Experimental verification of functionality of fibre-reinforced concrete submersible piers

Abstract

Low capacity of river banks is a problem of many world cities. Extension can be realised in many ways. One of the ways is to use a system of floating piers. Usual types of piers are filled with floating material, which supports the pier for the whole lifetime. The system of piers described in this article is innovative, because it is supported by an air bag, which can be deflated and then the whole system sinks down to the bottom of the river. This can be helpful in case of danger of floods, because there will be no need to transport the piers to a secure dock. Piers are designed for easy modular connection in various groups. The main types of groups are linear and areal. This article briefly describes the design of fibre reinforced concrete pier and other support constructions which are necessary for the right function of the system. The design of the pier was verified by hydraulic experiments on models in scale 1:10 to real pier. The article contains the description and results of the experiments that have proven the system to be feasible.