Tsunami wave and structure interaction: an investigation with smoothed-particle hydrodynamics

Abstract

Numerical modelling by the meshless method of smoothed-particle hydrodynamics can offer quantification of tsunami wave pressures at a greater level of detail and accuracy than existing empirical methods, enabling more effective design solutions to be derived. In this paper, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics modelling of tsunami wave and structure interaction is undertaken to derive the time histories of wave pressure distributions, which can then be used by way of finite-element software to evaluate the structural response. In a series of comparative studies with physical models, the numerical results show good agreement with the experimental data. The research in this paper forms part of a wider investigation that aims to address the issue of improving resilience of shore-based structures in tsunami events.