Experimental Study on the Response Characteristics of Seismically Isolated Buildings Against Tsunami Surge Forces

ABSTRACT In the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake off the Pacific coast, tsunamis caused extensive damage to many buildings, but no structural damage to seismically isolated buildings (SIBs) was reported. Hence, the safety of SIBs against tsunami remains unclear. In this study, hydraulic model experiments were conducted on SIBs to investigate the surge forces acting on the SIBs and the pressure distribution on the superstructure. Moreover, the response of the seismic isolation interface was investigated to examine the dynamic effects of the surge forces on SIBs.