Dawood, Mina2018-11-302018-11-30August 2012016-08August 201http://hdl.handle.net/10657/3572The research presented herein has two principal objectives, which are (i) to develop a numerical framework to predict the collapse load of highly redundant structures with stiff superstructures under vertical (gravity) loads considering the instability of severely corroded steel H-piles as the predominant failure mode, and (ii) to investigate the influence of sheet and battered piles, stiffness of the superstructure, redundancy of supporting elements, and distribution of corroded piles on the performance of wharf structures. The findings of this research indicated that higher collapse loads corresponded to an increase in the number of buckled piles and that the stiffness of the superstructure was a principal factor in the resulting load redistribution capabilities of this type of structure. Additionally, results indicated that the performance of the USS Salem Wharf structure could be maintained with a reduced number of piles, if the superstructure stiffness reached a level corresponding to un-cracked concrete sections.application/pdfengThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).StructurePerformanceCollapseBucklingSubstructureCorrosion2018-11-30Thesisborn digital