OPTIMIZING BREAKWATER DESIGN CONSIDERING THE SYSTEM OF FAILURE MODES

Alvaro Campos, Carmen Castillo, Rafael Molina

Abstract


Optimization techniques have been applied to breakwater design in order to automate the design process (Castillo et al. 2004, 2006). Since safety of structures is the fundamental criterion for design, a complete knowledge of the potential failure modes, as well as the possible interaction between them, is essential to provide a consistent design. Failure modes are correlated in two ways: through common parameters like HS or by physical interaction. The latter has not yet been precisely identified nor quantified. The aim of the present paper is to advance on the analysis of both types of correlations and to check how the combination of failure modes modifies the failure probability of the whole structure either increasing or decreasing it. An application to a special type of composite breakwater is proposed: the fuse parapet case, where part of the parapet fails under certain circumstances in order to ensure the whole stability of the caisson, despite increasing overtopping events.

Keywords


Cost optimization; Failure probability; Failure modes; Reliability-based design; Fuse-parapet

References


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