A novel tri-semicircle shaped submerged breakwater for mitigating wave loads on coastal bridges part Ⅱ: Application perspective

Abstract

In Part I of this study, the effectiveness of the new breakwater in terms of the attenuation of wave forces on coastal bridges, was comprehensively substantiated. In the present paper (Part Ⅱ), three key practical aspects concerning the development of the new breakwater are further investigated. Firstly, numerical simulations employing the Volume of Fluid (VOF) methodology are conducted to elucidate wave–breakwater interactions. These simulations are validated through comparisons with existing experimental data, thereby affirming the reliability of the numerical model. Subsequent wavelet analysis reveals a noteworthy phenomenon that the wave energy redistribution across the time–frequency domain significantly contributes towards the reduction of transient impacting forces. Following that, a validated ANSYS finite element model is employed to scrutinize the dynamic responses of the new breakwater under varying wave conditions. The analysis underscores that tensile stress, typically peaking at the arch foot region, dominates in governing the safety of the new breakwater, thus necessitating particular attention in this specific area. Furthermore, for the studied scenarios, the maximum tensile stress remains well below 1.33 MPa, suggesting that commonly used concrete materials such as C40 are more than sufficient for construction purposes. Finally, an adaptive Kriging-based surrogate model is established using machine learning techniques. This prediction model achieves determination coefficients of 98.19% and 98.63% when assessing the horizontal and vertical protective efficacy of the new breakwater, respectively, thus indicating a high degree of confidence in its predictions. Based on the prediction model, it is advisable to deploy the new breakwater in water depths that are less than 1.25 times its height, as such implementation could achieve a reduction of wave loads by 20% or more.