Webinar: Wave Impacts on Highway Embankments due to Hurricanes/Tropical Storms in Coastal Louisiana

Dr. Jay Wang

Professor

Louisiana Tech University

Department of Civil Engineering

Tuesday, August 19th, 2025

2:00 P.M. - 3:15 P.M. (CT)

ABSTRACT

Coastal highway embankments play a critical role in protecting Louisiana’s hurricane-prone regions. Major storms such as Hurricane Katrina (2005), Laura (2020), and Ida (2021) have underscored the devastating impact of extreme weather events. The findings to be presented focus on evaluating wave hydrodynamic forces acting on coastal embankments along Louisiana’s coastline. Wave height data were collected through an expanded network of monitoring stations and supplemented with historical hurricane records to simulate extreme storm conditions. By integrating statistical modeling, spatial interpolation, and empirical calculations, the study establishes a robust framework for assessing hydrodynamic forces on embankments. The methodology developed in the cycle-one research provides a practical approach for predicting wave heights and calculating wave-induced forces. These findings enhance the design and resilience of coastal highway embankments under severe weather conditions.

BIO

Dr. Jay Wang is a professor in the Civil Engineering program at Louisiana Tech University. He has conducted extensive research in Geotechnical Engineering and finite element analysis. His areas of expertise include pile foundation engineering, soil-structure interaction, pore water–soil interaction, and slope stability analysis. Dr. Wang has made significant contributions to predicting pile setup behavior and identifying the failure mechanisms of the levee breaches in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. In recent years, his research has focused on developing design criteria for highway embankments and containment dikes reinforced with geosynthetics under localized wave forces; investigating the effects of expansive soils on pavements and shallow foundations; and evaluating the erosion resistance of vegetation in relation to wetland loss in Louisiana’s coastal regions. Dr. Wang places strong emphasis on the practical implementation and applicability of his research findings.