Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Top Elevation Determination of Low Rise Shore Connected Structures

Based on economic considerations, in order to fully utilize the land use and landscape functions behind a shore connection project, the sea side is often designed as a low-rise structure, which is prone to wave energy concentration and water retention at the shore base junction during wave action. The reasonable design of the top elevation of the structure will also directly affect its stability and durability. To demonstrate its hydrodynamic characteristics and reasonable structural design, a 1:40 scale model test was conducted on a dock docking project in Guangdong Province as an example. We obtained the variation laws of hydrodynamic characteristics such as wave height, wave crest elevation, wave force, and impact pressure at the forefront of the structure. Based on the results of overtopping, the design elevation of +6.0 m was determined to be reasonable. In order to further promote the application of low-rise shore structure engineering, a comparative analysis of experimental and standard formula calculation results was conducted. It was found that if the standard calculation is used, the safety factor needs to be amplified by 1.1~1.5, which can meet the requirements. It is recommended to conduct model tests for verification if necessary.