Static Finite-Element Analysis of Bridge Fenders for Barge Impact
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 15, Issue 3
Abstract
Fender systems between channel piers are currently required by the U.S. Coast Guard for guidance of vessels under bridges. Because their only function is to guide the vessels through navigational channels under the bridges, these fender systems are not designed to withstand any lateral impact. The objective of this paper is to analyze the possibility of transforming bridge fender systems into pier protection against barge impact. A finite-element model of the fenders currently used by the Florida Department of Transportation was created using ANSYS software and subjected to a static load equivalent to the barge impact force. Because it may be uneconomical and impractical for fenders to be designed to withstand the total barge impact forces, they were also tested for 33% of such load. The results show that the fender systems currently used by the Florida Department of Transportation are too weak to function as bridge protection systems because they are unable to resist even 33% of the impact force without total destruction of the system.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). ( 1991). Guide specification and commentary for vessel collision design of highway bridges. Vol. I: Final report, Washington, D.C.
2.
American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). ( 1996). Standard specifications for highway bridges, Washington, D.C.
3.
American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA) and American Wood Council (AWC). ( 1997). Supplement national design specification for wood construction, Washington, D.C.
4.
Balder, A. P. ( 1986). “Mariner's atlas. Southeast Florida and the Florida Keys.” Maps, Chartcrafters, Baltimore.
5.
Balder, A. P. ( 1988). “Mariner's atlas. The Florida Gulf Coast and the Florida Keys.” Maps, Gulf Publishing Co., Houston.
6.
Bas, B. M. ( 1998). Principles of geotechnical engineering, PWS Publishing Co., Boston.
7.
Better Boating Association (BBA). ( 1979). “Chart-kit, Region VIII, Florida west coast.” Needham, Mass.
8.
Bice, D. A., et al. ( 1989). A panorama of Florida II, Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline, Mo.
9.
Bodig, J., and Jayne, B. A. ( 1993). Mechanics of wood and wood composites, Kriefer Publishing Co., Malabar, Fla.
10.
Coduto, D. P. ( 1994). Foundation design—Principles and practices, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
11.
Dietrich, D., and Levy, A. ( 1987). “Modeling in structural mechanics.” Finite element handbook, H. Kardestuncer, ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 4.154–4.177.
12.
Fjeld, S. ( 1983). “Design assumptions and influence on design of offshore structures.” Proc., Int. Assn. for Bridges and Struct. Engrg. (IABSE) Colloquium, Ship Collision with Bridges, Introductory Rep., IABSE-AIPC-IVBH, Copenhagen, 213–232.
13.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). ( 1996). Standard drawings, Tallahassee, Fla.
14.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). 1997). “Project No. 79080-3544-SR-600 Bridge and Approaches Bridges Nos. 790187 and 790188.” Tallahassee, Fla.
15.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). ( 1999). Standard specifications for road and bridge construction, Tallahassee, Fla.
16.
Gere, J. M., and Timoshenko, S. P. ( 1997). Mechanics of materials, PWS Publishing Co., Boston.
17.
Hah, D. M., and Rama, H. E. ( 1982). “Cofferdams protecting New York bridges from collisions.” Civil Engrg., ASCE, 52(2), 67–68.
18.
Hsu, R. K., and Trepper, R. J. ( 1995). “The fenderless fender system, Port of Texas City.” Proc., Ports 1995, ASCE, New York, 862–868.
19.
Kubo, M. ( 1967). “Lateral resistance of single free-head batter piles and single fixed-head vertical piles.” Monthly Rep. of Transp. 12(2) (in Japanese).
20.
Matlock, H., and Reese, L. C. (1960). “Generalized solutions for laterally loaded piles.”J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 86(10), 63–91.
21.
Matsuzaki, Y., and Jin, H. ( 1983). “Design specification of buffer structure.” Proc., Int. Assn. for Bridges and Struct. Engrg. (IABSE) Colloquium, Ship Collision with Bridges, Preliminary Rep., IABSE-AIPC-IVBH, Copenhagen, 345–352.
22.
Meyer, B. J., and Reese, L. C. ( 1979). “Analysis of single piles under lateral loading.” Res. Rep. 244-1, University of Texas at Austin and Center for Highway Research, Austin, Tex.
23.
Nawy, E. G. ( 1996). Prestressed concrete—A fundamental approach, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.
24.
Reese, L. C., Cox, W. R., and Koop, F. D. ( 1974). “Analysis of laterally loaded piles in sand.” Proc., Offshore Technol. Conf., Paper No. OTC2080.
25.
Saul, R., and Svensson, H. ( 1983). “Means of reducing the consequences of ship collisions with bridges and offshore structures.” Proc., Int. Assn. for Bridges and Struct. Engrg. (IABSE) Colloquium, Ship Collision with Bridges, Introductory Rep., IABSE-AIPC-IVBH, Copenhagen, 165–179.
26.
Tomlinson, M. J. ( 1987). Pile design and construction practice, Palladian Publications Ltd., London.
27.
Tsinker, G. P. ( 1995). Marine structures engineering: Specialized applications, Chapman & Hall, New York.
28.
Tsinker, G. P., Wozniak, Z. A., and Curtis, D. D. ( 1990). “New concept for protection systems for bridges across navigable waterways.” Proc., Permanent Int. Assn. of Navigational Congr. (PIANC), 35–41.
29.
U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Ocean Service (NOS). ( 1992). “Atlantic Coast of North America Tidal Current Tables.” Washington, D.C.
30.
Wilson, C. M. D. ( 2000). “Investigation of bridge fender systems for barge impact.” Master's thesis, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
31.
Yazdani, N., Wekezer, J., Wilson, C. M. D., and Wuttrich, R. ( 2000). “Investigation of fender systems for vessel impact.” Final Rep., Res. Proj. WPI 510846, Florida Department of Transportation, Tallahassee, Fla.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Received: Dec 8, 2000
Published online: Aug 1, 2001
Published in print: Aug 2001
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.