A Review of Tsunami Induced Forces on Idealized Onshore Buildings: Improvements in Design Equations

Many structures along the shore have collapsed due to tsunami loads during previous tsunami disasters. In total, 400,000 buildings are estimated to have suffered from the 2011 Tōhoku Oki tsunami. These impacts emphasized an in-depth understanding of the tsunami interaction with structures. Subsequently, ample research has been conducted during the last decades to improve force prediction and design guidelines. By considering these extreme events during the design of structures, these structures shall be made more resistant to extreme loads, thereby considerably reducing human and economic losses. The present chapter reviews the past and recent research on the tsunami surge and bore forces and the existing available design equations for buildings against tsunami loads.