Bridge and pier protective systems and devices

The design of fendering systems, which protect bridge piers against ship impact (or at least retard direct collision), has used basic fundamentals of physics and simple pile equilibrium. Certain assumptions can lead to grossly overdesigned systems or to inaccurate force evaluation in the entire support system. In order to improve the state of the art and provide accurate design data, while maintaining simple design standards, a comprehensive design study was initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The study included examination of the state of the art in bridge fendering, development of improved design criteria, preparation of spring constant curves for various types of fenders, and presentation of design examples. In the course of the study, it became obvious that a complex computer-oriented dynamic solution was warranted. Such a program has been developed; its results are described here and compared with the results of other techniques. (Authors)