Recent progresses in studies on wave-current loads on foundation structure with piles and slab

The foundation structure with piles and slab is widely used in offshore wind farm construction in shallow water. Experimental studies on the hydrodynamic loads acting on the piles and slab under irregular waves and currents are summarized with discussion on the effects of pile grouping on the wave forces and wave impact loads on the slab locating near the free surface. By applying the theoretical solution of the wave diffracted by the slab and using the Morison equation to evaluate the wave force on the piles, the effects of the slab on the wave forces acting on the piles are analyzed. Based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the volume of fluid (VOF) method, a numerical wave basin is developed to simulate the wave-structure interaction. The computed maximum wave force on the foundation structure with piles and slab agrees well with the measured data. The violent deformation, breaking, and run-up of the wave around the structure are presented and discussed. Further work on the turbulent flow structures and large deformation of the free surface due to interaction of the waves and foundation structures of offshore wind farms needs more efficient approaches for evaluating hydrodynamic loads under the effects of nonlinear waves and currents.