Estimation of Tsunami Force Acting on Rectangular Structures

Hydraulic experiments were conducted to estimate tsunami wave force acting on rectangular onshore structures. Used building models placed at several distances from a shoreline. Wave pressure was measured at points on exposed structures. Impact and standing-wave pressure at different points peaked at different moments in time, so tsunami force tended to be overestimated by integrating maximum wave-pressure distribution envelope. Measured total force was thus used to formulate tsunami force estimation equations. Hydrostatic formula was successful for structures near a shoreline, despite large scattering for structures far from a shoreline. Hydrodynamic formula was successful in all cases, although inertia was considerable for structures near a shoreline.