An experimental study of wave-in-deck loading and its dependence on the properties of the topside structure

Abstract

This paper concerns the largest and arguably the most threatening wave loading component experienced by a broad range of offshore structures. It arises when an incident wave crest exceeds the elevation of the underside of the deck structure, leading to direct wave-in-deck (WID) loading. The extent of this loading may be limited to the partial submergence of some of the lowermost deck beams, or could involve the large-scale inundation of the entire deck area. Either way, very large loads can arise which must be taken into account when assessing the reliability of the structure. In an earlier contribution Ma and Swan (2020) provided an extensive laboratory study exploring the variation of these loads with the properties of the incident wave. The present paper describes a second stage of this experimental study in which the variation of the WID loads with the properties of the topside structure is addressed. Specifically, it considers the porosity, position and orientation of the topside relative to the incident wave conditions, and seeks to explore both the variations in the maximum load and the loading time–history resulting from these changes.Given the highly transitory nature of a WID loading event, coupled with the fact that the problem is governed by flow conditions at, or very close to, the instantaneous water surface, the loading process is driven by an exchange of momentum from the wave crest to the topside structure. A recently developed WID load model, based on exactly these arguments (Ma and Swan 2020), is used alongside the laboratory data to provide a break-down of the load into its component parts. This provides an enhanced physical understanding of the resulting load time–history. The first part of the study is based upon an idealised generic topside structure, allowing a systematic variation in key parameters, particularly porosity. The second part addresses a realistic topside structure demonstrating the practical relevance of earlier work. Taken together, the analysis clearly establishes the importance of the topside porosity, clarifies the spatial effects associated with the evolution of a large ocean wave beneath the plan area of a structure and explains the unexpected occurrence of impact-type loading on topside structures having a high porosity. Most importantly, the paper highlights those properties of a topside structure which must be incorporated if the WID loads are to be accurately predicted.