Wave loads on ocean infrastructure increase as a result of waves passing over abrupt depth transitions
Zhenhao Li (University of Oxford)
Tianning Tang (University of Oxford)
Yan Li (University of Oxford, University of Bergen)
Samuel Draycott (The University of Manchester)
Ton S. van den Bremer (TU Delft - Environmental Fluid Mechanics, University of Oxford)
Thomas A.A. Adcock (University of Oxford)
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Abstract
Abrupt changes in water depth are known to lead to abnormal free-surface wave statistics. The present study considers whether this translates into abnormal loads on offshore infrastructure. A fully non-linear numerical model is used which is carefully validated against experiments. The wave kinematics from the numerical model are used as input to a simple wave loading model. We find enhanced overturning moments, an increase of approximately 20%, occur over a distance of a few wavelengths after an abrupt depth transition. We observe similar results for 1:1 and 1:3 slopes. This increase does not occur in linear simulations.
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