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An on-grade and an elevated specimen were tested and exposed to regular waves, in the Directional Wave Basin (DWB) at Oregon State University, with varying water depths and wave heights to simulate typical wave/surge conditions resulting from landfall hurricanes on low-lying barrier islands such as Hurricane Sandy that impacted the US East Coast in 2012 and Hurricane Ike that impacted the US Gulf Coast in 2008. Several instruments were used in the experiment, including nine wire resistance wave gauges located offshore, eight ultrasonic wave gauges located onshore near the specimens, four acoustic-doppler velocimeters, twelve pressure sensors, four load cells, and four triaxial accelerometers located on the specimens. The data (water depth, wave height, velocity, pressure, force, acceleration) gathered can help engineers and numerical modelers better understand the wave-structure interaction and help in improving design criteria of coastal light wood frame residential structures subjected to hurricane overland surge and wave loading. 

It presents an experimental study of tsunami-driven debris transport over the flat testbed. We utilize two types of debris elements, which have the same shape but different material (wood, HDPE) to create debris of different density. We considered variations in the grouping of debris (wood only, mixed wood and HDPE, and HDPE only), parameterized by the mean specific gravity (SGg). The final dislocations and local velocity of debris elements were optically measured and compared to flow velocity. The effects of obstacles on the passage of debris and the probability of collision to obstacles were examined and the process of debris-debris and debris-obstacle interactions from debris entrainment to final dislocation was studied. The curated data could be utilized to understand initial debris entrainment, and espeically utilized to verify/validate a numerical debris transportation model. This work highlights the importance of considering debris density in estimating the longitudinal distance and spreading angle. These variables were less dependent on the initial configuration of the debris field. Future studies should consider other aspects of the phenomena, including a better understanding of the potential impact by debris on obstacles, the role of the return flow in determining the debris trajectory, and investigations of the obstacles that more realistically reflect urban shorelines subjected to strong overland flow. 

Several in-air experimental methods were performed in the Directional Wave Basin (DWB) at Oregon State University for structural characterization (strength, stiffness, frequency, mode shape, and damping) of an on-grade and an elevated light wood-frame coastal residential structure. These include combined lateral load-displacement and free vibration (pluck) tests, ambient vibration, and forced vibration tests. Load, displacement, and acceleration data were collected using load cells, string potentiometers, and accelerometers. These data along with hydrodynamic test data can help engineers and modelers with verification and validation of fluid-structure interaction modeling of coastal residential structures subjected to hurricane overland surge and wave loading. 

This project investigated the potential of mangroves of modest cross-shore thickness to attenuate wave heights and reduce loads on sheltered structures through a prototype-scale physical model. Two forest densities and a baseline case were considered, and transient, regular, and irregular waves generated over the 18 m mangrove test section. Water surface elevations seaward, throughout, and leeward of the mangrove forest were measured, as well as pressures on a test wall positioned behind the forest test section.