A simplified method to estimate the hydroelastic responses of VLFS in the inhomogeneous waves

Abstract For the very large floating structure (VLFS) which is deployed near seashore, islands and reefs, the encounter wave conditions will become extremely complex. The influences of the inhomogeneous incident waves (multi-directions, different wave height) should be taken into account, particularly in extreme typhoon wave environment. Therefore, the traditional methods with homogeneous wave inputs cannot be applied in this type of hydroelasticity analysis of VLFS. A simplified method and its corresponding software THAFTS-IHIW were established to estimate the hydroelastic responses of VLFS in the inhomogeneous waves. The accuracy of the simplified method was verified by model test results, and an application of this simplified method for the hydroelastic analysis of the 8-module VLFS in the Typhoon ‘Kalmaegi’ was presented in this paper. Some useful conclusions are obtained, which can provide a reference for the analysis of dynamic responses, design and construction of the floating bodies near seashores and islands.