Alternative Method to Determine Extreme Hydrodynamic Forces with Data Limitations for Offshore Engineering

Abstract

This study aims to identify limitations during hydrodynamic forces estimation in offshore design standards, such as the RP 2A-WSD-2014, and presents an alternative method to estimate the hydrodynamics forces considering nonlinearities due to ocean–atmosphere interaction. La Guajira, Colombia, was the location as a study case for the proposed method. Simulating waves nearshore (SWAN) and Delft3D models were adapted for three scenarios of extreme waves. The calculation of hydrodynamic force profiles through the RP 2A-WSD-2014 method and the proposed method shows that the traditional method cannot reproduce current profiles associated to hydrodynamic nonlinear interactions. The analysis included sensitivity tests for the hydrodynamic model data; also, a structural numerical model using SAP2000 was built to assess the structural stability of a ductile monopile structure (stress and deformation analysis). The structural model intends to generate a contribution for predesign and reliability considerations. Finally, the method contributes to solve the data restrictions and guide to engineers to set objective security factors considering the theoretical profiles and numerical modeling.