Diffracted wave field and dynamic pressures around a vertical cylinder

Investigations on the hydrodynamic pressures due to regular and random waves exerted on a large vertical cylinder in a constant water depth are reported in this paper. In the experimental investigation, the test cylinder embedded with diaphragm-type pressure transducers at nine different elevations was rotated about its axis to measure the dynamic pressure around its circumference. The wave field in the neighbourhood of the cylinder was measured at six different locations. The results of the experiments are compared with the linear diffraction theory of MacCamy, R. C. and Fuchs, R. A. [(1954) Wave forces on piles: a diffraction theory. U.S. Army Beach Erosion Board, Technical Memorandum No. 69]. In general, the agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is found to be satisfactory. A comparison between the regular and random wave test results is also presented and discussed. © 1990.