A Case Study of the Impact of Wind and Wave Action on Floating Dock Anchorage Systems on Lake Brownwood, Texas

摘要

Lake Brownwood is a 7,300-acre reservoir located in the center of Texas, created by a dam on the Pecan Bayou, a tributary of the Colorado River. The shoreline of the lake and its three islands consists of approximately 90 miles of recreational waterfront property with nearly 1,000 floating dock structures. The dock structures at Lake Brownwood are similar in construction to those found at many lakes throughout the United States. This paper will discuss structural forensic investigations of twenty-two floating dock structures damaged by straight-line winds that occurred on May 8, 2009. Over half of the recreational dock structures on Lake Brownwood were damaged during this severe weather event. The primary focus of the case study will be the anchorage systems employed by the dock structures and an evaluation of their effectiveness in resisting dynamic wind and wave conditions associated with open-water exposure of large lakes. This paper will address common deficiencies of the observed anchorage systems, propose reinforcement of existing systems, and present a new paradigm for anchorage systems to improve the performance of future floating dock structures.