Location Tracking of Drifting Container by Solitary Wave Load Using a Motion Analysis Program

Objects adrift can cause considerable damage to coastal infrastructure and property during tsunami and storm surge events. Despite the potential for harm, the drifting behavior of these objects remains poorly understood, thereby hindering effective prediction and mitigation of collision damage. To address this gap, this study employed a motion analysis program to track a drifting container's location using images from an existing laboratory experiment. The container's trajectory and velocity were calculated based on the positions of five markers strategically placed at its four corners and center. Our findings indicate that the container's maximum drift velocity and distance are directly influenced by the scale of the solitary wave and inversely related to the container's weight. Specifically, heavier containers are less likely to be displaced by solitary waves, while larger waves can damage coastal structures more. This study offers new insights into container drift behavior induced by solitary waves, with implications for enhancing coastal infrastructure design and devising mitigation strategies to minimize the risk of collision damage.