Experimental Study on Influence of Pile Wall on Flow Field Around Pile-Supported Wharf

Abstract

Tidal flow has a significant influence on the mooring safety of vessels in deep-sea ports. In order to ensure the mooring safety of vessels, improving the structure form of the wharf can decrease the tidal effect, especially the transverse flow effect. In this study, a distorted tidal model test has been performed and two structural forms of pile-supported wharf (with or without pile wall) have been considered. Based on the measured flow velocity and flow direction, the influence of the pile wall on the fluid field around the pile-supported wharf has been investigated. In general, the pile wall has a significant effect on the tidal flow velocity, the transverse flow velocity, and the ratio of transverse flow. However, compared with the obvious decrease of the transverse flow velocity and the ratio of transverse flow, setting the additional pile wall has a smaller reduction effect on tidal flow velocity. In addition, a cumulative frequency distribution of the ratio of transverse flow is performed, and for a specific cumulative frequency value, the ratio of transverse flow is smaller after equipping the pile wall.