On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred along the Sanriku Coast, offshore of north-east Japan, at 3:46 p.m. local time. The quake resulted in several massive tsunami waves which hit the Japanese coast, reaching 38.7 m in height. Significant damage occurred in coastal and inland engineered structures located in several coastal towns that were largely destroyed. The first international research team composed of a group of four engineers (three from the US and one from Canada), surveyed the affected area four weeks after the event to conduct reconnaissance investigations on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Dr. Ioan Nistor was part of this reconnaissance team. He will present findings and observations on the performance of infrastructure and the damage caused by devastating tsunami waves. In addition, as a Voting Member of the ASCE7 Tsunami Effects and Loads which elaborated the world’s firs Design Standard for Tsunami-Resistant Buildings (ASCE7-22 Chapter 6), he will present an overview of the current research and engineering efforts in this direction.

The lecture will be of interest to hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical engineers interested in disaster prevention and mitigation, with a particular emphasis on the design of structures prone to extreme loading due to tsunamis, waves, and flash floods.