Design and Construction Methods of Caisson-Type Maritime Infrastructures Using GFRP

Abstract

Glass-fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) are commonly used in various applications in civil-engineering projects. However, they are not common in the construction of civil-marine structures. The GFRP caisson technology was developed for the construction of two mooring dolphins in Puerto el Rosario (Fuerteventura, Spain). Ultraviolet-protected glass-fiber and epoxy resin coats were used to build a 12-m diameter, 13.3-m high cylindrical structure. A finite-element model was used to verify the sandwich composite configuration using the Tsai–Hill criteria—the shear strength of the skins and honeycomb core and the buckling and local failure modes with respect to the composite configuration. This is the first time that the two caissons were designed and built of polymeric materials and installed in a seaport. Accordingly, the construction technique marks a milestone in civil engineering because of its highly innovative nature in addition to significantly reducing the time associated with and the complexity of construction operations.