Extreme hydrodynamic events include, for example, bores, which are observed in connection with storm surges caused by tropical cyclones, but also occur due to tsunamis or flash floods. Coastal homes built on elevated pile foundations have suffered less damage from recent extreme hydrodynamic events because water was able to flow beneath the floor slab, thereby exerting fewer forces on the structures. To date, there has been little research on the horizontal and vertical forces on elevated structures. In particular, previous research results may not be applicable to cases where bore-like currents interact with elevated coastal structures. The aim of this publication was therefore to model ground-level and elevated coastal structures and to look into the forces with a focus on the height of the structure. For this purpose, large-scale experimental model tests were carried out on a 1:15 slope in combination with an adjacent horizontal plane. Idealized dwellings on a scale of 1:5 were designed to simulate the loading conditions of broken solitary waves on ground-level and elevated buildings. A wide range of horizontal forces between 0.1 and 10 kN, vertical forces between 0.5 and 7.5 kN and tilting moments of up to 4.5 kNm were measured. Design equations were derived in accordance with the experimental results.
The publication was published in the Coastal Engineering Journal on January 6th, 2022.
Further information can also be found on Researchgate.
Clemens Krautwald, Hajo Von Häfen, Peter Niebuhr, Katrin Vögele, David Schürenkamp, Mike Sieder & Nils Goseberg (2022). Large-scale physical modeling of broken solitary waves impacting elevated coastal structures, Coastal Engineering Journal, DOI: 10.1080/21664250.2021.2023380
