An experimental study on wave forces on a vertical cylinder due to spilling breaking and near-breaking wave groups

This paper highlights the importance of spilling breaking waves in the design of offshore structures. Although wave loading on offshore structures due to non-breaking waves has been extensively studied, wave loading due to breaking waves is uncertain and not very well understood. Plunging breaking waves in deep water are very unusual, whereas spilling breaking waves are very common in extreme seas. Nevertheless, no significant research efforts have been made to study the effects of spilling breaking waves. The present study addresses this, comparing the wave loading from highly nonlinear non-breaking waves and spilling breaking waves. Focused wave groups have been used to generate the non-breaking and spilling breaking wave conditions in a wave tank. The experiments have shown that spilling breaking waves generate significantly larger forces on the cylindrical model than highly non-linear non-breaking waves of equivalent size. This is shown to be due to the direct excitation at high frequency as well as the resonant and impact excitation of higher natural frequency modes. It is concluded that spilling breaking waves can generate very significant forces and should therefore be considered in the design of offshore structures. •Comparison of the wave loading from highly nonlinear non-breaking waves and spilling breaking waves on the cylindrical model.•Focused wave groups are used to generate the non-breaking and spilling breaking waves.•Spilling breaking waves generate significantly larger forces.•The load is increased by resonant and impact excitation of high natural modes and by direct high frequency excitation.