Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF MARINE STRUCTURES

OE5540

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/10/2024 1
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Module 1
Physical oceanography; Basics of offshore wind, wave, current; tidal variations; regular and random waves;
tidal and wind-driven currents; Design water levels; Tide and storm surge; Deck and crest elevation for
coastal and offshore structures; Design wind, wave, and current.
Module 2
Principles of Working Stress and Load and Resistance Factor Design of steel structures; Allowable stresses
and Partial Safety Factors; Design Life and Selection of design parameters for fixed and floating structures;
Module 3
Introduction to ocean structures; Fixed and floating structures for oil and gas exploration; Concepts and
design principles of fixed offshore structures and pile foundations; Design principles of floating structures
such as Tension Leg Platforms, semi-submersible, and Spar. Conceptual design of Floating Structures; sizing
and structural arrangement; pontoon design;
Module 4
Coastal structures such as breakwater, groin, and jetties for port and harbour development; RoRo/RoPax
facilities; Design principles of rubble mound structures; cross-section and geometry of breakwater, seawall,
groins; sizing of armour layers; Layout and design berthing structures, diaphragm walls and open sea jetty,
breasting, and mooring dolphins; Dry Docks, Slipways; Code Provision.
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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Text Books:
1. Chakrabarti, SK. 1994. Hydrodynamics of Offshore Structures, WIT Press, Southampton, UK. ISBN: 978-
0-90545-166-4
2. Ben C. Gerwick Jr. 2007. Construction of Marine and Offshore Structures, CRC Press, USA, ISBN: 978-
042-91-2502-7
3. Alonzon De F. Quinn. 1972. Design and construction of ports and marine structures, 2nd Ed., McGraw-
Hill, USA, ISBN: 978-0070510647
4. Carl A. Thoresen. 1988. Port design: Guidelines and recommendations, Tapir, University of California,
ISBN: 9788251908399
5. Gaythwaite, JW. 1990. Design of marine facilities for berthing, mooring and repair of vessels, Van
Nostrand Reinhold, USA, ISBN: 978-0784407264

Reference Books:
1. Chakrabarti, SK. 2005. Handbook of Offshore Engineering, Elsevier, ISBN: 978-008-05-2381-1
2. API-RP 2A. 2000. Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing and Constructing Fixed Offshore
Platforms - Working Stress Design, 21st Edition, Errata and Supplement 1, December 2002, Errata and
Supplement 2, September 2005, Errata and Supplement 3, October 2007.

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Introduction to Physical Oceanography

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

COAST AND CONTINENTAL SHELF

CONTINENTAL SHELF –
Continental shelf is the extended
perimeter of the continents and Ocea Continent Continenta Continenta Coast
associated coastal plains. Most of n al l l
Rise Slope Shelf
the coastal activities takes place
in this zone.

CONTINENTAL SLOPE –
Continental slope follows the
break point at the top of shelf
followed by a steep slope and the
depth becomes more.

CONTIENTAL RISE – Continental

rise is part of the Slope and it
merges with the deep ocean floor

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

CHARACTRERISTICS OF OCEAN FLOOR

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

CONTINENTAL SHELF

Continental Shelf Source : Wikipedia.org

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

TECHTONIC PLATES

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

CHARACTERISTICS OF CRUST

Continental crust is mainly composed of granite, a light colored, lower density (2.8
gm/cm3) igneous rock rich in aluminum, silicon and oxygen
Oceanic crust is composed of basalt, a dark colored, higher density (2.9 gm/cm3)
volcanic rock rich in silicon, oxygen and magnesium
Oceanic crust is thin and dense. Continental crust is thick and light
Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Properties Sea Water

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

SEAWATER PROPERTIES
 DENSITY
 SALINITY
 TEMPERATURE
 PRESSURE

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Characteristics of seawater across depth

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Characteristics of seawater oceans

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Composition of seawater

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Offshore Wind

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures
Dynamic response to
WIND SPEED VARIATION WITH HEIGHT AND TERRAIN wind gusting

Response
Due to turbulent gusts

Due to mean wind

Time
(b) Long period Structures

Quasi-static response
to wind gusting

Response
Variation of Mean wind speed with height Due to turbulent gusts

1
  Due to mean wind
 z  
8
U ( z ) = Uo    Time
 10  (a) Short period structures

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

WIND GUST AND PROFILE

For strong wind conditions the design wind speed u(z, t) (m/s) at
height z (m) above sea level and corresponding to an averaging time
period t(s) [where t≤t0;t0=3600 sec] is given by:
  t 
u ( z , t ) = U ( z )  1 − 0.41 I u ( z )  l n   

  t0  
Where the 1 hour mean wind speed U(z) (m/s) at level z(m) is given by:
  z 
U ( z ) = U 0  1 + C  ln   
  10  
C = 5.73 10−2  (1 + 0.15  U 0 )
1
2

And the turbulence intensity Iu(z) at level z is given by:

−0.22
 z 
Iu ( z ) = 0.06  1 + 0.043 U o    
 10 
Where Uo (m/s) is the 1 hour mean wind speed at 10m.
Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Wind averaging period

In applying design wind load on to the
offshore structures, the averaging V + u (t )
time period plays a major role. U(t) (turbulence)
Following averaging periods are
normally used

❑ 1 hour average
❑ 30 minute average V (meanwind )
❑ 10 minute average
❑ 1 minute average
❑ 15 sec gust
❑ 5 sec gust Time
❑ 3 sec gust

Depending on the type of structure,

any one of the above will be applied.

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

WIND PROFILE AND GUSTING PERIOD

The wind speed profile and gusting period change can be calculated using the following empirical
formula developed for Gulf of Mexico as recommended in API RP 2A

21st and 22nd Edition 20th Edition and before

1

C = 5.73 10
−2
(
 1 + 0.15 Uo )2
− 0.2 2
 z  1
Iu ( z ) = 0.06 (1 + 0.043 Uo)     
 10   z  
8
U ( z ) = Uo   
 10 

U ( z ) = Uo   1 + C  ln 
 z 

  10  

  t 
u ( z  t) = U ( z )   1 − 0.41 Iu ( z )  ln 
to

  

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/29/2024 20
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
20/9/2020 21
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Application of Wind averaging period

Structure Wind Speed Load Dynamic

Smaller elements in Static or

structure 3 sec gust dynamic

Structures smaller than

50m 5 sec gust Dynamic

Structures larger than Total Static

50m 15 sec gust Load

Large Super Structure 1 minute Dynamically

(Deck) Sustained sensitive

Total Static Dynamically

Substructure (jacket) 1 hour sustained Load insensitive

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Wind Pressure

The wind pressure can be calculated as

1 a 2
fw = V
2 g
f w = 0.6V 2
N/m 2

where

a is the weight density of air = 0.01225 kN/m3

(Weight density of 1.22 kgf/m3)
g is the acceleration due to gravity (m/sec2)
V is the velocity of wind (m/sec)

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Sea Waves

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Difference between Waves and Tsunami

Waves
A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space and time, usually with transference of
energy.

Ocean surface waves are surface waves that occur in the upper layer of the ocean. They usually result from
wind, and are also referred to as wind waves.
Wind energy is imparted to water leading to the growth of waves.
The growth of wind generated wave are not indefinite. The point when the waves stop growing is termed as
fully developed sea condition.

Tsunamis
Tsunamis are a specific type of wave not caused by wind but by geological effects. In deep water, tsunamis
are not visible because they are small in height and very long in wave length. They may grow to devastating
proportions at the coast due to reduced water depth

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

The wind generated waves are not

Long Crested
infinitely long. Depending on the width
Regular Wave
of the fetch, the length is finite. During
the progress of the wave growth, the
waves from different directions mix
together and form the waves of limited
length (length of crest).
Long Crested The real ocean waves represent these
Random Wave limited length are called “Short Crested
Waves”

The water particle kinematics and the

behaviour will not be two dimensional.
Short Crested To the contrary, if the length of crest or
Random Wave trough is infinitely long, these are called
“Long crested waves. The water particle
kinematics and the behaviour will be truly two
dimensional.
Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures
Regular Waves
A sinusoidal wave train of regular shape is
called “regular waves”
Irregular Waves
The irregular wave will not be having regular shape and
height but will be repetitive of some irregularity. These
waves are called “Irregular Waves”
Random Waves
The real wave in ocean is the elevation of surface changes.
This will not of definitive shape or pattern and will be
irregular. These real waves are called “Random Waves”
Swells
The waves generated during a storm far away from the
coast travels to a greater distance. These waves will
appear to be more regular, with height and direction
with limited variability are called “Swells”.
The swells are mostly long crested and behave like regular waves.
The period of the swells will be greater than 10 sec.
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

SEA WAVES

Wave approaching coastline Reasonable straight wave The random sea state representing
near beach and the surface crest representing a regular a complex phenomenon in rough
overriding and breaking due to wave much deeper and far sea condition.
shallow water effect away from coastline

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Summation of simple wave forms

Time, t
η1(t)

+ Time, t

η2(t)

=
Time, t
η(t)

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/10/2024 29
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Wave growth
Waves starting to grow as the wind speed
increases over time or the wind blows over
a large stretch of sea surface called fetch.
The amount of energy transferred to the
sea surface is increases in the order of U4
where U is the wind speed.

As the sea surface elevation changes

continuously over the fetch, the wave
heights increases and grows steadily.

The fully grown sea has the largest energy

spectra and most of the spectra defined are
applicable to developed or grown sea
conditions.

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/10/2024 30
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Wave Components
The wave elevation of irregular
wave propagating along x axis
can be written in terms of large
number of wave amplitude
components with random phase

N
 ( t ) = an cos ( kn x − nt +  n )
n =1

an = wave amplitude component (m)

n = circular frequency component (rad/s)
kn = wave number component
n = random phase angle component (rad)

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Regeneration of time history from wave spectra

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Water waves
Combination of longitudinal and transverse motions

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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 Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Velocity Potential
Irrotational flow

u =  = 0
Kinematic Free Surface Boundary Condition
Dynamic Free Surface Boundary Condition

u = 
Lateral Boundary Conditions

Still water level X Velocity Potential is a scalar

function of space and time
such that its derivative with
Velocity respect to any direction yields
Problem Domain
Components velocity in that direction
Governing Equation
Vv
2 = 0 According to vector algebra if the
curl of a vector is zero, the vector
Vh can be expressed as the gradient

Seabed bottom boundary Condition (kinematic)

of a scalar function, called the
potential function.

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Wave Theories
Wave theories for the calculation properties of the water particle motion is classified
in to following based on the application. The classification is based on the
approximation made on the expression for the velocity potential.
 =   +   +  + ....
1 2
2 3

 =   +   +   + ....
1 2
2

3
3

In which 1 is the first order velocity potential and 2 and 3 are higher order terms
and  is the perturbation parameter = ka, where a is the wave amplitude and the
various wave theory used in practice are listed below

H
 Linear wave theory (Airy’s) a=
 Stoke’s wave theory (Higher order) 2
 Cnoidal wave theory
 Stream function wave theory
Dr. S. Nallayarasu Department of
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Ocean Engineering Indian Institute of Technology
Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures
 = a  cos(kx − t ) 
1
Wave forms 2 
Airy Wave
H

 = a  sin(kx − t )  + a  cos 2(kx − t )  + ..

1 2 k
Stokes Wave 2  2 

Cnoidal Wave

Solitairy Wave
H

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Short-Term Wave Statistics

DEFINITION OF WAVE PARAMETERS IN OCEAN WAVES

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Significant Wave Height

Significant wave height (Hs) is defined as a representative wave height for many design purposes in
offshore and coastal engineering.
It is defined as the average of highest one-third of the waves in a record

H + H 2 + H 3 + .... + H N /3 In which H1, H2 and H3 are individual wave heights

Hs = 1 arranged in descending order and N is the total
N /3 number of waves
10/10/2024 39 Dr. S. Nallayarasu
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Rayleigh Probability Distribution of H

The probability of wave crest elevation can be N Hmax / Hs
used to express the crest to trough wave
height (Hw). 100 1.534
  H  
2
P ( H w  H ) = exp  −  200 1.641

w

  22
H  500 1.772
The relationship between Hs and 1000 1.866
standard deviation can be used to relate
the Hw and Hs. i.e. Hs = 4H 2000 1.956
  H w2   5000 2.097
P ( H w  H ) = exp  −2   10000 2.150
  s  
H
20000 2.228
The storm duration of 3 hours with a
minimum of N=1000 waves, will give a 50000 2.328
probability of 1/1000 and the 100000 2.401
relationship will give a ratio of 1.86

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/10/2024 40
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Sea Level Changes (Tide)

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Sea Water level changes

 Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT)

A tide level that occurs LOWEST in
several years typically 19 years.
 Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT)
A tide level that occurs HIGHEST in
several years typically 19 years.

Storm Surge (SS)

Increase in water level during a storm that moves towards the coastline from offshore.

Mean Sea Level (MSL) or Mean Water Level (MWL)

Average sea level observed at a particular location over long term. This can be taken as mean between HAT
and LAT as shown in figure

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

TIDES If the Earth were a perfect sphere without

large continents, all areas on the planet
Tides are the rising and falling of Earth's ocean surface caused would experience two equally proportioned
by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the high and low tides every lunar day.
oceans.
The changing tide produced at a given location is the result of The large continents on the planet, however,
the changing positions of the Moon and Sun relative to the Earth block the westward passage of the tidal
coupled with the effects of Earth rotation and the local shape of bulges as the Earth rotates. Unable to move
the sea floor. freely around the globe, these tides
establish complex patterns within each
ocean basin that often differ greatly from
tidal patterns of adjacent ocean basins or
other regions of the same ocean basin

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Major Constituents of Tide

For studying tides, the effect of tide-producing forces exerted by the
Moon and the Sun, are separated, using mathematics, into
constituents. There are over 128 tidal constituents used to represent
various wavelengths and frequencies found in nature. The major 6
constituents are:

❑ M2 – Principal Lunar Semidiurnal Constituent.

❑ S2 – Principal Solar Semidiurnal Constituent
❑ N2 – Larger Lunar Elliptical Semidiurnal Constituent
❑ K1 – Luni-Solar Declinational Diurnal Constituent
❑ O1 - Lunar Declinational Diurnal Constituent
❑ P1 – Solar Diurnal Constituent

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

The Moon Effect The M2 tidal constituent

Amplitude is indicated by color, and the white lines are cotidal

differing by 1 hour. The curved arcs around the amphidromic
points show the direction of the tides, each indicating a
synchronized 6 hour period.
Source : Wikipedia.org
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

TIDAL VARIATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE

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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIDE

A diurnal tide consists of only one high tide and one low tide per day. A semidiurnal tide exhibits two high and two
low tides each day, with both highs and both lows of toughly equal height. Mixed semidiurnal tides (or mixed
tides), have two high tides and two low tides per day, but the heights of each tide differs; the two high tides are of
different heights, as are the two low tides

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Sea current

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
 Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Ocean Current
❑ An ocean current is continuous, directed
movement of ocean water.
❑ Ocean currents are rivers of hot or cold water
within the ocean.

❑ The currents are generated from the forces

acting upon the water like
❑ the planet rotation,
❑ the wind,
❑ the temperature and
❑ salinity differences and
❑ the gravitation of the moon.

❑ The depth contours, the shoreline and other

currents influence the current's direction and
strength.
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Ocean Engineering Indian Institute of Technology
Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

MAJOR SURFACE CURRENTS

Surface ocean currents are generally
wind driven and develop their typical
clockwise spirals in the northern
hemisphere and counter-clockwise
rotation in the southern hemisphere
because of the imposed wind stresses.

In wind driven currents, the Ekman spiral

effect results in the currents flowing at an
angle to the driving winds.

The areas of surface ocean currents

move somewhat with the seasons; this is
most notable in equatorial currents.
The movement of water with the rising and falling tide creates tidal currents. As the tide rises, water flows into an
area, creating a flood current. As the tide falls and water flows out an ebb current is created.

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Tidal and wind driven Current Profile

The tidal driven current is generated due
to tidal flow from high tide to low tide
location during a tidal cycle.

The wind driven current is due to wind

shear effect on the surface of water and
transferred to the subsurface through
viscous effects. 1
 y 8
VY = Vo
y
The profile is shown in figure with
VY = Vo  
h h
corresponding equations for the profile.

Where VY is the current at any height from seabed, Vo is the current at the surface, y is the
distance measure in m from seabed and h is the water depth

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
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Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Design crest Level selection for

coastal and offshore structures

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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Design Crest Level for Coastal Structures

The design crest level for rock bund or breakwater Free board
structures shall be selected based on overtopping
requirements.

Commonly it is adopted with caution as zero

overtopping may have excessive cost implications

The crest level shall be calculated as follows.

Crest Elev. =Tidal Range +Storm Surge +Ha

Ha–wave amplitude above sea level ~ 0.5 to 0.6H

and H is the maximum wave height expected

during design life
Dr. S. Nallayarasu
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Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36
Conceptual Design of Marine Structures

Design Deck Level for Offshore Structures

The design deck level for offshore structures shall
be selected based on no water spray on to the
facilities supported by structures which may affect
the normal operation and also increase wave
loads.

The crest level shall be calculated as follows.

Crest Elev. =Tidal Range +Storm Surge +Ha+

Airgap

Ha–wave amplitude above sea level ~ 0.5 to 0.6H

and H is the maximum wave height expected
during design life
Air gap of 1.5m is recommended by API RP 2A.

Dr. S. Nallayarasu
10/10/2024 54
Department of Ocean Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-36