TSUNAMI DAMAGE SIMULATION OF A HIGHWAY BRIDGE OF WHICH SUPERSTRUCTURES WERE WASHED OUT IN PART BY A 3-D MULTI-PHASE FLOW ANALYSIS

Abstract

 A tsunami damage analysis was conducted in order to simulate process of damage to a highway bridge of which superstructures were washed out in part by the tsunami of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake. A precise model of the bridge and surrounding terrain and a sluice was constructed and a 3-D multi-phase flow analysis was carried out. The analysis shows that uplift force acting on the superstructures washed out was larger than the strength of bearings. Air trapped between girders was found to play an impotant role on the large uplift force.