Method

(b)

views

the

water

surface

and

particle

kinematics

as
the summation of
various

frequencies

can

be

represented

by

a

spectrum.

The

phases

are
assumed to be random

and

uncorrelated

between

frequencies.

If

a

sea-state

was
composed of a limited
histogram

of

amplitude

vs

each

period

(Figure

6.17)

or

frequency
component (Figure

b. a summation
of

a
large
number

of

regular

sinusoidal

wavelets

each

superimposed

it

is

more

convenient

to

work

with

a

spectrum

that

is

a
continuous function of

found both theoretically
and

experimentally

to

be

a

much

better

model

of

the

real

structures in
the

sea.

The

mathematical

background

to

this

method

of

spectral

The

ordinate

then

becomes

wave

amplitude

per

unit
frequency
or

the
amplitude
272 Dynami cs
of

fixed

marine

st ructures

6.5 Water
surface

el evat i on

spectra

6.5.1 Introduction
If a time history
record

is

made

of

the

waves

passing

a

point

in

the

ocean

the

resulting
trace

can

in

principle

be

viewed

as:

a. a series
of

half

waves

each

with

different

heights

and

periods

t hat

are

blended into one
another
(Figure
6.15);

or

on the other (Figure
6.16).

Both methods
of
viewing
the

water

surface

can

be

useful

but

method

(b)

has

been

sea. Method (b)
is
particularly
useful

for

the

analysis

of

the

dynamic

response

of

analysis
is
given
in

Section

3.3.

Wavei

nd
wave loadinc 273-

wavelets

of

various

amplitude

phases

and

periods.

The
amplitude content of the

number

of

discrete

periods

it

would

be

convenient

to

present

the
spectrum as a
6.1S).
Conventionally

spectra

are

plotted

on

a

frequency

axis

and

not

a
period axis.
Also,

in

practice,

there

are

a

large

number

of

frequencies

present
in the sea and
frequency.

T
20

Figure

6.17
Amplitude
-
period spectrum








M/VWWVWVV\
+






Figure
6.16

Random

surr. c,

vl.d

a

of

frequency

compon.nts

l.othod

b)

f
0.5

Figure

6.18

Amplitude

-
frequency spectrum

density (Figure 6.19).
If

all

the

component

frequency

wavelets

at

some

instant

of

time

were
in phase then
the

area

under

this

form

of

spectrum

would

give

the

wave
amplitude that would occur.
However,

because

the

wavelets

are

randomly

phased

a

more

useful
statistic is the mean
is

commonly

quoted

but

is

not

useful

with

theoretical

spectra

having

an

infinite
m. For

this

reason

Longuet-Higgins

(1983)

has

used

an

alternative
measure which does not
The

frequency

spectrum

of

the

wavelets

making

up

a

sea

is

not
usually directly
stretching

the

water

surface

elevation

axis

and

frequency

axis

and

if
necessary
directly

by

using

the

known

wind

speed

and

fetch

or

by
using previously calculated significant

wave

height

and

mean

zero

crossing

period

data

in
conjunction with a
have form:
274 Dyn&mlcs of fixed mftrlne Et r uct ur es

square
deviation

of

the

water

surface
from
water

level.

This

value

is

the

summation

of all the components, mean square deviations from
their
own mean
value.

This
equals
the
sum

of

the
amplitude/Z J"or each component. Therefore,
if
amplitude density/Z
=

is plotted
'"as

the
spectral ordinate instead
of
amplitude density,
the

area

under

the resulting spectrum
is
the mean square
deviation

of
the
total

water

surface

elevation from its mean value.
For

this

reason

water

surface

elevation
spectra
are

most
commonly plotted
as
S,,,,
vs frequency.

Wavoj

and

wava
l oadl nj " '275

require

m4:

t
,
y

=

(T2/T,2

-

1)1/2
(6 27)












Figure 6.19 Water surface amplitude density
-
frequency spectrum

Since the
wave
energy is also proportional
to

wave
amplitude squared
the
resulting
spectrum (Figure 6.20) is often called a wave energy spectrum.
Note, however,
that

if

it
is required to generate
a
representative
water

surface

elevation time history, it is necessary to convert
fi rst

the
energy spectrum
to

an

amplitude spectrum (see Section 3.3.7).
Other properties of the sea-state are also
available

from

a
spectrum.
It

is

convenient to
define
the nth spectral moment (n
=
0,1,2,3 etc)
as:


m
=
S (f)f"df
(6.25)


mo
=
the
area

under

the
spectrum
=
mean square
deviation

H,
=
significant
wave
height
=
4.005mo''2
T.
=
(mymi)
=

mean
period
T,
=
(m(,/m2)''
=

mean

zero
crossing period (only
for

Hz
frequency
axis)

T<s
=
(mj/mi)''
=

mean

crest
period (only for
Hz
frequency
axis).

Notes:

1.
Unfortunately m
is

infinite

for
many
theoretical
spectra
unless

an

arbitrary high frequency cut-off
is

assumed.

2.

For

definition

of
T,
and
T
see
Figure
6.21.

3. For the mathematical background to
these
formulae
see

Section

3.9.

The spectral width parameter: e, is an indication
of

the
important range
of

wavelet' frequencies
in

a
sea. It is equal to 0
for

a
single frequency
content

and

1

for a broad range of frequencies and can be obtained from the ratios of
the
spectral
moments:
c

=
(1
-
Te2/T, 2)i/2
=
fi--
(6.26)

V

J
mmt J
Figure

6.20

Wave

energy

spectrum
(Bretschneider/Pierson-Moskowitz)

Surface elevation











6,5.2

Bretschnei der

and
Pierson-Moskowitz spectra

available.

Instead

it

is

estimated

by

selecting

a

typical
spectral shape and
furt her

distorting

the

shape

to

make

it

fit

the

required
H,
and
T.
This

fitting

to

particular

conditions

can

be

performed

in
principle either
spectral

shape

which

is

suitable

for

the
given
wind
and fetch conditions.
These
Bretschneider

(1959)

and

Pierson-Moskowitz

(1964)

spectra

are
commonly used.