An experimental study on the tsunami pressure acting on piloti-type buildings

It is known that piloti-type structures, which have an open space on the ground floor, have advantages for tsunami hitting because tsunami can pass through the ground floor. There is a basic guideline for the design of piloti-type structures for tsunami forces but detailed information such as tsunami forces acting on the elevator hall or the ceiling is not speculated. Then, the hydraulic physical model tests were performed by using a newly-developed tsunami wave generator. As a result of the physical model tests, the tsunami force acting on an upper structure becomes significantly smaller compared with a normal (not piloti-type) structures. It should be noticed that tsunami reaches the upper structure and gives the significant tsunami force on the upper structure because the ground structure exists, even if the peak water level is somewhat lower than the ceiling level of the ground floor. The uplift force observed on the ceiling in front of the ground structure is much larger than the usual design force on the ceiling of the buildings.