EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF A SLOPING-TOP CAISSON IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL WAVE FIELDS

Abstract

 The three-dimensional behavior of a floating sloping-top caisson was investigated using hydraulic experiments. Experimental results showed that a decrease in the relative caisson width resulted in an increase in the amplitudes of the heave and roll under no-mooring conditions and an increase in the amplitudes of the surge, heave, roll, and pitch under tension-mooring conditions. Furthermore, it was revealed that the mooring lines reduced the amplitudes of the sway and heave, which was a different trend from vertical two-dimensional hydraulic experiments with different mooring conditions. This suggested that the appropriate modeling of mooring lines is essential in assessing the behavior of a floating caisson.