Retrofit design of a Brazilian bridge subjected to storm surge and wave loads

Abstract

A significant amount of coastal bridges was damaged due to recent events, such as 2005 Katrina hurricane. Those activities highlight the importance of studying and understanding the failure mechanisms of coastal bridges for future prevention of such disasters. Bridge destruction is not only expensive, as it can be determinant for emergency services, which would not be able to reach the coastal communities, resulting in eventualities. This paper presents a typical Brazilian coastal bridge that connects a port to the continent, with low clearance, that will be partially submerged by a wave. The vertical and horizontal loads are going to be assessed by the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Bridges Vulnerable to Coastal Storms (2008) described approach. The proposed solution was a retrofit design of the connection between the bridge’s superstructure and substructure. This bond, held by the shear blocks and the hold-down device, prevents the superstructure’s excessive displacements, in relation to the substructure, avoiding a possible failure. The pros and cons of using this kind of retrofitting option to solve the wave-bridge interaction problem are presented below. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London.