Heaving response of a large floating platform

In this paper, we tackle a new dynamic problem of a large floating platform in a heaving harmonic motion due to 9000 performers or people simultaneously jumping in mass events. The objective is to estimate the heaving response of the floating structure so as to establish whether the participants will be at ease during their performances. By assuming the platform as a rigid body, the added mass and the radiation damping coefficient are first estimated. This requires the evaluation of a three-dimensional velocity potential governed by Laplace’s equation. The Green's function method was used to solve the boundary value problem. Based on the estimated added mass and radiation damping, we employ the finite element software NASTRAN to solve the transient dynamic problem for the displacement and acceleration responses. The impulse force used for the transient problem is based on experimentally obtained ground reaction force (due to a human jumping) as measured by using a force plate. As the floating platform may be dismantled and reconfigured into other shapes, two different sizes of floating platform as well as different number of jumps were considered in this study.