Physical and numerical modeling of tsunami-induced hydrodynamic forces on structures

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Tsunami waves are catastrophic events which can adversely impact communities located in often heavily populated coastal areas around the world, including Canada. Tsunami-induced coastal flooding often leads to numerous casualties and tremendous economic losses. Such extreme waves can propagate thousands of kilometres away from their generating source. Since 80% of tsunamis in the world have occurred in the Pacific Ocean, the western coast of Canada is particularly under threat of tsunami waves attack. Understanding the impact mechanisms and properly understanding the nature of tsunami-induced extreme hydrodynamic forces on coastal infrastructure and quantifying them is essential because of the enormous economical and social consequences that are characteristic of such disasters. An extensive literature review of the state-of-the-art research on tsunami forces on structures presented by Nistor et al. (2009) indicated that, to date, design documents or building codes that specifically address tsunami loading on near-shoreline structures are lacking. Therefore, this proposal is focused on the detailed investigation and accurate quantification of tsunami-induced extreme hydrodynamic forces and their impacts on structures by means of: (1) a comprehensive experimental research program focusing on the impact of tsunami-induced hydraulic bores on structural elements and (2) the development of a new mathematical and numerical model capable of accurately simulating the magnitude and transient nature of these hydrodynamic forces, as well as the induced loading on structures. Two MASc students and three Phd studens will work on this research topic The results of this research project, unique in Canada and one of the few in the world, will ultimately lead to the development of new, reliable design guidelines and tools that will be used by engineers and coastal zone managers and planners to properly design coastal infrastructure located in tsunami-prone areas.