Experimental Study on the Mooring Force and the Hydroelastic Effect of a Large-scale Floating Structure under Tsunami

Experiments were carried out in a two-dimensional water flume to measure the elastic deformation and mooring force of a large-scale floating structure under solitary wave. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of hydroelastic response on the mooring force by changing the thickness and the length of model structures. The results are briefly concluded as follows. Firstly, the fission of a solitary wave under a large-scale floating structure is observed, and the maximum deformation of structure becomes smaller than incident wave height when the fission phenomenon occurs and decreases with the increase of the propagation distance of fissioned waves. Secondly, mooring force increases when flexural rigidity becomes larger for a certain scale of structure. Thirdly, mooring force exists a maximum value in the condition just when fission phenomenon occurs. Fourthly, mooring force can be predicted from provided wave and structure information by the non-dimensionalized parameters defined in this study.