PHYSICAL MODEL INVESTIGATION OF PARCEL SCALE MANGROVE EFFECTS ON FLOW HYDRODYNAMICS AND PRESSURES AND LOADS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Tori Tomiczek,Patrick Lynett,Sabella Goodwin,Dan Cox,Anna Wargula,Pedro Lomonaco,Andrew Kennedy

doi:10.9753/icce.v36v.waves.1

Abstract

Rising seas, tropical cyclones, and tsunamis threaten increasingly populated coastal areas, leaving coastal communities searching for sustainable, resilient adaptation solutions to mitigate the impacts of chronic and acute coastal flood hazards. This work specifically investigates parcel-scale effects of the Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) species during extreme wave and/or storm surge conditions. We constructed 100 physical models of the Rhizophora species' trunk-prop root system on a 1:16 scale, and conducted tests in Oregon State University's Directional Wave Basin to measure the effects of mangroves of varying cross-shore thickness on water surface elevation, water velocities, and load reduction on idealized inland structural elements. The presence of mangroves affected hydrodynamic conditions near the mangroves and reduced pressures and forces on inland structures.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/XjtCmHYvgVQ

Highlights

1:16 SCALE PHYSICAL MODEL We constructed 100 physical models of the Rhizophora species’ trunk-prop root system on a 1:16 scale based on a parameterization presented by Ohira et al (2013), who idealized the mangrove trunk and prop roots based on extensive field measurements
Each mangrove trunk was formed from a 1.3 cm PVC rod, with 11 holes along the trunk in a 45° spiral pattern at 1.3 cm vertical increments to an elevation of 15.2 cm above the base of the trunk
Doubling the crossshore thickness of mangroves further reduced Fx compared to the baseline configuration, with additional load reductions of 4-24% observed from the M4 to M8 configurations

Summary

Introduction

1:16 SCALE PHYSICAL MODEL We constructed 100 physical models of the Rhizophora species’ trunk-prop root system on a 1:16 scale based on a parameterization presented by Ohira et al (2013), who idealized the mangrove trunk and prop roots based on extensive field measurements. Each mangrove trunk was formed from a 1.3 cm PVC rod, with 11 holes along the trunk in a 45° spiral pattern at 1.3 cm vertical increments to an elevation of 15.2 cm above the base of the trunk.

Results

Conclusion