Wave Forces on Biloxi Bay Bridge Decks with Inclinations under Solitary Waves

AbstractHurricane Katrina in 2005 displaced or washed away a number of coastal bridges, including the Biloxi Bay Bridge. Although some experimental and numerical studies have been conducted to reveal the failure mechanisms of bridges under extreme nature disasters, very few previous studies are focused on the bridge decks with inclinations. In the present study, the wave forces on the bridge decks with inclinations (−10°–10°) under solitary waves have been investigated using the Biloxi Bay Bridge as the prototype bridge. Seven different structure elevations are considered to represent different conditions in field. Wave forces under the prescribed conditions, including the horizontal forces, vertical forces, and moments are analyzed in detail. The results show that the characteristics of wave forces under solitary wave conditions vary with different deck inclinations and structure elevations.