Effect of wave-current interaction on a long fjord-crossing floating pontoon bridge

Fjord-crossing floating bridges are sophisticated structures subjected to complex environmental loadings including combined action of wave and current. However, the effect of wave-current action is often neglected in a conventional engineering practice. This paper presents a numerical study of the dynamic response of a floating bridge under the combined action of waves and current. The effect of wave-current interaction on the hydrodynamics associated with the bridge pontoons are first evaluated by using a three-dimensional potential flow solver. A model of the entire floating bridge is then established and analysed in the time domain. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparison with available experimental data for a 1 km long curved floating bridge. Parametric studies are subsequently carried out to investigate the effect of wave-current interaction on a 4.6 km long floating bridge model for crossing the Bjornafjord. Results show that the wave-current interaction has a significant effect on a fjord-crossing floating bridge studied in this paper. Neglection of such an interaction could lead to substantial overestimation or underestimation of the structural responses depending on the environmental headings.

Automated summary

This paper presents a numerical study on the effect of wave-current interaction on fjord-crossing floating bridges. The dynamic response of the bridge under the combined action of waves and current is analyzed using a three-dimensional potential flow solver. The results show that the wave-current interaction has a significant effect on the structural response of the floating bridge.