From 2D to 3D: Modeling to Refine Design of a New King-Pile Bulkhead

Engineering design to rehabilitate aging port structures can be challenging and often involves complex structure-soil-water interactions. When a bulkhead or filled, cellular cofferdam pier nears the end of its useful life, rehabilitation likely entails constructing a bulkhead outboard of the existing structure. Traditionally, design of the bulkhead neglects the existing structure. However, consideration of the interaction of the existing and new structures can be beneficial to the new bulkhead design if the existing structure maintains sufficient structural integrity to afford load redistribution for the new bulkhead. Estimating such load redistribution is complicated by the overlapping soil-structure interactions of the two systems. Embracing 3D finite element analyses provides an innovative approach to evaluate these overlapping soil-structure systems and the effect on load redistribution that an existing structure may have on a new bulkhead. Such load redistributions can lead to reduced construction costs and permissible construction operations that may otherwise be restricted.