Effect of Cyclic Loading Frequency on Undrained Behaviors of Undisturbed Marine Clay

Based on a series of cyclic triaxial tests, the effect of cyclic frequency on the undrained behaviors of undisturbed marine clay is investigated. For a given dynamic stress ratio, the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain increase with the number of cycles. There exists a threshold value for both the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain, below which the effect of cyclic frequency is very small, but above which the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain increase intensely with the decrease of cyclic frequency for a given number of cycles. The dynamic strength increases with the increase of cyclic frequency, whereas the effect of cyclic frequency on it gradually diminishes to zero when the number of cycles is large enough, and the dynamic strengths at different frequencies tend to the same limiting minimum dynamic strength. The test results demonstrate that the reasons for the frequency effect on the undrained soil behaviors are both the creep effect induced by the loading rate and the decrease of sample effective confining pressure caused by the accumulated pore water pressure.

Feedback and Feedforward Optimal Control for Offshore Jacket Platforms

The optimal control is investigated for linear systems affected by external harmonic disturbance and applied to vibration control systems of offshore steel jacket platforms. The wave-induced force is the dominant load that offshore structures are subjected to, and it can be taken as harmonic excitation for the system. The linearized Morison equation is employed to estimate the wave loading. The main result concerns the existence and design of a realizable optimal regulator, which is proposed to damp the forced oscillation in an optimal fashion. For demonstration of the effectiveness of the control scheme, the platform performance is investigated for different wave states. The simulations are based on the tuned mass damper and the active mass damper control devices. It is demonstrated that the control scheme is useful in reducing the displacement response of jacket-type offshore platforms.

Effect of Sample Disturbance on Unconfined Compression Strength of Natural Marine Clays

Quantitatively correcting the unconfined compressive strength for sample disturbance is an important research project in the practice of ocean engineering and geotechnical engineering. In this study, the specimens of undisturbed natural marine clay obtained from the same depth at the same site were deliberately disturbed to different levels. Then, the specimens with different extents of sample disturbance were trimmed for both oedometer tests and unconfined compression tests. The degree of sample disturbance SD is obtained from the oedometer test data. The relationship between the unconfined compressive strength q u and SD is studied for investigating the effect of sample disturbance on q u. It is found that the value of q u decreases linearly with the increase in SD. Then, a simple method of correcting q u for sample disturbance is proposed. Its validity is also verified through analysis of the existing published data.

Remolded Undrained Strength of Soils

Extensive data of undrained shear strength for various remolded soils are compiled to normalize the remolded undrained strength. Remolded soils have a wide spectrum of liquid limits ranging from 25% to 412%. It is found that the remolded undrained strength is a function of water content and liquid limit. Furthermore, a simple index designated as normalized water content w * is introduced for normalizing remolded undrained strength for various soils. The normalized water content w * is the ratio of water content to liquid limit. The relationship between the remolded undrained strength and the normalized water content can be expressed by a simple equation. The new simple equation is not only valuable theoretically for helping in assessing the in situ mechanical behavior, but also useful to ocean engineering practice.

The Effect of Internal Fluid on the Response of Vortex-Induced Vibration of Marine Risers

Based on Iwan′s wake oscillator model developed with the classical van der Pol equation, the differential equation for the response of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of the riser considering the effect of the internal flowing fluid and the external marine environmental condition is derived. The effect of the internal flowing fluid on the response of VIV of the riser is studied by means of the Finite Element Method. The results show that the effect of the internal fluid velocity on the VIV of the riser is strong when the natural frequency of the riser is close to the vortex shedding frequency. In addition, the increase of the top tension can decrease the sensitivity of the riser to the internal fluid velocity.

Wave Energy Study in China: Advancements and Perspectives

The history and current status of research and development of wave energy in the world is briefly introduced. The main problems existing in these studies are pointed out. The description is focused on the current status and the advancements achieved in China. After analysis of the wave energy resources and practical situations in China, it is pointed out that the studies on wave energy should be not only concentrated on the conversion efficiency and costs of wave energy devices, but also focused on the technology of independent operation and stable output of electricity. Finally, the perspectives of application of wave energy in China are discussed.

Fuzzy Fatigue Reliability Analysis of Offshore Platforms in Ice-Infested Waters

The calculation of fatigue stress ranges due to random waves and ice loads on offshore structures is discussed, and the corresponding accumulative fatigue damages of the structural members are evaluated. To evaluate the fatigue damage to the structures more accurately, the Miner rule is modified considering the fuzziness of the concerned parameters, and a new model for fuzzy fatigue reliability analysis of offshore structures members is developed. Furthermore, an assessment method for predicting the dynamics of the fuzzy fatigue reliability of structural members is provided.

Effect of Sea Level Variation on Tidal Characteristic Values for the East China Sea

Tidal waves in the East China Sea are simulated numerically with POM(Princeton Ocean Model) model for normal mean sea level, 30 cm higher, 60 cm higher, and 100 cm higher, respectively, and the simulated result is compared with the harmonic analysis result of hourly sea level data from 19 tide gauges for more than 19 years. It is indicated that the long-term mean sea level variation affects notably tidal waves in this region. Generally, the tidal amplitude increases when the mean sea level rises, but this relationship may be inverse for some sea areas. The maximal variation of tidal amplitude takes place in the zones near the Fujian coast and the Zhejiang coast, rather than the shallowest Bohai Sea. The maximum increase of M2 amplitude can exceed about 15 cm corresponding to the 60 cm rise of the mean sea level along the Fujian coast. The other regions with large variations of tidal amplitude are those along the Jiangsu coast, the south-east coast of Shandong, and the south-east coast of Dalian. The propagation of tidal waves is also related to mean sea level variation, and the tidal phase-lag decreases generally when the mean sea level rises. Almost all the regions where the tidal phase-lag increases with rising mean sea level are close to amphidromic points, meanwhile the spatial area of such regions is very small. Because the influence of mean sea level variation upon tidal waves is spatially marked, such spatial effect should be considered in calculation of the tidal characteristic value and engineering water level. In the region where the amplitudes of the major tidal constituents increase, the probable maximum high water level becomes higher, the probable maximum low water level becomes lower, and both design water level andcheck water level increase obviously. For example, the design water level at Xiamen increases by 13.5 cm due to the variation of tidal waves when the mean sea level rises 60 cm, the total increase of design water level being 73.5 cm.

Maximum Entropy Estimation of n-Year Extreme Waveheights

A new method for estimating the n (50 or 100) -year return-period waveheight, namely, the extreme waveheight expected to occur in n years, is presented on the basis of the maximum entropy principle. The main points of the method are as follows: (1) based on the Hamiltonian principle, a maximum entropy probability density function for the extreme waveheight H, f(H)=αHγ e -βH4 is derived from a Lagrangian function subject to some necessary and rational constraints; (2) the parameters α, β, and γ in the function are expressed in terms of the mean , variance V= (H-)2 and bias B= (H-)3 ; and (3) with , V and B estimated from observed data, the n -year return-period wave height H n is computed in accordance with the formula 11-F(H n)=n , where F(H n) is defined as F(H n)=∫ H n 0f(H) d H. Examples of estimating the 50 and 100-year return period waveheights by the present method and by some currently used method from observed data acquired from two hydrographic stations are given. A comparison of the estimated results shows that the present method is superior to the others.

Experimental Study on Local Scour Around Bridge Piers in Tidal Current

Local scour around a bridge pier is an important parameter for the design of a bridge. Compared with the local scour in a mono-directional current, the local scour in a tidal current has its unique characteristics. In this paper, several aspects of local scour around bridge piers in tidal current, including the scour development process, the plane form of a scour hole and the maximum scour depth, are studied through movable bed flume experiments.

An Intelligent Method for Structural Reliability Analysis Based on Response Surface

As water depth increases, the structural safety and reliability of a system become more and more important and challenging. Therefore, the structural reliability method must be applied in ocean engineering design such as offshore platform design. If the performance function is known in structural reliability analysis, the first-order second-moment method is often used. If the performance function could not be definitely expressed, the response surface method is always used because it has a very clear train of thought and simple programming. However, the traditional response surface method fits the response surface of quadratic polynomials where the problem of accuracy could not be solved, because the true limit state surface can be fitted well only in the area near the checking point. In this paper, an intelligent computing method based on the whole response surface is proposed, which can be used for the situation where the performance function could not be definitely expressed in structural reliability analysis. In this method, a response surface of the fuzzy neural network for the whole area should be constructed first, and then the structural reliability can be calculated by the genetic algorithm. In the proposed method, all the sample points for the training network come from the whole area, so the true limit state surface in the whole area can be fitted. Through calculational examples and comparative analysis, it can be known that the proposed method is much better than the traditional response surface method of quadratic polynomials, because, the amount of calculation of finite element analysis is largely reduced, the accuracy of calculation is improved, and the true limit state surface can be fitted very well in the whole area. So, the method proposed in this paper is suitable for engineering application.

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Ocean Cables

This study has focused on developing numerical procedures for the dynamic nonlinear analysis of cable structures subjected to wave forces and ground motions in the ocean. A geometrically nonlinear finite element procedure using the isoparametric curved cable element based on the Lagrangian formulation is briefly summarized. A simple and accurate method to determine the initial equilibrium state of cable systems associated with self-weights, buoyancy and the motion of end points is presented using the load incremental method combined with penalty method. Also the Newmark method is used for dynamic nonlinear analysis of ocean cables. Numerical examples are presented to validate the present numerical method.

Numerical Simulation of Wave Interaction with Perforated Caisson Breakwaters

The volume of fluid (VOF) method is presented to determine the reflection coefficient of and the total horizontal wave force on perforated caisson breakwaters. The present numerical model is compared with a linear analytic solution obtained by Sahoo et al. (2000). Also this model is verified with the authors′ laboratory data. It is found that the numerical model is in good agreement with the regression equations obtained from the experimental data. The present numerical method is further discussed to relate porosity, the relative wave absorbing chamber depth, the reflection coefficient of perforated caissons and the total horizontal force on them.

Application of Maximum Entropy Principle to Studying the Distribution of Wave Heights in A Random Wave Field

Based on the maximum entropy principle, a probability density function (PDF) is derived for the distribution of wave heights in a random wave field, without any more hypothesis. The present PDF, being a non-Rayleigh form, involves two parameters: the average wave height H— and the state parameter γ. The role of γ in the distribution of wave heights is examined. It is found that γ may be a certain measure of sea state. A least square method for determining γ from measured data is proposed. In virtue of the method, the values of γ are determined for three sea states from the data measured in the East China Sea. The present PDF is compared with the well known Rayleigh PDF of wave height and it is shown that it much better fits the data than the Rayleigh PDF. It is expected that the present PDF would fit some other wave variables, since its derivation is not restricted only to the wave height.

Uplift Pressure of Waves on A Horizontal Plate

Uplift pressures of waves acting on horizontal plates are the important basis for design of maritime hollow-trussed structures. In this paper, an experimental study on the uplift pressures of waves on a horizontal plate is conducted by use of a series of model tests. Detailed analysis has been given to the formation mechanism of uplift pressures of waves. It is considered that the impact pressure intensity is mainly affected by geometrical factors (tangential angle of waves), dynamic factors (wave height, wave velocity, etc.) and air cushion. Based on the test results, an equation for calculation of the maximum uplift pressure intensity of waves on a plate is presented. A large quantity of test data shows good agreement of the present equation with the test results.

Reliability Index of Caisson Breakwaters for Load Variables Correlated

In order to suit the condition that the wave uplift is correlated with the horizontal wave load acting on a vertical breakwater, a generally used method for determining the reliability index β of the breakwater, i.e. the Hasofer-Lind method, is extended in a generalized stochastic space for correlative variables. The computational results for a caisson breakwater indicate that the value of β for the case of correlated variables is obviously smaller than that for the case of independent variables.

Dynamic Response Analysis for Embedded Large-Cylinder Breakwaters Under Wave Excitation

A numerical model is developed for dynamic analysis of large-cylinder breakwaters embedded in soft soil. In the model, the large cylinder is taken as a rigid body divided into elements and the soft soil is replaced by discrete 3D nonlinear spring-dashpot systems. The numerical model is used to simulate the dynamic response of a large-cylinder breakwater to breaking wave excitation. The effects of the dynamic stress-strain relationship models of the soil, the radius and embedded depth of the cylinder, the nonlinear behaviors of the soil, and the limit strength condition of the soil on the dynamic responses of the large-cylinder structure are investigated with an example given. It is indicated that the above-mentioned factors have significant effects on the dynamic responses of an embedded large cylinder breakwater under breaking wave excitation.

Modal Wave Number Tomography for South China Sea Front

Monitoring of the South China Sea is always one of the focuses in the field of ocean engineering for its particular geographic position. The modal wave number tomography is proposed for monitoring the front and numerical simulation is performed for the front of the South China Sea. With the empirical orthonormal function (EOF) applied to reduce the parameter search space, the perturbation inversion method is used for inversing sound speed profiles. The 2-D ocean environment used for numerical simulation is selected from the ocean area, located in 20°N, 118°E～20°N, 125°E, near the Luzon Strait in the South China Sea. The ocean environment sound speed distribution in the ocean area under study is obtained from the assimilation of multi-source remote sensing data. The numerical simulation shows that the modal wave number tomography can inverse the average sound speed profile, therefore,it can be used to monitor ocean internal structures such as ocean fronts and eddies which affect sound speed distribution.

Hydroelastic Analysis of Very Large Floating Structures Using Plate Green Functions

Great attention has been paid to the development of very large floating structures. Owing to their extreme large size and great flexibility, the coupling between the structural deformation and fluid motion is significant. This is a typical problem of hydroelasticity. Efficient and accurate estimation of the hydroelastic response of very large floating structures in waves is very important for design. In this paper, the plate Green function and fluid Green function are combined to analyze the hydroelastic response of very large floating structures. The plate Green function here is a new one proposed by the authors and it satisfies all boundary conditions for free-free rectangular plates on elastic foundations. The results are compared with some experimental data. It is shown that the method proposed in this paper is efficient and accurate. Finally, various factors affecting the hydroelastic response of very large floating structures are also studied.

A Note on Soil Structure Resistance of Natural Marine Deposits

It has been well documented that natural normally-consolidated marine soils are generally subjected to the effects of soil structure. The interpretation of the resistance of soil structure is an important issue in the theory study and engineering practice of ocean engineering and geotechnical engineering. It is traditionally considered that the resistance of soil structure gradually disappears with increasing stress level when the applied stress is beyond the consolidation yield stress. In this study, however, it is found that this traditional interpretation of the resistance of soil structure can not explain the strength behavior of natural marine deposits with a normally-consolidated stress history. A new interpretation of the resistance of soil structure is proposed based on the strength behavior. In the preyield state, the undrained strength of natural marine deposits is composed of two components: one developed by the applied stress and the other developed by the resistance of soil structure. When the applied stress is beyond the consolidation yield stress, the strength behavior is independent of the resistance of soil structure.