Tsunami Impact on Buildings
A laboratory experiment to investigate tsunami forces on a simplified coastal structure was performed in the Directional Wave Basin at Oregon State University. A tsunami-like wave was generated and allowed to break on the beach just prior to the structure. The structure was placed at a variety of orientations to the incoming wave, from normal to the wave direction to oriented at a 45 degree angle. Force and pressure measurements on the structure, and overhead cameras for the flow, were used to characterize the response. It was found that a 30 degree orientation experienced the smallest impingement force.