MODEL TESTS AND ANALYSES ON BEARING CAPACITY OF CAISSON-TYPE BREAKWATER MOUND CONTAINING REINFORCING EMBANKMENT

Abstract

 Caisson-type breakwaters attacked by tsunami have large wave force on the side and uplift force on the bottom. One of the reinforcement methods is to pile up rocks behind the caisson, and the resistance mechanism, however, has not been clarified yet. The present study investigated the deformation and failure characteristics of a breakwater subjected to a horizontal load by using the centrifuge technique, which can simulate the prototype scale stress. Fine sand was utilized to visualize a failure mode, and two modes could be seen in the tests. The resistance mechanism in the case of rocks would be thought to be the same as one of sand. In addition, the study conducted circular slip analyses. Although the location of the slip surface had some problems, it could accurately simulate the limit load.