With Reinforcing Berm:
Stand Alone:
A physical modeling study was carried out at Texas A&M University Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory to study the conceptual feasibility of a double-wall impact protection levee. Testing used a 1:18 scale model to represent a prototype levee with a crest height of 18 ft above ground and a prototype crown width of 10 ft. Two levee configurations were evaluated.
Test Case 1: Represents a canal application, where the levee was positioned directly on the sea floor (18ft prototype crest elevation above the sea floor).
Test Case 2: represents a coastal application, where the levee is positioned on a natural berm (24ft prototype crest elevation above the sea floor).
- We set the double wall design in a “worst case scenario” soil profile, very similar to that of the west bank of the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans.
- We exposed the levees to a range of water depths up to 18ft (case 1) and 24ft (case 2).
- We exposed the levees to waves that were the largest waves that can be generated at these depths.
- We raised the water level until moderate to high levels of overtopping occurred.
- We exposed the levee to these conditions for several days.
- IT DID NOT FAIL.
The report generated from the study is in excess of 100 pages. An executive sumary is included in the report. The report includes the folowing:
- Experimental set up
- Specific soil conditions used
- Specific wave heights
- Wave frequency
- The forces the levees were exposed to
- The duration of exposure
- Factors of safety generated