Abstract
This paper presents a numerical analysis of the nonlinear interaction between water waves and the movable superstructure of a coastal bridge. An improved mesh update method is used to dynamically configure the computational meshes solving the Navier-Stokes equations for viscous and incompressible free surface flows with the volume of fluid (VOF) method. To maintain the mesh quality as the bridge deck is displaced, the computational domain is separated into several parts corresponding to a specific type of body motion. The numerical model results have been compared with the laboratory experiments conducted at Oregon State University with good agreement. This hydrodynamic model is then used to simulate the failure process of the prototype U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) Bridge during Hurricane Katrina (2005). It is found that the bridge deck is most vulnerable to be displaced by the waves when the bridge is partially submerged because of the combined effects of the vertical and horizontal wave forces. Numerical experiments of the US 90 Bridge shed light on the sway and heave responses of the bridge deck to different wave height conditions. It is shown that a significant wave height of 2.6 m would result in a failure of the bridge deck. A critical wave height (2 m) based on the incipient motion of the bridge deck is recommended for screening the vulnerability of other bridges similar to the US 90 Bridge in hurricane-prone areas. Moreover, the computed maximum heave response can be used as a reference for engineers to design the shear key height to prevent a bridge deck from horizontal displacement.
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Acknowledgments
The first author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the China Scholarship Council and assistance from fellow graduate students during his study at Louisiana State University. Qin Chen acknowledges the support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (CCF-1539567).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 21 • Issue 9 • September 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 22, 2015
Accepted: Feb 17, 2016
Published online: Mar 25, 2016
Discussion open until: Aug 25, 2016
Published in print: Sep 1, 2016
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Bridge decks
- Bridge engineering
- Bridge failures
- Bridges
- Bridges (by type)
- Continuum mechanics
- Decks
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Failures (by type)
- Fluid mechanics
- Forces (type)
- Hydrologic engineering
- Man-made disasters
- Models (by type)
- Motion (dynamics)
- Movable bridges
- Numerical analysis
- Numerical models
- Solid mechanics
- Structural engineering
- Structural systems
- Water and water resources
- Water waves
- Wave forces
- Waves (fluid mechanics)
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