Experimental and numerical investigation of gap resonances between side-by-side fixed barges under beam sea excitation

This study investigates the gap resonances associated with two fixed barges in side-by-side configuration. A series of experiments and numerical modeling has been conducted with focus on beam sea excitations. The effect of gap width is examined. With a smaller ratio of gap width over barge breadth, the gap resonant responses become more sensitive to the damping adopted. It is also observed that the drift forces seem to be associated with the damping coefficients. Furthermore, the establishment processes of the gap resonances at different gap widths are investigated, providing insight for the offshore operations.