Extreme Wave-Induced Pressure Distribution and Wave Forces on Tandem Pile Groups: An Experimental Study

Abstract

As the foundation of marine infrastructure, pile groups are subjected to extreme wave loads. Existing research primarily focuses on regular waves and wave forces. There is limited research on the pressure distribution of pile bodies under extreme waves. This paper describes a wave flume experiment where waves of a self-proposed extreme wave type were generated. The experiment considers three water depths (25/35/45 cm), three wave-pushing velocities (20/30/40 cm/s), and two clear distances (D, 2D). A total of 216 measuring points equipped with digital pressure sensors captured the vertical and circumferential pressure distribution and wave positive force. The results show that (1) the vertical and circumferential pressure distribution patterns of each component pile and the single pile are similar in various loading scenarios and clear distances. (2) The measuring point pressure, pressure after circumferential integration, and wave positive force are positively correlated with wave-pushing velocity. (3) The wave pressure is positively correlated with the water depth, while the pressure after circumferential integration is negatively correlated with the water depth. (4) When the clear distance is D, the wave positive force coefficient of each component pile is less than 1.0.

Keywords

• extreme waves
• tandem pile groups
• pressure distribution
• wave positive force