlooking the Werribee River valley and
> the ground is almost all fill so my house sits on 60 piers, at the rear
> some are more than 6mtrs deep and at the front only about 1mtr so the
> quake made me rather nervous but our builder did a very good job so no
> problems.

My place is on flat ground on a waffle slab, and it just slid around. I
was actually sitting here at the desk typing away when it happened and
it was strong enough here for pens to roll off the desk and coffee to
spill out the top of it's cup. No damage to the outside as we have
plenty of expansion joints like you do, but there is a fair amount of
plaster damage inside the house.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 24/09/2021 11:57 am, Daryl wrote:
> On 24/9/21 10:17 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
>> experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
>> 1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up
>> to have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was
>> having so much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out:
>> "Everything is moving outside." I looked though the window and I
>> estimate that the hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's
>> happening?" I said: "Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My
>> response: "On the 19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know
>> how to build a solid structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few
>> minor injuries (stuff falling on people's heads).
>>
>> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
>> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
>> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
>> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
>> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
>> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."
>
>
> Since Japan's location is prone to earthquakes they have learnt to live
> with them and know how to build earthquake proof buildings, I'm
> surprised there was so little damage around Melbourne, the way my house
> moved around I expected to see damage but so far I can't find any.
>
I was in one about the same as yours when in Japan. I thought it quite
interesting, but looking at the Japanese, they seemed more worried so
perhaps my situation appraisal was at fault.

From what i have read, yesterday was New Zealands fault, their tectonic
plate crashed into ours moving us by about 10cm.

On 24/9/21 12:24 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 24/09/2021 12:08 pm, Daryl wrote:
>> On 24/9/21 11:00 am, Noddy wrote:
>
>>>>
>>>> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
>>>> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel
>>>> structure and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that
>>>> steel structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building
>>>> to be built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey
>>>> structure to build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."
>>>
>>> That story is older than I am.
>>>
>>> On the subject of the quake, did anyone get any damage?
>>
>> Nothing here, maybe because my house is less than 2yrs old and has
>> lots of expansion joints in the brickwork.
>> My block is on top of a hill overlooking the Werribee River valley and
>> the ground is almost all fill so my house sits on 60 piers, at the
>> rear some are more than 6mtrs deep and at the front only about 1mtr so
>> the quake made me rather nervous but our builder did a very good job
>> so no problems.
>
> My place is on flat ground on a waffle slab, and it just slid around. I
> was actually sitting here at the desk typing away when it happened and
> it was strong enough here for pens to roll off the desk and coffee to
> spill out the top of it's cup. No damage to the outside as we have
> plenty of expansion joints like you do, but there is a fair amount of
> plaster damage inside the house.
>
>
It felt like I was on a boat, a very weird feeling.

--
Daryl

On Fri, 24 Sep 2021 10:17:58 +1000, Trevor Wilson wrote:

> When I heard of the Melbourne earthquake, I was reminded of my
> experience of a significantly larger quake in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo in
> 1988, when a 6.7 hit. 2:00AM. The vertical wave woke me up. I got up to
> have a pee and, as the lateral wave hit, I wondered why I was having so
> much trouble hitting the bowl. My girlfriend yelled out: "Everything is
> moving outside." I looked though the window and I estimate that the
> hotel was swaying by around 500mm. She said: "What's happening?" I said:
> "Earthquake". She replied: "What should we do?" My response: "On the
> 19th floor, nothing. Just hope that the Japs know how to build a solid
> structure." They did. No deaths, but quite a few minor injuries (stuff
> falling on people's heads).
>
> On my way to the airport, I sat beside a guy from Chicago. We got to
> talking and he told me he sold steel. He pointed to a steel structure
> and said: "I love selling steel to the Japanese. See that steel
> structure over there? It's ready to have a 10 storey building to be
> built around it. There's enough steel in that 10 storey structure to
> build a 40 storey building back in Chicago."

I assume you've heard this old gag:

Newsreader: A 6.3 earthquake struck Bumhole (Vic) last night. Insurance
assessors say that it has caused $8,000 worth of improvements.

alvey