Advances in Evaluating Tsunami Forces on Coastal Structures

Abstract

At source, tsunami waves have relatively small wave heights (typically 0.5-2m), but very long wavelengths. As these waves approaches the shoreline and enter the shallower waters, their wavelength reduces and their wave height increases dramatically. The resulting waves can cause violent impacts on infrastructure and structures, and the long wavelengths lead to extensive inundation inland causing destruction over large areas of coast as seen recently in Japan (2011). Clearly there is a need for a systematic analysis of the physics of tsunami flows in and around buildings and the forces and pressures they produce on structures as a function of time. The first steps towards such a study are presented. This paper presents preliminary observations obtained from sets of unique physical experiments designed to study the impact of tsunami-like waves on coastal structures towards the development of tsunami design/assessment guidance