A METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING RISK-CONSISTENT DESIGN CRITERIA FOR COASTAL STRUCTURES EXPOSED TO MULTIPLE HAZARDS

A multi-hazard risk assessment approach is proposed for developing design criteria for structures subjected to hazards posed by hurricane wind speed and storm surge. The approach incorporates state-of-the-art hurricane simulation science, hydrology, probabilistic methods, and structural engineering, and involves the following steps: (1) simulation of a stochastic set of tracks and characteristics of hurricanes affecting the region of interest, and development of wind speed time histories at sites affected by those hurricanes, (2) hydrodynamic simulation of the region of interest, using the information of Step 1, and development of corresponding time histories of storm surge heights at those sites, and (3) use of wind speed and storm surge height time histories to develop (a) probabilistic information on joint wind speed/storm surge height hazards at a site, and (b) corresponding risk-consistent structural design criteria.