DESIGN, ANALYSIS AND FIELD TEST OF A DYNAMIC FLOATING BREAKWATER

Interest in floating breakwaters has been generated in recent years because the concept offers the potential of providing a less expensive alternative to traditional, solid wall type barriers for providing permanent wave protection to the thousands of new recreational boat harbors and marinas that have been built in the past 20 years. Also, they may be able to provide temporary, mobile wave protection during construction and installation of offshore facilities for oil transfer and production operations, defense facilities and other offshore structures in deeper water (depths exceeding 50 to 100 feet). The engineering director of one of the largest and most active offshore oil producing companies recently stated that they would be willing to pay up to $6 million for a mobile, floating breakwater that had the proven capability to significantly reduce risks due to wave action during offshore erection in the North Sea or elsewhere. Considering the investment in just one deep water oil production platform already exceeds $100,000,000, the worth of such a reusable, wave protection system during the critical erection period of a platform should be large.