Application of a Dolos Structural Design Procedure

by Jeffrey A. Melby, Coastal Engineering Research Cent, Vicksburg, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Engineering Practice

Abstract:

Dolos concrete armor units are widely used to protect coastal structures. New developments in armor unit strength design permit the armor unit designer to optimize the dolos parameters to achieve an efficient armor layer with respect to both hydrodynamic stability and structural strength. This paper outlines an overall design methodology for dolosse, concentrating primarily on new strength design techniques. These new design techniques are based on a combined deterministic and probabilistic framework wherein the most probable maximum tensile stress in a dolos armor layer can be determined for static and pulsating loads. This design methodology is applied to most of the existing dolos structures throughout the world. It is shown that unreinforced dolosse above approximately 20 tons are typically underdesigned with respect to strength and that dolos-to-dolos impacts should be minimized for these large units. Special strengthening measures that can be economically employed including increasing the member thickness, structural reinforcement, and higher strength concrete are examined.



Subject Headings: Concrete blocks | Structural strength | Structural design | Coastal protection structures | Armor units | Reinforced concrete | Concrete structures

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