Shallow water-tow-out issues of WA-based construction of concrete gravity structures

Summary

After construction, a long-skirted concrete gravity structure (CGS) must be towed along a shallow channel connecting the casting basin to the open sea. Air cushions if used to increase seabed clearance also can increase the dynamic response of the CGS to ocean conditions encountered in tow-out.

This report describes model tests and numerical modelling and analyses to understand the interaction of a CGS and its air cushion, that were conducted at the School of Oil and Gas Engineering, UWA.

Keywords: concrete gravity structure, CGS, shallow water tow-out, wave flume, air cushion