Why do suspended deck coastal structures keep failing

When complex structures are attacked by severe waves and/or surge, particularly severe loading patterns may result. This paper provides a brief introduction to wave-in deck loads, including a listing of the latest and most significant literature relating to wave-in deck loads on pier, jetties and suspended bridge decks. A pier in the inertial zone subjected to problematic impulsive wave loads is presented along with investigation into remedial measures to limit further or future damage to the exposed structure. For such dynamic wave load cases, physical model testing represents the most appropriate tool for the analysis of the problem and optimisation of design solutions and where therefore used in the investigation.