Abstract
In this paper, the author discusses the structural damage caused by the magnitude 7.5 Limón, Costa Rica earthquake of April 22, 1991. Damage description includes highway and railroad structures, as well as buildings, industrial facilities and special engineering structures, such as liquid storage tanks. The report includes the most relevant cases of failure and damage which ocurred in Limón and locations near the epicentral area.
The most notorious damage caused by the earthquake was the collapse of highway and railroad bridges, and the severe damage to highway pavements and to railroad tracks caused by fracture, lateral spreading and settlement of embankments, due to loss of resistance and liquefaction of the soil. A total of five important highway bridges collapsed, many smaller highway structures were damaged and eight railroad bridges settled or suffered partial collapse. A total of 80 km of highway pavement and embankments were severely damaged, rendering the transit of vehicles impossible. As a consequence, the south-eastern atlantic region of Costa Rica, including thc Caribbean coast and the La Estrella Valley with important banana plantations, was left uncommunicated after the earthquake. The access from San José to Limón was also interrupted during the first days that followed the main event.