Modelling the Impact of Tsunamis on Coastal Defences in the Uk

Abstract

This paper describes a study that is part of a wider project investigating whether climate change will increase the risk to the UK from tsunamis caused by submarine landslides in the Arctic. Here, the nearshore modelling of tsunamis and damage to coastal structures will be investigated. Therefore a shallow-water and Boussinesq (SWAB) model has been coupled to a mass-spring model to investigate nearshore wave-structure interactions. This coupled model has been tested against experimental data for wall deflection due to solitary waves and caisson sliding due to regular waves. Although some results are promising, further investigation is required before using this technique as a predictive tool.

Tsunami design procedures for engineered buildings: a critical review

“…More importantly, the 2016 edition of the ASCE 7 code 'Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures' (ASCE, 2016) includes a newly developed chapter 6 entitled 'Tsunami loads and effects', which presents the world's first tsunami design code written in mandatory language. A limited number of other countries are deriving local guidelines based on these, such as Chile.Notably, despite the fact that a risk and precedent of large tsunamis exists around some European coastal regions including parts of the UK (McCabe et al, 2014), European design codes of practice do not address tsunami loading. The same is true of many other at-risk locations around the world, including the Pacific 'ring of fire', the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and certain regions of the Black and Marmara Seas.This paper summarises field observations made by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) -a UK-based group of earthquake engineers, architects and scientists -following the GEJE regarding building damage and failure mechanisms.…”

“…Notably, despite the fact that a risk and precedent of large tsunamis exists around some European coastal regions including parts of the UK (McCabe et al, 2014), European design codes of practice do not address tsunami loading. The same is true of many other at-risk locations around the world, including the Pacific 'ring of fire', the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and certain regions of the Black and Marmara Seas.…”