Tsunami Structural Design Provisions for a New Update of Building Codes and Performance-Based Engineering

Since tsunami loading provisions were initially developed for Honolulu, Hawaii in the 1980's and subsequently utilized in other design guidelines for coastal construction, a comprehensive update of tsunami design provisions has not occurred. Furthermore, a national standard for engineering design for tsunami effects written in mandatory language does not exist. With the advent of the NSF George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) wave basin and wave flume facility at Oregon State University and the NSF/NEES research program, modern research using larger scale models has become available on which to base a new generation of tsunami design provisions. Devastating recent tsunamis in the Indian Ocean (2004), Samoa (2009), Chile (2010) and Japan (2011) indicate that explicit design procedures for risk mitigation of tsunamis is overdue. The recommended development of a new update of tsunami loading provisions will be discussed for prescriptive loading conditions for building codes and for the performance-based criteria for site-specific hazard analysis and design of essential facilities and other buildings.