Lateral Vibration of Offshore Piles Considering Pile-Water Interaction

Abstract

The dynamic response of an offshore pile in saturated soil subjected to lateral harmonic loading is theoretically investigated by considering the dynamic pile-water interaction. The governing equation of water is solved based on the separation of variable method, and the analytical expression of the hydrodynamic force applied on the pile is then obtained. Based on the continuous conditions at the pile-soil interface and pile-water interface, the analytical solution of the dynamic impedance of the offshore pile is derived by using transfer matrix method. To verify this solution, the dynamic impedance obtained for a cylinder in water is compared with that of a partially embedded pile. Based on this solution, the effect of hydrodynamic pressure and other parameters on the dynamic response of offshore piles is investigated. The results show that the analytical model ignoring the hydrodynamic force applied on the pile misestimates the impedance of the pile in the high frequency range.