New Tsunami Simulator Aims For Real-World Impact

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Taisei Corp. (1801) has built a laboratory in Yokohama that can create waves as high as 40cm to model tsunami damage.

The general contractor will use it to help design tsunami-resistant buildings, as well as evacuation routes and other safety measures.

Opened to the media on Wednesday, the simulator consists of a 35 x 17 meter pool flanked on one side by a device that releases water in bursts to create waves in a variety of shapes.

The waves travel across the pool and collide with model buildings and other test equipment at the far end. Cameras and sensors track the movement and force of the water.

This is not the first such facility, but Taisei says it can produce highly accurate estimates of the impact of real tsunamis on buildings.

(The Nikkei, March 7 morning edition)

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