Role of structural analysis in floodway design process

摘要

Floodways are road infrastructure designed to be overtopped during flood events of relatively low average recurrence interval. When the floodwater recedes, floodways are expected to be fully functional. The 2011 and 2013 Queensland floods caused many road structures like floodways to sustain frequent damage and in some instances fail causing major disruption to communities. This research considered the Lockyer Valley as a case study region to identify the common structural attributes relating to the most vulnerable floodways. It was discovered that the most vulnerable floodways did not have culverts, the slab decks were typically made from concrete and they were of a single lane width. Having reviewed the limitations of two-dimensional finite element analysis, a three-dimensional structural analysis approach for floodways was investigated and detailed. Results from this analysis provide a basis for flood-way structural design graphs and adjacent soil/rock protection vulnerability analysis. An example design chart is provided demonstrating the intended outcome of the identified finite element analysis procedure to satisfy floodway structural resilience during flood events.