Dolos Design Procedure Based on Crescent City Prototype Data

This design procedure includes statistical methods for determining a design stress in a dolos armor layer. The methods characterize the structural response as a single parameter: the maximum principal tensile stress in each dolos. Using this approach, the dolos shape can be optimized for structural integrity and hydrodynamic stability, and the design can be verified in the physical model. Also, the structural response to the most significant loading mechanisms can be computed separately and the individual statistical distributions combined to yield a design stress distribution. The design stress is computed using this design stress distribution and then compared to a fatigue-reduced strength. The iterative optimizing design process can be accomplished using a user-friendly PC-based computer program. It is shown that unreinforced normal-strength dolosse above 20 tons are often underdesigned with respect to strength and can tolerate only slight movement and the associated impacts. It is also shown that increasing the dolos waist ratio can add significantly to the unit's strength, while sacrificing little hydrodynamic stability, and that large dolosse over 30 tons require some strengthening scheme ... Armor units, Design, Breakwater, Dolos, Concrete, Hydraulic model.