Experimental Investigation of Hydrodynamic Forces on Rigid Vertical Cylinders in Regular Waves

Abstract—The predominant aspect of interest, presented in
this study is the influence of wave heights and cylinder
diameters on the wave forces acting on cylindrical
members. The effects on the wave forces due to the
interactions between the adjacent cylindrical members are
also presented. Model tests were conducted in the wave
tank, on cylinders of four different diameters with wave
characteristics pertaining to three major offshore sites of
Malaysia. This particular paper, however, is limited to a
discussion on rigid, vertical cylinders in regular waves. In
the studied cases of wave heights and cylinder diameters, it
was observed that the variation of cylinder diameters is
having a prominent effect on the wave forces rather than
the variation in wave height. The results also depict that
the proximity of other members significantly affect the
wave forces on the considered member. The primary area
of application is intended to be the design of jacket type
platforms, risers and conductors.
Keywords — wave forces; wave height; cylinder diameter;
regular waves; proximity