Effect of Structural Elasticity on Slamming Against Wetdecks of Multihull Vessels

Hydroelastic slamming against the wetdeck of a multihull vessel is studied numerically and experimentally. The beam equations and a two-dimensional flow model are used to find the dynamic stresses in longitudinal stiffeners between two transverse stiffeners. The largest stresses in the structure occur in the time scale of the lowest wet natural period of the beam. A simple relation between the maximum stress, the local geometry and the impact velocity of the wetdeck is established. The stresses in the wetdeck are neither sensitive to the radius of curvature of the waves nor where the waves initially hit the wetdeck. It is concluded that the maximum impact pressure should not be used to find maximum bending stresses during wetdeck slamming.