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New Orleans Levee System Performance during Hurricane Katrina: London Avenue and Orleans Canal South |
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| Authors: | Javier Ubilla Tarek Abdoun Inthuorn Sasanakul Michael Sharp Scott Steedman Wipawi Vanadit-Ellis Thomas Zimmie |
| Affiliation: | 1Research Engineer, CEES Geotechnical Centrifuge Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180-3590. E-mail: ubillj@alum.rpi.edu 2Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180-3590. E-mail: abdout@rpi.edu 3Technical Manager, CEES Geotechnical Centrifuge Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180-3590. E-mail: sasani@rpi.edu 4Technical Director, Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180. E-mail: Michael.K.Sharp@erdc.usace.army.mil 5Director of Group Strategy, High-Point Rendel, 61 Southwark St., London SEI ISA, U.K. E-mail: s.steedman@highpointrendel.com 6Acting Director, Centrifuge Research Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 31980. E-mail: Wipawi.Vanadit-Ellis@erdc.usace.army.mil 7Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180-3590. E-mail: zimmit@rpi.edu |
| Abstract: | Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The effects of the hurricane were particularly devastating in the city of New Orleans. Most of the damage was due to the failure of the levee system that surrounds the city to protect it from flooding. This paper presents the results of centrifuge models conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers simulating the behavior of the levees at London Avenue North and South that failed during Hurricane Katrina. Those levees failed without being overtopped by the storm surge. Also included are the results of a centrifuge model of one levee section at Orleans Canal South, which did not fail during the hurricane. The key factor of the failure mechanism of the London Avenue levees was the formation of a gap between the flooded side of the levee and the sheetpile. This gap triggered a reduction of the strength at the foundation of the protected side of the levee. The results are fully consistent with field observations. |
| Keywords: | Levees Hurricanes Centrifuge Louisiana Floods Damage |