ABSTRACT
Soil scour from tsunami hazards causes substantial damage to coastal infrastructure (e.g., the damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Tsunami). Simulating tsunamis in a laboratory setting is necessary to further understanding of tsunami-induced soil scour, but the simulations are challenging because dynamic similitude cannot be achieved for small-scale models. The ability to control the body and viscous forces in a centrifuge environment considerably reduces the mismatch in dynamic similitude. A novel centrifuge “Tsunami Maker,” designed specifically for exploring the basic physics of soil response to tsunami-like loadings, is presented. The apparatus was constructed and calibrated for use on the 9.1-m geotechnical centrifuge at the Center for Geotechnical Modelling at the University of California, Davis. The Tsunami Maker contains removable soil specimen containers to increase system modularity. Tsunami flooding is created by lifting a gate and releasing water from a reservoir, and tsunami drawdown is achieved by lifting another gate to drain the flooded water. Measurements of the flow characteristics indicate that the Tsunami Maker can produce tsunami-like loading.
