Evaluating the Hydrodynamic Response of Coastal Bridges during an Extreme Weather Event

Reza Nasouri,First Testik,Adnan Shahriar,Arturo Montoya,Adolfo Matamoros,H Sadek

doi:10.1051/matecconf/201927101002

Reza Nasouri, First Testik + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201927101002

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Abstract

The frequency and intensity of recent hurricanes have demonstrated the need of taking proactive actions to prevent major damages during an extreme weather event. This work presents the results of a numerical study evaluating the hydrodynamic response of coastal bridges during an extreme hurricane event. A finite element model of a concrete bridge girder superstructure with a pier-substructure was developed in the commercial software Abaqus. The Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian technique was used to model the interaction between water waves and the bridge as the structure deformed due to wave impacts. The wave velocity and the angle of wave impact were varied in the simulation to determine their effects on the response of the bridge. It was found that the resultant shear and uplift forces increase with wave velocity, while the angle of impact only had a significant effect on the resultant shear forces. The developed numerical framework will support further studies that will investigate variations in the bridge design and construction practices in order to enhance the resilience of coastal bridges against extreme weather events.

Highlights

The strategies adopted to cope with extreme hurricane and tsunami events in the United States have been reactive rather than proactive
This work presents the results of a numerical study evaluating the hydrodynamic response of coastal bridges during an extreme hurricane event
It was found that the resultant shear and uplift forces increase with wave velocity, while the angle of impact only had a significant effect on the resultant shear forces

Summary

Introduction

The strategies adopted to cope with extreme hurricane and tsunami events in the United States have been reactive rather than proactive. Padgett et al [1] indicated that the cost of repairing and replacing bridges that were damaged during hurricane Katrina exceeded 1 billion US dollars. The most severe damage consisted of superstructure collapse due to unseating of the deck, caused by the combined actions of storm surge and waves. This type of failure was observed both in bridges with integral and non-integral supports. Uplift forces were large enough to exceed the weight of the superstructure and cause the failure of the connection at the support. It was observed that in some cases, shear keys were sufficient to prevent unseating of the superstructure

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