Nunthawath Charusrojthanadech

TRIAL OF AN EVALUATION METHOD OF THE BUILDING DAMAGE BY TSUNAMI

In order to develop a rational methodology to evaluate building damage caused by tsunamis, first, disaster data collected in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Japan are introduced as verification data. Next, the applicability of an empirical method of predicting inundation depth ( = the inundation height from ground level) based on analysis of those data and a numerical simulation method of tsunami flood is examined by comparing calculation values with the verification data. Then, the validity of a convenient method of evaluating building strength against the tsunami using the gate-type Rahmen Building Model is checked by comparing calculation results with actual damage and diagrams to get pillar widths or wall thicknesses at the breaking threshold for common sizes of buildings are proposed.

TRIAL OF DAMAGE EVALUATION BY INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI IN PATONG BEACH OF THAILAND

A huge tsunami caused by the giant earthquake occurred off Sumatra in Indonesia, on 26th December 2004, attacked the coastal regions of many countries facing the Indian Ocean. This paper describes evaluation methods of structural damage in order to mitigate the damage by huge tsunamis. First, the damage by this tsunami at Patong Beach in Phuket province of Thailand is explained. Next, diagrams to get critical inundation heights which break buildings are shown by using a rigid frame model as functions of inundation heights. Then, how to get the inundation height empirically is explained. Moreover, a numerical model to simulate the inundation height is also used, because the method described previously will give inundation heights of low accuracy as geographical feature becomes complicated. Furthermore, there were some structural collapses (a masonry wall and so on) by tsunami back-flow; the stability of a concrete wall against the back-flow is also discussed.