Impact hydrodynamique des vagues contre les bâtiments

Abstract

Tsunamis, impulse waves and dam-break waves represent extreme events that endanger human lives and generate damage to critical infrastructure. Recent events in the Indian Ocean (2004), in Japan (2011) and in Indonesia (2018) showed that constructive measures could be used to reduce the loads exerted on structures. Thus, the objective of this research is to study the loading process of different building configurations during wave impact. Through an extended experimental program, this research initially characterises the hydrodynamic behaviour of wet bed bores and dry surges in terms of their front celerity, water depths and velocity profiles behind the front. Then, the advantage of porous buildings in reducing inundation depths and loadings on the building is shown and discussed. Finally, this study provides simples formulae to predict the hydrodynamic load on a building, taking into account the effect of openings through an adapted resistance coefficient. These results reveal important information for the design of safer infrastructure that will act as vertical shelters in case of water related natural hazards.