Structural response analysis of cylinders under water impact

A series of transient structural response analysis is carried out for drop tests of two dimensional cylinders on water surface to reproduce the time histories of strain under water impact pressure. Measured and calculated strain values show good correlations, showing this method can be an useful tool. Then the effects of maximum impact pressure values on the maximum strain values are evaluated with this method. The measured time histories of pressure are divided into two parts. Each of them are applied to the structural model to estimate the maximum strain values. The strain values obtained from only maximum impact pressure part show less effects on the maximum strain values than that without maximum impact pressure part. This means that not only maximum impact pressure part but the remaining part has major effects on the maximum strain values on the simple local structures. The mass effects on the water impact loads are also discussed.