An Experimental Investigation of Wave Forces on a Submerged Horizontal Plate over a Simple Slope

Abstract

We experimentally investigated the forces induced by monochromatic and solitary waves on a submerged horizontal plate in a wave flume. The experimental results of two-dimensional wave forces on the plate over a 1:10 simple slope and a flat bottom are presented. The effects of the uneven bottom on wave loads are discussed by comparing the results with those in a constant water depth. The measured nonlinear wave forces exhibited considerable discrepancies with the theoretical results from the linear wave theory. The wave forces on the plate induced by monochromatic waves over the simple slope in intermediate water showed no appreciable difference with the flat-bottom results. The solitary wave forces in terms of the downward vertical force and overturning moment significantly decreased in the existence of the simple slope. Furthermore, the dependency of the wave length, wave height and the submergence depth on the wave loads is also discussed.

Keywords

• submerged horizontal plate
• variable bottom topography
• wave force
• solitary wave