Analytical solution for sheet-pile groin vibrations under tidal bore excitation

A sheet-pile groin composed of two rows of piles connected by sheets has been applied to resist tidal bores in recent years, but its dynamic responses have not been thoroughly researched. This paper proposes an analytical solution for the dynamic responses of sheet-pile groins subjected to tidal bore impulses. The piles are modeled as Timoshenko beams to include flexural vibration. Considering the longitudinal vibration and vertical flexural inertia effect, each sheet is modeled with a Rayleigh-Love rod and Timoshenko beam. The dynamic Winkler foundation model simulates the soil around the piles. The tidal bore load acting on the front row of piles is simplified as a lateral semiharmonic concentrated point load. The governing equations are constructed in the time domain and solved in the frequency domain, and the final responses in the time domain are obtained using the discrete inverse Fourier transform. The presented analytical solution is validated by comparison with numerical simulation results. An extensive parametric analysis is then conducted to investigate the influence of the vertical flexural inertia effect on the dynamic responses of a sheet-pile groin. Suggestions based on this study are given to provide guidance for sheet-pile groin design in engineering practice.