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Osaka Bay is sinking, and this could be the end of Kansai Airport, the most modern in the world in Japan. Will the airport have to be closed?
End of Kansai Airport? Located in Japan, Kansai Airport is one of the most modern in the world, capable of receiving 30 million people per year and valued at approximately 112 billion reais. However, the future of Kansai Airport is threatened as the structure, situated in the middle of Osaka Bay, is sinking. As a result, the continuity of the airport's operations is at risk, raising concerns about the viability of this impressive piece of engineering.
Kansai Airport is 11 km²
Also known as KIX, Kansai International Airport, considered the most modern airport in the world, is located on the island of Honshu, approximately 40 km away from Osaka, the second largest city in Japan.
Built between 1987 and 1994, Kansai Airport is located on an artificial island measuring almost 11 km², built from approximately 180 million cubic meters of sand and rocks taken from the bottom of Osaka Bay.
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It is worth mentioning that currently the creation of artificial islands it is common, especially in economic powers in the Middle East. However, when Kansai Airport opened in 1994 this practice was less common.
To understand why Osaka Bay is sinking and could spell the end of Kansai Airport, it is necessary to analyze some details of the construction of this megaproject. Between 1987 and 1989, the work involved drilling the clay present in Osaka Bay. Of the 20 m excavated, 18 m were below sea level.
This process allowed 70% of the water to drain from this deposit, something that solidified the clay and created a walled environment with 2 million mineral columns. This would be the basis of the most modern airport in the world.
Osaka Bay is sinking?
Still in the site study phase, the team of engineers already predicted that Kansai airport would sink by 5,7 M by 1999, five years after the project was inaugurated. However, the mark found that year was substantially higher, at 8,2 m, that is, more than 67% above the initial estimate. In 2018, the sinking of the airport structure already reached an impressive 11 M.
The end of Kansai Airport is an issue that involves several aspects. Built on an artificial island in deep water areas, the airport required the supporting soil to be compacted and stabilized. This was a significant technical challenge, as Osaka Bay is largely composed of soft, highly compressible clays. Over time, the heavy load of the artificial island and airport structures causes compaction and sinking, compromising the viability of the structure.
The weight of these structures at the world's most modern airport, including runways, buildings and other structures, contributes to pressure on the underlying soil, accelerating the subsidence process. Additionally, the underlying soil goes through a consolidation process, where water in the pores is expelled and the soil becomes compacted. A natural process that can take years or even decades to fully stabilize.
2056 could be the end of Kansai Airport
The year that experts point to as the date for the end of Kansai Airport, given that Osaka Bay is sinking, is 2056. If the estimate is confirmed, the airport will be operated for 62 years, but the fact is that the administration has invested heavily in projects to reverse or at least delay this event.
Since the opening of the most modern airport in the world, subsidence has been continuously monitored and corrective measures are taken as necessary. To compensate for the sinking of the island, adjustable columns were designed to support the terminal building.
These are extended by inserting thick metal plates into the bases. The airport administration also invested more than 150 million dollars to raise the breakwater and thus reduce the chances of flooding.
