SAFECON · New Computational Methods for Predicting the Safety of Constructions to Water Hazards accounting for Fluid-Soil-Structure Interactions

The objective of this research project is the development and experimental validation of a new generation of mathematical and computational methods allowing the solution of practical fluid-solid structure interaction (FSSI) problems of interest for predictive safety of civil constructions to water-induced hazards. These constructions include: buildings, bridges, harbours, dams, dykes, breakwaters, and similar infrastructures in water hazard scenarios such as flooding, large sea waves, tsunamis and water spills due to the collapse of dams, dykes and reservoirs, among others.The specific research aims of the SAFECON project are: a) development, integration and validation of a next generation of predictive methods based on new mathematical models and efficient computational procedures integrating a new particle-based method, the discrete element method and the finite element method for estimating accurately the dynamics of three dimensional (3D) free surface multiscale heterogeneous flows and their interaction with constructions accounting for FSSI effects. b) Extension and validation of the new particle-discrete-finite element method (PDFEM) for solving 3D FSSI problems allowing for failure mechanisms in the structure and the soil, and c) application of the new computational method (the PDFEM) for predicting the risk of failure in selected civil constructions under the effect of water forces.The ultimate outputs of SAFECON will be: a) new mathematical models and numerical techniques for analysis of multiscale free surface heterogeneous flows and their interaction with soils and structures and b) new validated computational methods and software for enhanced design and risk assessment of engineering constructions to protect human populations and civil infrastructure in presence of water-induced hazards.