Design of Hurricane Wave Forces for Overwater Structures

Damages occurred to overwater structures such as coastal bridges, LNG terminals and cruise ship terminals during recent hurricanes (Ivan, Wilma, Katrina and others) have required re-evaluation of engineering design criteria and methodologies for the evaluation of wave-induced forces (see Tirindelli et al., 2009; Tirindelli et al., 2007). This paper describes recent work conducted by Coast and Harbor Engineering, Inc. (CHE) with the use of the most up-to-date methods for hurricane wave forces design on overwater structures, including numerical models, semi-analytical methods and engineering formulae. The projects include design and reconstruction of Cozumel ship cruise terminal, Mexico; design of Caminada Bridge, Louisiana; design of Chef Menteur Bridge, Louisiana. This paper also presents a comparison analysis of wave loads on Chef Menteur Bridge produced by different versions of AASHTO Guide Specifications.