MODEL TEST OF AN EMERGENCY FLOATING FACILITY POSITIONED IN FRONT OF A QUAY WALL AGAINST TSUNAMIS

As became clear in the Hansin/Awaji earthquake of Jan.17, 1995, the access from the sea to the areas struck by disasters may be an effective alternative way for emergency and first aids. Therefore we proposed the design concept or a permanent floating emergency facility through the quayor wharf of areas suffered from the natural disastfer such as earthquakes at the symposium of Civil Engineering in the Ocean last year. It was a kind of floating structure such as a Quick Installation Platform (QIP) or a self-elevating platform for Shimizu port in Miho bay where a tsunami up to 4 meters is expected as a result of the likely Tokai earthquake. In order to confirm our concept from a viewpointof safety such as deck wetness, stability of the structure against tsunami forces, we conducted a 1/38 scale model testin both (usual) semi-floating and (unusual) lifted condition. In consequence, it turned out that the facility couldn't stand or the tsunami up to 3 meter in the semi-floating condition; therefore it is necessary to elevate the deck to afvoid tsunami forces. To do this, the deck must be elevated duringarrival time to the facility from the epicenter.