Structural design of an innovative multifunctional artificial reef

Abstract

Marine resources are essential to support an ever growing world population and approaches that can foster the growth and survival rates of habitats and promote the sustainability of human activities are seen as urgent. Artificial reefs (AR) or multifunctional artificial reefs (MFAR) are considered promising and viable solutions to increase the number of marine populations, prevent erosion and produce energy. As a consequence, there have been several attempts to design these structures in recent years. Several challenges still exist, related to the design approaches, materials used, durability requirements, hydrodynamic behaviour and interaction with the environment (fluid), among others. Thereby, the aim of this research is to discuss the structural behaviour of a concrete and steel complex, modular, slender and reticulated MFAR and to develop its design, by using numerical analysis. In order to do that, computational fluid dynamics models (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are considered. This analysis shows great complexity and the results show that the design of these innovative structures is both challenging and promising.