Tsunami-Seabed-Structure Interaction from Geotechnical and Hydrodynamic Perspectives

Abstract

The paper reports some recent research advances on tsunami-seabed-structure interaction following the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami, Japan. It presents a concise review of the latest research performed on the stability of breakwater foundation under tsunami by utilizing a geotechnical centrifuge and a large-scale hydro flume at Port and Airport Research Institute. I highlight here the role of tsunami-induced seepage in piping/boiling, erosion and bearing capacity decrease and failure of the rubble/seabed foundation. A comparison and discussion are made on the stability assessment for the design of tsunami-resistant structures on the basis of the results from both geo-centrifuge and large-scale hydrodynamic experiments.