Experimental and numerical modelling of wave forces on coastal bridge superstructures with box girders, Part I: Regular waves

Hurricane-induced wave forces on a box girder deck for a coastal bridge are investigated by experimental tests and numerical simulations. A series of 70 experiments, which include six types of wave heights, three types of deck elevations, and various water depths, are conducted. The results show that there are five types of submergence coefficients that cover the elevated and submerged conditions for each deck elevation. Following the experiments, a two-dimensional numerical model is utilized to investigate the wave forces on the box girder deck, in which Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations combined with k-ω turbulence model are applied for wave simulations; the volume of fluid method is used to trace the interface of air and water. This numerical model shows a close agreement with the experimental data in most cases. The laboratory experiment and numerical simulation are different compared to other wave-in-bridge studies in that the box girder superstructure is complex and unique. This study can provide a beneficial tool for estimating hurricane-induced extreme wave forces for this type of coastal bridge superstructure. Regular wave forces on a box girder deck are discussed in Part I of these series of works, while the irregular wave forces will be presented in Part II.