An Experimental Study of Wave Loads on Deck in Irregular Waves

Global loads on deck-structures due to air-gap loss in irregular seas are discussed. Estimation of such loads is important in structural integrity verification of fixed and floating platforms. The current study presents results from wave-tank experiments in which global forces and wetted lengths arising from wave impact on a rigid deck-box from several pseudo-random realizations of long-crested waves of moderate steepness are recorded. Short-term statistics and distributions of these quantities are estimated and compared against estimates from semi-analytical results previously reported by the authors for von Karman-type impact events in Gaussian waves. The scope of work presented here does not address wave loads on decks in extreme seas where the waves are steep and predominantly non-Gaussian.