This course will provide civil/structural engineers and port/marine terminal operators with detailed instructions on the design and construction considerations of large floating structures such as wave attenuators, ferry and cruise ship terminals, and other passenger or vehicle platforms. The same concepts may be scaled up for larger structures such as floating container terminals, bridges, and other concrete type floating structures. This course will introduce designers to design considerations unique to floating structures. Discussions will include float stability and characteristics, global and local marine loadings, lateral support considerations, design methods and references, as well as construction means and methods and quality control provisions. The course will provide technical training in a topic not widely available in published guidelines and will preview information being prepared for a future ASCE Manual of Practice on Large Floating Structures. This course will primarily focus on large concrete float designs, even though many of the design concepts are directly applicable to other material types.
Topics will include: The use of large floating structures such as bridges, marine terminals, ferry docks.
Course will not address offshore platforms, barges or derrick, floating dry docks, or small boat marinas.
Environmental considerations and feasibility including bathymetry and tidal variation, hydrostatic, wind and wave pressures on hulls, and towing loads. Pontoon and support design considerations, lateral supports such as guide pile dolphins, anchor chains, and float-to-shore connections. Fabrication and construction considerations including fabrication facilities, quality control, launching, towing, means and methods, and quality control provisions.
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