Reconceptualization and Optimization of a Rapidly Deployable Floating Causeway

Abstract

There is an increasing demand for rapidly deployable causeways that can provide access from ship-to-shore for military and disaster relief operations. Existing systems have major limitations including only being transportable and emplaceable by large strategic sealift vessels, having high weight and packaged volumes, and requiring intensive on-site assembly. In response to the demand for a lightweight, air-liftable, quickly emplaceable causeway, the Engineer Research and Development Center (Vicksburg, Mississippi) developed a prototype comprised of aluminum modules joined by compliant connections and supported by pneumatic floats. As research and development progressed and experience was gained, eliminating the heavy and complex compliant connections was identified as a potential improvement. To eliminate these compliant connections, this paper shows how this design can be reconceptualized so a desired superstructure flexibility (that takes advantage of buoyancy while meeting deflection limits) is achieved. The superstructure has been designed for a target stiffness to permit a desired curvature under a design moment. This paper will review existing causeways, present this reconceptualization, and discuss the optimization implemented to achieve this new design.