Proposed repair of the Guayaquil Port Authority’s Pilothouse for protection against waves and coastal erosion

Abstract

Context: The proposed repair of the coastal protection rockfill located outside the Guayaquil Port Authority's pilot house in Posorja seeks to mitigate and/or remedy the failures of this structure observed since 2020. Previous works have allowed characterizing the coastal climate based on which measures are proposed to obtain a safe and durable coastal defense work, the work has a length of 190 meters. Previously, the causes of the probable failure mechanisms observed are analyzed. The action of exogenous agents such as waves, prevailing wind, and erosion, are considered to identify their impact on the stability of the structure. Endogenous agents such as the geotechnical parameters of the terrain and the properties of the existing rockfill are also considered conditioning factors of the stability of the structure in the short and long term, for which the elaboration of a repair proposal is proposed, previously characterizing the erosion phenomenon triggered by the coastal dynamics, Method: The marine environment of the site was characterized by applying the criteria of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Protection Manual (USACE, 1984), the failure mechanisms were identified by applying the Hydraulic Engineering Circular 25 technical document, HEC-25, proposed by the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation (FHWA), and a Preliminary Hazard Analysis or PHA was implemented; Results: Geotechnical instability was evidenced in the cross section, as well as in the reinforcement of the structure for which the conceptual design was developed according to the technical document Circular 25 of Hydraulic Engineering proposing a new type section which will be implemented in the sectors that present considerable deformations, as well as the lowering of the slope, Conclusions: The studies were carried out to elaborate the repair proposal in this context, performing the partial intervention of the rockfill is more feasible and economical than toppling it and making a completely new one, it is recommended to perform periodic and preventive maintenance to increase the useful life of the coastal protection works.