Hydrodynamic Load Acting on Storage Tank Due to Tsunami Inundation Flow

Storage tanks located in coastal areas can be damaged by tsunami. The damage can lead a spill of gas or oil, resulting in extensive fire. A huge tsunami in the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the northeast coast of Japan in 2011 and caused serious damage to storage tanks in several areas. Another huge tsunami striking Japan is predicted in the near future. Therefore, tsunami wave loads acting on storage tanks have to be investigated. In this study, hydrodynamic loads acting on a storage tank was measured in a wave flume where bore waves can be generated. The experiment showed that the maximum horizontal bore wave loads depended on not only the hydrostatic pressure but also the horizontal velocity. The experiment also showed that the maximum vertical bore wave loads can approximately be estimated by the buoyancy calculated from the inundation depth.