A study on the optimal configuration of harbor structure under the combined loads

Response of harbor structure to environmental loads such as wave load, impact load, ship's contacting load, is a fundamental factor in designing of the structure's optimal configuration. In this paper, typical environmental loads against coastal structures are investigated for designing of the optimal harbor structure. Loads to be considered here are wave load, impact load and contacting load due to ship mooring. Statistical analysis for several harbor structure types under the corresponding loads is carried out, followed by investigation of effect of individual environmental load. Based on these, the optimal configuration for the harbor structure is obtained after considerable engineering process. Estimation of contacting load of the ship is suggested using effective energy concepts for the load, and analysis of structural behavior is done for the optimal designing of the structure in the particular load. A guideline for the design process of the harbor structure is established, and safety of the structure is examined by proposed scheme. For verification of the analytical approach, various steel-piled coastal structures and caissons are chosen and relevant structural analyses are carried out using the Finite Element Methods combined with MIDAS/GTS and ANSYS code. It is found using the Morison equation that impact load cannot be a major load in the typical harbor structure compared with the original wave load, and that configuration shape of the structure may play an important role in consideration of the response criteria.