Ocean Engineering 34 (2007) 17061710

A new expression for the direct calculation of the maximum

wave force on vertical cylinders
Giuseppe Barbaro
Department of Mechanics and Materials, Via Graziella Loc. Feo de Vito, 89060 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Received 19 April 2006; accepted 5 October 2006
Available online 14 February 2007
Abstract
Here, an easy analytical solution for the direct calculation of the instant in which the maximum wave force on a support of an offshore
platform is realized, and for the direct estimation of the aforementioned maximum force. The solution is obtained thanks to an artice.
The instant is expressed t
m
of the maximum force as limits of a succession t
m0
, t
m1
, t
m2
; . . . ; and it is proved that in cases of practical
interests the successions converge very quickly: t
m
t
m1
, less than negligible errors.
The solution allows the estimate of useful synthesis to be arrived at in the preliminary phase of the project. In fact, it allows one to
immediately appreciate the effects of variations of the parameters in play: the sections of the cylinder, the depth of the sea oor and the
characteristics of the waves.
r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Force; Cylinder; Wave
1. Introduction
The vertical cylinders in the sea typically function as a
support. It is concerned with, in the large majority of cases,
circular-section cylinders that represent the fundamental
components of the support structure of offshore jetties or
platforms with a reticular structure.
Either due to the support of cylinders or to the support
(leg) of the reticular platforms, the KeuleganCarpenter
(K
E
number is usually greater than 2 so that the
calculation of the force can be undertaken with the
formula of Morison et al. (1950). Furthermore, the
relationship between the Reynolds (R
E
number and
KeuleganCarpenter number normally surpass 10
4
(excep-
tions are made for cases of small cylinders) so that they can
assume asymptotic values of inertia coefcient c
in
and of
drag coefcient c
dg
(Boccotti, 1997). According to Sarp-
kaya and Isaacson (1981), these asymptotic values are 1.85
for c
in
and 0.62 for c
dg
. It concerns the substantial values
even more recently conrmed by Sumer and Fredsoe
(1997), even if there are some differences in the rule
5oK
E
o20 where the asymptotic values of c
in
are shown to
be less than 1.85 and the asymptotic values of c
dg
are
shown to be greater than 0.62.
The instantaneous horizontal force on the cylinder is
obtained by the integration of the unitary force (supplied
by Morisons formula) between the sea oor and the
surface of the water (this, naturally, for cylinders, as they
are in general the supports, which protrude from the
surface of the water). The maximum of this force is realized
for an instant between the zero-up crossing and the crest of
the wave, that is in the phase in which the component of
inertia and the component of drag have the same direction.
(Actually, even in the interval comprising the zero-down
crossing and the concave the two components have the
same direction, but the total force is inevitably less than the
interval between the zero-up crossing and crest, in as much
as the portion of the loaded cylinder is less).
The dependence of wave heights on the total force results in
being rather complex, and therefore the isolation of the
maximum of this force in the practice design is undertaken in a
numerical manner. In this study, we will analyse this functional
dependence and we will arrive at obtaining an expression for
the direct calculation of the aforementioned maximum.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
www.elsevier.com/locate/oceaneng
0029-8018/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2006.10.013
E-mail address: giuseppe.barbaro@unirc.it.
Nowadays, with any PC, it is easy to obtain the total
maximum force on a cylinder. Anyway, the analytical
solution carries a doubtless advantage for the synthesis; an
advantage that is appreciated above all in the planning
stage. In fact, in many cases, the analytical solution allows
one to see, simply and clearly, the effect of the variation of
the various parameters in play: sections of the girder, depth
of the sea-oor and characteristics of the waves.
2. Analysis of the total force
With reference to Fig. 1, the force per unit of length at a
depth z is
f t c
in
rpR
2
g
H
2
kf z sinot c
dg
r
Rg
2
H
2
4
o
2
k
2
f
2
z cosotj cosotj, 1
where the rst term in the right-hand side represents the
inertia component and the second one the drag component,
and where it is dened
f z coshkd z= coshkd. (2)
Moreover, introducing the coefcients A and B
A c
in
rpR
2
g
H
2
k, 3
B c
dg
rRg
2
H
2
4
o
2
k
2
. 4
The expression (1) can be rewritten in the form
f t Af z sinot Bf
2
zcos
2
ot. (5)
Integrating the f t per z in d; Z and making explicit the
term f z one has
Ft
Z
Z
d
A
coshkd z
coshkd
sinot dz

Z
Z
d
B
cosh
2
kd z
cosh
2
kd
cos
2
ot dz, 6
dening the coefcients
A
0

A
coshkd
c
in
rpR
2
g
H
2
k
1
coshkd
, (7)
B
0

B
cosh
2
kd
c
dg
rRg
2
H
2
4
o
2
k
2
1
cosh
2
kd
(8)
one has
Ft A
0
sinot
Z
Z
d
coshkd z dz
B
0
cos
2
ot
Z
Z
d
cosh
2
kd z dz 9
and solving the integrals
Ft A
0
sinot
1
k
sinhkd Z
B
0
cos
2
ot
1
4k
fsinh2kd Z 2kd Zg. 10
Using the following linear approximations:
sinhkd Z sinhkd kZ sinhkd coshkdkZ
(11)
expression (10) becomes
Ft
A
0
k
sinotsinhkd coshkdkZ

B
0
4k
cos
2
otfsinh2kd cosh2kd2kZ
2kd 2kZg. 12
Substituting in (12) the values of A
0
and B
0
and using the
following denitions:
W
1
c
in
rpR
2
g
H
2
tanhkd, 13
W
2
c
in
rpR
2
g
H
2
4
k, 14
W
3
c
dg
rRg
2
H
2
16
o
2
k
1
cosh
2
kd
sinh2kd 2kd, 15
W
4
c
dg
rRg
2
H
3
16
o
2
k
2
1
cosh
2
kd
cosh2kd 1. 16
Expression (12) of the total force on the cylinder Ft can
be rewritten in the form
Ft W
1
sinot W
2
cosot sinot
W
3
cos
2
ot W
4
cos
3
ot. 17
The maximum of the function Ft does not change if the
sign of the rst two addends to the second member is
changed. Naturally, however, with such a change of sign,
the maximum falls in the domain 0potpp=2. In
conclusion, the maximum of the function (17), or rather
the maximum horizontal force on the cylinder, is equal to
the maximum of the function
Fx W
1
x W
2
x

1 x
2
p
W
3
1 x
2

W
4

1 x
2
p
1 x
2
. 18
For 0pxp1 , where, with evidence, x stands for sinot.
Of the four terms in expression (18) of Fx, the rst
term expresses the inertia force under m.w.l, the second the
ARTICLE IN PRESS
d
2R
z
Fig. 1. Reference scheme.
G. Barbaro / Ocean Engineering 34 (2007) 17061710 1707
inertia force above m.w.l , the third the component of drag
under m.w.l. and the fourth the component of drag above
m.w.l.
Here, it is better not to consider the problem purely from
a mathematical point of view. It is better, instead, to keep
present the physical meaning of various terms that present
themselves in the second member of (18). Doing so, one
manages on one hand to skirt round the mathematical
problem that presents itself as rather complex, and on the
other hand one can investigate the same mechanics of the
force on the cylinder.
It is better to rewrite (18) in the form
Fx F
1
x F
2
x (19)
dening
F
1
x W
1
x W
3
1 x
2
, 20
F
2
x W
2

1 x
2
p
x W
4

1 x
2
p
1 x
2
, 21
where F
1
x is the force on the portion of the cylinder
between the sea-oor and the average level.F
2
x is the
force on the portion of the cylinder between the average
level and the water surface.
If the component of inertia is neatly predominant
compared to the component of drag, the maximum Fx
is realized for x 1 (zero of the elevation of the wave). If,
vice versa, the component of drag is neatly predominant
over the force of inertia, the maximum of Fx is realized
for x 0 (crest of the wave).
F
1
x has a maximum in (0.1) if W
1
o2W
3
, otherwise
the maximum of F
1
x is realized for x 1. In cases of
practical interest, if the maximum of F
1
x is realized
for x 1, also the maximum of Eq. (19) is realized in
x 1 or extremely near to x 1, so that one can rightly
assume
if W
1
X2W
3
: F
max
W
1
. (22)
It concerns, as mentioned, cases in which the inertial
component is neatly predominant over the component of
drag.
We now come to the case in which W
1
o2W
3
. In this
case the maximum of F
1
x is realized in x x
m
, or rather
W
1
2W
3
x
m
0 ) x
m

W
1
2W
3
. (23)
Here, to derive the maximum of the total force, it is best to
go back to the following series of functions:
F
i
x W
1
x W
2

1 x
2
i1
q
W
3
1 x
2

W
4

1 x
2
i1
q
1 x
2
, 24
with i 1; 2; . . ., x
m
provided by (23) and x
i
, abscissa of the
maximum of F
i
x
x
i

1
2
W
1
W
2

1 x
2
i1
q
W
3
W
4

1 x
2
i1
q . (25)
It can easily be veried that F
i
xEq. (24)has the same
form as FxEq. (18) with the only difference being that
the factor

1 x
2
p
is substituted by

1 x
2
i1
q
. The
succession of x
i
converges and the value limit of the
succession coincides with the abscissa of the maximum of
Fx . In cases of practical interest, the convergence is very
fast, in as much as one can assume with a good degree of
certainty that x
1
coincides with the limit of succession. As a
result, the desired maximum value of the functions on the
cylinder, or rather the value maximum of Fx can be
estimated as equal to Fx
1
.
Or rather
if W
1
o2 W
3
: F
max
W
1
x
1
W
2

1 x
2
1
q
x
1
W
3
1 x
2
1
W
4

1 x
2
1
q
1 x
2
1
26
with
x
1

1
2
W
1
W
2

1 W
1
=2W
3

2
q
W
3
W
4

1 W
1
=2W
3

2
q . (27)
The errors which occur when applying expressions (26) and
(27) for the estimation of F
max
in cases of practical interest,
are within 1.1%.
3. The data used in the application
The data used in the applications are taken from the
buoy of Mazara del Vallo, which belongs to the Rete
Ondametrica Nazionale (RON) of the Servizio Idrogra-
co e Mareograco Nazionale (SIMN), active since July
1989.
The records are normally acquired for a period of 30 min
every 3 h and with shorter intervals in the case of
particularly signicant heavy seas. The buoy is in deep
water.
Fig. 2 shows, referring to the Mazara buoy, a serious of
storms with a level of signicant wave height for the period
1731 December 1997. From the aforementioned gure, it
is possible to reveal the presence of some signicant heavy
seas. The most intense, recorded on the 28th December,
presents a maximum value of signicant height equal to
3.5 m.
4. Application at the district of Mazara del Vallo
The characteristic parameters of the district of Mazara
del Vallo, located in the Sicilian Channel are
u 1:256; w 1:012 m.
Now let us consider the reticular platform of Fig. 3 placed
in that district at a depth of 150 m and let us estimate the
maximum force of the elements of support of dimensions
equal to R 2 m.
Let us x a project life L 100 years and a value of 0.10
of the probability P that during L the event to assume at
ARTICLE IN PRESS
G. Barbaro / Ocean Engineering 34 (2007) 17061710 1708
the base of the project is realized at least once. From the
graphics in Fig. 4, with the aforementioned data, one can
infer the maximum wave height expected H
max
16 m and
the signicant height of the sea state h 8 m in which the
maximum wave of 16 m is realized in the district subjected
to study.
As a result, the period of the highest wave in that locality
is equal to (Boccotti, 2000)
T
h
24:55

8
4g
s
12s.
Therefore, the wave of the project for the structure in Fig. 3
in the district of Mazara del Vallo will be
H
max
16 m; T
h
12s.
For those conditions we have
R
E
K
E
3:33 10
5
.
So that one can assume the asymptotic values c
in
1:85,
c
dg
0:62.
Using Eqs. (13)(16) one has
W
1
187:7t; W
2
41:9t; W
3
40:2t; W
4
17:9t.
In this case, W
1
is greater than 2W
3
and therefore the
component of inertia neatly prevails over that of drag, and
the F
max
can be estimated directly through the very simple
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Mazara del Vallo
(17-31 Dicembre 1997)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
1
7
1
7
1
8
1
9
2
0
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
5
2
5
2
6
2
7
2
8
2
8
2
9
3
0
3
1
3
1
Hs (m)
Fig. 2. A series of storms with a levels of signicant height recorded in the district of Mazara del Vallo (Sicilian Channel) in the period 1731/12/97.
Fig. 3. The support structure of a reticular platform.
0
0.25
0.5
0.75
1
05 10 15 20 25
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 10 15 20 25
0.1
16
8
P
(
H
m
a
x
(
1
0
0

a
n
n
i
)
>
H
)
-
p
(
H
s
=
h
;
H
m
a
x
>
H
)
H (m)
H (m)
5
Fig. 4. Trend of the probability PH
max
100 years4H and of the density
pH
s
h;

H
max
x for the district of Mazara del Vallo.
G. Barbaro / Ocean Engineering 34 (2007) 17061710 1709
relation (22). Therefore, the maximum force exercised on
the project wave, in the district of Mazara del Vallo, on the
diagonals of the platform result:
F
max
187:7t.
Now we shall pass to a support pole of ray R 0:25 m of
the jetty in Fig. 5, as always, placed at Mazaro del Vallo at
a depth d 15 m, and we will estimate the maximum force
of it.
Resulting the coefcient of diffraction in the position of
the jetty equal to 0.25, the height of the wave of the project
results as equal to 4 m. Also in this case resulting condition:
R
E
K
E
1:13 10
4
.
One can assume the asymptotic values c
in
1:85,
c
dg
0:62.
From the Eqs. (13)(16) one has
W
1
0:709t; W
2
0:199t; W
3
0:357t; W
4
0:176t.
As W
1
is less than 2 W
3
, one has to fall back on Eqs. (26)
and (27). The value of x
1
, results equal to 0.97 and the
maximum force results equal to
F
max
0:76t,
x
1
0:97 means that the value of sinot for which it is
veried that the maximum of force is equal to 0.97; or
rather it means that the maximum force has a phase angle
arcsin 0:97 76

in regard to the crest of the wave. We

are in a condition in which the drag component prevails
but the inertia component is not negligible (one should
remember that the maximum of drag force is realized in
correspondence to the crest of the wave and the maximum
of inertia force is realized in correspondence to the zero of
the wave).
5. Conclusions
In this paper, a new expression for the direct calculation
of the maximum force is proposed, produced by the waves
on vertical cylinders. This force is functions of four terms:
W
1
; W
2
; W
3
; and W
4
, which represent the force of inertia
above and below the level of m.w.l, respectively, and the
drag force above and below the level of m.w.l.
One application of the new expression of maximum force
was proposed in the district of Mazara del Vallo, located in
the Sicilian Channel, on the elements of support of a
reticular structure and a jetty.
In the case of the reticular platform, the component of
inertia prevails over that of drag and the value of F
max
resulted equal to 187.7t.
For the jetty, the component of drag slightly prevails
over that of inertia and F
max
resulted equal to 0.76t with a
phase angle of 76

compared to the crest of the wave.

The difference between the results of maximum force
estimated with the method proposed in this paper and of
the traditional one is less than 1%.
References
Boccotti, P., 1997. Idraulica Marittima. UTET, pp. 1522.
Boccotti, P., 2000. Wave Mechanics for Ocean Engineering. Elsevier
Oceanography Series, pp. 1496.
Morison, J.R., OBrien, M.P., Johnson, J.W., et al., 1950. The forces
exerted by surface waves on piles. Petroleum Transactions 189,
149156.
Sarpkaya, T., Isaacson, M., 1981. Mechanics of Wave Forces on Offshore
Structures. Van Nonstrand Reinhold Co., New York, pp. 1650.
Sumer, B.M., Fredsoe, J., 1997. Hydrodynamics Around Cylindral
Structures. World Scientifc Co. Ltd., Singapore, pp. 1530.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
d
2R
Fig. 5. Section of the jetty located in the district of Mazaro del Vallo.
G. Barbaro / Ocean Engineering 34 (2007) 17061710 1710