An Engineering Approach For Computation Of Wave Loads On Pile-slab Structures

Pile-slab structures are wildly used in the area of coastal and offshore engineering such as sea crossing bridge and offshore wind power plant. In the design and construction of coastal and offshore engineering, the wave loads exerted on the piled structures under the action of waves and currents are generally the dominant role. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate and forecast the hydrodynamic loads properly.An engineering approach for computation of wave loads on pile-slab structures was proposed and the influence of slab on the wave loads on the piles was discussed, two coefficients in terms of slab effect and the grouping piles were computed and analyzed. The wave loads on the slab were obtained by using an eigenfunction expansion method developed by Garrett(1971). The relationship between wave force and ka (k-wave number, a-radius of the circular dock) was discussed. The wave loads on piles were computed by using the Morison equation, based on the code and literature available. The velocity and acceleration of water particles were derived through the analytical solution of velocity potential of the wave scattered by the slab for computation of wave loads. The approach was implemented by the use of Matlab. The wave loads on the slab and eight inclined piles of the wind power demonstration project near the Donghai Bridge was computed by the method.