Wave loads of bridge decks near a sloped beach.

This article focuses on investigating the hydrodynamic loads exerted by nonlinear solitary waves on rectangular bridge decks located near sloped coastal beaches. Using laboratory flume experiments and a large eddy simulation (LES) computational fluid dynamics model, the study validates the simulation accuracy and examines the effects of wave height, deck submergence, and beach slope on wave-induced forces. Results indicate that hydrodynamic forces scale linearly with wave height, with maximum drag, lift, and pitch moment coefficients occurring when the deck is near or above the still water level; run-down currents near steeper slopes generate significant downward forces and moments, emphasizing the need to consider near-shore effects in coastal bridge design. The study also finds that dimensionless force coefficients from scaled models closely represent full-size bridge decks, supporting the applicability of the findings for engineering practice.