Wave loading is most commonly the application of a pulsed or wavelike

load Load or LOAD may refer to: Aeronautics and transportation *Load factor (aeronautics), the ratio of the lift of an aircraft to its weight *Passenger load factor, the ratio of revenue passenger miles to available seat miles of a particular transpo ...

to a material or object. This is most commonly used in the analysis of piping, ships, or building structures which experience wind, water, or seismic disturbances.

Examples of wave loading

* Offshore storms and pipes: As large waves pass over shallowly buried pipes,

water pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and ...

increases above it. As the trough approaches, pressure over the pipe drops and this sudden and repeated variation in pressure can break pipes.

John T. Christian John Tyler Christian (1854–1925) was a Baptist preacher, author and educator. He was born December 14, 1854, near Lexington, Kentucky. His family moved to Henry County, Kentucky, when he was six years old. He professed faith in Christ and joine ...

et al., “Large Diameter Underwater Pipeline for Nuclear Power Plant Designed Against

Soil Liquefaction Soil liquefaction occurs when a cohesionless saturated or partially saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress such as shaking during an earthquake or other sudden change in stress condition, ...

,” Offshore Technology Conference Preprints, Vol. 2, Houston, Texas, 6–8 May 1974, pp. 597–606. The difference in pressure for a wave with wave height of about 10 m would be equivalent to one atmosphere (101.3 kPa or 14.7 psi) pressure variation between crest and trough and repeated fluctuations over pipes in relatively shallow environments could set up resonance vibrations within pipes or structures and cause problems. * Engineering oil platforms: The effects of wave-loading are a serious issue for engineers designing oil platforms, which must contend with the effects of wave loading, and have devised a number of algorithms to do so.

References

{{reflist Waves Articles containing video clips