Video: Modeling how debris affects buildings during a tsunami

When we deliberation of tsunamis, we mightiness representation a elephantine partition of h2o that wipes buildings disconnected a beach, oregon knocks down houses on a coastline. But overmuch of the devastation caused by a tsunami is created by the surge of moving h2o that dislodges things successful its way and turns them into destructive objects. During a tsunami, buildings are damaged not lone by rising h2o but besides by the debris carried successful the currents.

In this video we spot Mike Motley, subordinate prof of civilian and environmental engineering, and postgraduate pupil Nikki Lewis arsenic they behaviour an experimentation simulating waterborne debris hitting a building successful the aforesaid mode that cars, shipping containers oregon gathering materials mightiness deed structures during a tsunami event.

As portion of the experiment, undergraduate pupil Haley Herberg lowers hard integrative bars of "debris" into fast-moving h2o wherever they interval down-current until they collide with an aluminum box. The container simulates a flooded multistory gathering with submerged pillars beneath and houses sensors that measurement the interaction of debris connected the container and the underwater pillars.

The researchers are looking astatine however the debris pushes connected the building—either by hitting it oregon getting lodged connected it and creating a dam. They are besides looking for patterns successful the mode floating debris moves astir and against rigid shapes. The accusation whitethorn assistance successful designing buildings successful coastal communities that tin amended withstand harm by floating objects successful tsunami events.

Credit: University of Washington

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