APPLICATION OF RAINFLOW TECHNIQUES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF MARINE FLOATING ELEMENTS

The two main characteristics of an oscillation are its amplitude and period. Although amplitude has always taken the spotlight in the design and verification of maritime structures, in the last twenty years, frequency dominance has gained increasing importance. The operability of maritime operations and the maintenance and preservation of port and offshore structures depend on the oscillatory dynamic response of floating bodies which, in turn, relies on the oscillatory forcing of the free surface. In the field of port engineering, rainflow counting has demonstrated significant advantages compared to traditional wave counting methods like the zero- downcrossing approach, yet its widespread adoption remains limited. Although the list of possible applications to coastal engineering problems is huge and includes wave groups, damage progression in breakwaters, overtopping increase, or impacts of vessel movements on durability of mooring and berthing elements (Molina, 2014), this study specifically seeks to showcase the advancements and diverse applications of this technique in the analysis of dynamic responses in floating elements, shedding light on its consequential influence on design principles and operational considerations.