Experimental study on dynamic effect of freestanding tower of sea-crossing bridge under wave load

There is a debate over whether the sea-crossing bridges undergo dynamic motions when exposed to wave loads. In order to verify the dynamic effect of the tower of sea-crossing bridge under wave load, an experimental study on dynamic effect of a freestanding tower of sea-crossing bridge is accomplished in this paper. Firstly, a test model for a typical bridge tower of pile group foundation under wave load is established by using a scale of 1:100. Secondly, a typical sea condition is designed for the response test of the bridge tower under wave load. The test results indicated that obvious vibration of top the tower occurs when the wave load period is close to the natural vibration period of the structure, and both displacement and base shear are amplified. The results in this paper will provide an important reference for whether the dynamic effect of wave load should be considered in the designs of bridge structure under wave load.