Experimental Investigation of Wave-Current - Current Loads on a Bridge Shuttle-Shaped Cap-Pile - Pile Foundation

To scrutinize the characteristics of wave-current - current loads on a bridge shuttle-shaped cap-pile - pile foundation, a 1:125 test model was considered in a laboratory fl ume. The inline, transverse and vertical wave-current - current forces acting on the shuttle-shaped cap-pile - pile group model were measured considering both random waves and a combination of random waves with a current. The experimental results have shown that the wave-current - current forces can be well correlated with the wave height, the wavelength, the current velocity, the incident direction and the water level in the marine environment. An increase in the current velocity can lead to a sharp increase in the inline and transverse wave-current - current forces, while the vertical wave-current force decreases. Moreover, the wave-current - current forces are particularly strong when a combination of high tide, strong wave and strong current is considered.