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UK Research Guides Hurricane Bridge Repairs
01 Feb 2006
The UK civil engineering hydraulics consultancy HR Wallingford has been contracted by the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) in Washington DC to apply prediction methods for wave forces developed at Wallingford to US bridges damaged last year by hurricanes Katrina and Ivan.
Professor William Allsop (Technical Director, Maritime Studies) was contacted by the FHWA through the University of South Alabama to guide their engineers in the use of prediction methods developed by HR Wallingford under the 'Exposed Jetties' research project. The UK guidance manual, written by HR Wallingford, will be used to analyse why so many coastal bridges in the USA suffered severe damage, and how they can be safely repaired and strengthened.
The original research work reported in the Exposed Jetties Manual was part funded by the UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry and supported by an industry wide steering group. The research into wave forces on jetties and piers was primarily focussed on those built close to the water level, which may be at risk of direct wave attack. The analysis methods developed can however be applied to low bridges across coastal waters or large lakes.
In the research project, HR Wallingford carried out physical model tests of a typical jetty head (at a scale of 1:25) in a 2D random wave flume. Force transducers were fitted to the jetty beams and deck elements to log responses. 'Once we had a set of test data, we compared it against figures using prediction methods currently available in the literature, explained Professor Allsop.
'These tended to under-predict the forces acting on the structure.'
Results of the force measurements were analysed to give a set of new prediction formulae, providing practical design guidance for wave forces on jetty and pier decks.
MJ Information No: 21501
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