Nonlinear dynamics of offshore structures under sea wave and earthquake forces

A study of dynamic response of offshore structures in random seas to inputs of earthquake ground motions is presented. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of nonlinear hydrodynamic damping effects due to sea waves for the earthquake response. The structure is discretized using the finite element method. Sea waves are represented by Bretschneider’s power spectrum and the Morison equation defines the wave forcing function. Tajimi-Kanai’s power spectrum is used for the horizontal ground acceleration due to earthquakes. The governing equations of motion are obtained by the substructure method. Response analysis is carried out using the frequency-domain random-vibration approach.It is found that the hydrodynamic damping forces are higher in random seas than in still water and sea waves generally reduce the seismic response of offshore structures. Studies on the first passage probabilities of response indicate that small sea waves enhance the reliability of offshore structures against earthquakes forces.

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