Experimental study of the wave load on the main pier of Huangmaohai Bridge under wave-current coupling effect

For the wave-current coupling effect on the main pier of Huangmaohai Bridge, experimental study is conducted to measure the load under wave-only and wave-and-current actions. Parametric studies are carried out to reveal the variation trend of the wave load with wave height and period. With the scouring depth of 12m and under the high-water level and wave height of 300-year return period, the maximum horizontal force F-X on the pile cap is 13686.1kN, the maximum overturning moment M-Y is 260115.5kN.m, while the maximum horizontal force on the pile cluster is 13775.0kN. For the cap and cluster, the load caused by irregular wave is greater than that caused by regular wave. The load increases with increasing wave height and period. Under the wave-current coupling effect, the variation trend of the wave load is similar to that under wave-only conditions. The load on the cap decreases with the increase of scouring depth, due to the wave deformation in shallow water. The load on the pile cluster increases with the increasing scouring depth due to the greater exposure to the fluid environment.