Development of Combined Load Spectra for Offshore Structures Subjected to Wind, Wave, and Ice Loading

Fixed offshore wind turbines continue to be developed for high latitude areas where not only wind and wave loads need to be considered but also moving sea ice. Current rules and regulations for the design of fixed offshore structures in ice-covered waters do not adequately consider the effects of ice loading and its stochastic nature on the fatigue life of the structure. Ice crushing on such structures results in ice-induced vibrations, which can be represented by loading the structure using a variable-amplitude loading (VAL) sequence. Typical offshore load spectra are developed for wave and wind loading. Thus, a combined VAL spectrum is developed for wind, wave, and ice action. To this goal, numerical models are used to simulate the dynamic ice-, wind-, and wave-structure interaction. The stress time-history at an exemplarily selected critical point in an offshore wind energy monopile support structure is extracted from the model and translated into a VAL sequence, which can then be used as a loading sequence for the fatigue assessment or fatigue testing of welded joints of offshore wind turbine support structures. This study presents the approach to determine combined load spectra and standardized time series for wind, wave, and ice action.

Horizontal Wave Pressures on the Crown Wall of Rubble Mound Breakwater under Non-Breaking Condition

The crown wall with parapet on top of the rubble mound breakwater represents a relatively economic and efficient solution to reduce the wave overtopping discharge. However, the inclusion of parapet leads to increased wave pressure on the crown wall. The wave pressure on the crown wall is investigated by physical model test. To design the crown wall the wave loads should be available, and the horizontal wave pressure is still unclear. Regarding to the horizontal wave pressure on the crown wall, a series of experiments were conducted by changing the rubble mound type structure and the wave conditions. Based on these results, pressure modification factors of Goda’s (1974, 2010) formula have been suggested, which can be applicable for the practical design of the crown wall of the rubble-mound breakwater covered by tetrapods.