Stability analysis against natural hazard loadings of articulated concrete blocks for a cargo port bulkhead

Author: Eric C. Cruz, Laurenz Luigi B. Cruz, Jose Carlo Eric L. Santos, Maria Elena L. del Rosario

Presenter: Eric C. Cruz

A methodology for analyzing the external stability of articulated concrete blocks (ACB) structure is presented. ACB can be used as bulkhead structure of a wharf for a cargo port. Imposed loads include the deck surcharge load, lateral earth pressure of the backfill, and impact energy of the cargo ship. The main destabilizing loads due to the natural hazards include the dynamic pressures due to fluctuating tides and storm surge, wave impact forces and seismic loads on the blocks and the backfill. Typhoon hazard intensities are quantified thru a calibrated storm surge model, and wave pressures are based on results of coupled hydrodynamics-wave numerical simulations. Seismic loads are based on code-prescribed peak ground acceleration for the project site. For this port, it was found that the failure mode of the structure is due to a combination of seismic loading coinciding with nominal tides and prevailing waves which would cause a seaward sliding of the bulkhead. This methodology can be applied to other ports where the traditional monolithic gravity-type bulkhead is jointly constrained by construction time window, high hazard intensities and an irregular coastal alignment.

Conference/s:

8th Regional Symposium on Infrastructure Development in Civil Engineering, 25-26 October 2018

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