MODEL INVESTIGATIONS OF WIND-WAVE FORCES

Abstract

The load caused by wave attack had to he determined in connection with the design of a steel structure located adjacent to the open sea. This load had to he expressed in such a way that the designer: a) Could "base the dimensioning of his structure on a consideration of the probability of failure b) Would have at his disposal data from which could be derived the number of stress alternations together with the distribution of their amplitudes during the lifetime of the structure. The data required for this is: 1) The probability of occurrence of significant waves of any given magnitude 2) The load spectra associated with the wave spectra of significant waves of any given magnitude. With regard to l) a prognosis was made by the "lijkswaterstaat" from wave records and meteorological conditions at the prototype location? The load spectra were evaluated in the laboratory "de Voorst" by exposing a small scale model to wind generated waves. In the following? a review is given of the preliminary studies made to compare the wave characteristics in model and prototype, the investigation of wave form and the forces exerted on the structure, and the representation of the final results.