TSUNAMI MODELLING PROCEDURES TO REFINE COASTAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STRATEGIES AT KUALA MUDA

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of tsunami modelling to refine the strategies to be used in coastal architectural and planning design works in effort to minimize future tsunami impacts on the coastal buildings. The ability to recreate the characteristics of the 2004 Sumatran Tsunami waves and their impacts is the reason to use computer simulation as the main tool of this research project. The Cornell Multi-Grid Coupled Tsunami Model (COMCOT) programme has been chosen to generate a series of tsunami events onto a one-kilometre-square area of Kuala Muda (north-west of Peninsular Malaysia) coastal area. COMCOT is expected to help practitioners and researchers make the best possible designs for this tsunami-threatened near-beach area. It has the capability to simulate the entire lifespan of a tsunami inclusive of the characteristics and the behaviour of the waves once it inundates the design area. It creates an opportunity to better understand and evaluate the performance of proposed designs in order to achieve the most tsunami-resistant design. The 2004 Sumatran Tsunami waves are considered the worst case scenario this area will experience. Therefore, the waves generated act upon proposed settlement patterns and buildings which are iteratively modified to achieve minimum tsunami damage. COMCOT outputs are used to propose coastal architectural design strategies for present and future nearbeach area developments, especially in the north-western coast of Malaysia. The final Tsunami Responsive Architecture (TRA) design is intended to be culturally acceptable, and to be extended with or without modification to suit other coastal areas at risk of tsunami.