Simulation and Reasonable Design of Bridge Steel Fenders to Reduce Ship Impacts

Steel fenders are increasingly used for ship-impact resistance structures in the design of navigable bridges. As an important approach to investigating this anti-impact structure effectiveness to reduce influences of vessel impact, simulation analyses are still not perfect yet. So this paper is intended to discuss several issues related to ship collision simulations, including steel constitutive relationship, connections between steel box and pile cap, contacts definition and friction consideration, and the determination of impact waterlines and angles. Consequently based on two examples of ship-steel fender-bridge structure systems, some conclusions about effectiveness and design of fenders to reduce ship impact are drawn.

Simulation and Reasonable Design of Bridge Steel Fenders to Reduce Ship Impacts

Steel fenders are increasingly used for ship-impact resistance structures in the design of navigable bridges. As an important approach to investigating this anti-impact structure effectiveness to reduce influences of vessel impact, simulation analyses are still not perfect yet. So this paper is intended to discuss several issues related to ship collision simulations, including steel constitutive relationship, connections between steel box and pile cap, contacts definition and friction consideration, and the determination of impact waterlines and angles. Consequently based on two examples of ship-steel fender-bridge structure systems, some conclusions about effectiveness and design of fenders to reduce ship impact are drawn.