Floods have caused enormous loss of property and life in the United States and many other countries of the world. Sandbags are often used to hold back, or attempt to hold back, floodwaters. Recently, water-filled tubes have been introduced as an alternative temporary flood barrier. However failures have occurred due to excessive movements and to material or seam rupture. This research program aims at a thorough analytical and experimental investigation of this concept so as to improve its performance.
In addition to its practical importance, the research addresses a problem of considerable theoretical challenge; namely interactions among a highly-flexible structure, internal and external water, and soil: the structure deforms greatly when filled, and settles into the ground; floodwaters tend to push or roll the barrier away and to undermine it due to seepage. The coupling of seepage with deformations of the tube conforming in shape to the ground is a special feature of the problem. Dynamic effects also can lead to failure or collapse, such as when the tube is struck by waves, a surge of water, or floating debris. Thus this study promises not only a more fundamental understanding of the behavior of these tubes under flood-control conditions, and improved design procedures, but it is also expected to result in fundamental advances in basic methodologies of use in a wide variety of applications.
