TSUNAMI FORCE ON BUILDINGS WITH OPENINGS AND PROTECTION

The force from a tsunami will damage buildings, such as houses, bridges, and many other coastal infrastructures. The impact and drag force of a tsunami depend on the scale and the characteristics of the tsunami as well as the infrastructures' characteristics. This study was conducted using physical modeling to determine the effect of openings and protection on buildings to reduce the effects of a tsunami attack. The openings were symmetrical about the front and rear walls and were oriented in the direction of the tsunami. Barriers with dimensions that were the same width and three times higher than the building and of various lengths were used to simulate protection against a tsunami. The results indicated that the force on the buildings depends on but is not linearly correlated to the opening. The barrier upstream of the building significantly reduced the force depending on its distance to the building and the surge Froude number; however, the openings still play an important role in reducing the force on a protected building. Simple equations for practical use are proposed to calculate the tsunami force on a building with openings with or without protection.