COMPUTERS AND STRUCTURES, INC.

, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA JANUARY 2003

SAP2000

AUTOMATIC WAVE LOADS

Technical Note

Wave Display Plots and Tables

This Technical Note discusses the wave display plots and tables that can be
viewed while you are defining a wave load.

Overview
As described in the Technical Note entitled Defining Wave Loads, an
automatic wave load case is defined using the Define menu > Load Cases
command to open the Define Loads form (shown as Figure 1 in Defining Wave
Loads). The load Type is specified as WAVE and the Modify Lateral Loads
button is clicked to bring up the Wave Load form shown in Figure 1 on the
next page.
Two buttons labeled Show Wave Plot and Show Wave Table are at the
bottom of the Wave Load form. This technical note describes the function of
those two buttons.
The Show Wave Plot button allows you to display plots of wave particle
velocities, accelerations and pressures in many different formats. Display
contour plots and horizontal and vertical section cut plots through the wave.
Report wave particle velocities, accelerations and pressures at the mouse
pointer location numerically.
The Show Wave Table button allows you to display a table that shows the
wave particle velocities, accelerations and pressures at points throughout the
wave.

Overview

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Wave Display Plots and Tables

Figure 1: Wave Load Form

Wave Display Plots

Figure 2 shows the Wave Plot form as it might typically appear when you first
click the Show Wave Plot button on the Wave Load form or the Wave Table
form. Note that title bar of the form identifies the name of the wave
characteristic parameter set and the name of the current profile parameter
set, if any, used to create the wave plot.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 2: Wave Plot Form

The Display Type area of the form is where you set the type of plot that you
want to view. The choices are as follows:

Click for Values

Contours

Arrows

Vertical Cut

Horizontal Cut

Each of these options is described in this Technical Note.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 3: Wave Plot with User Z/X Scaling Ratio

The Z/X Scaling Ratio area of the form allows user control over the scale size
of the plotted wave. When the default option is used, the program scales the
wave plot such that it fills the available plot area. This typically means that
the vertical (Z) and horizontal (X) scales of the plot are different. The
program reports the Z/X ratio so that you can get a sense of the scaling.
If the User scaling option is chosen, input your own Z/X ratio for the plot.
Figure 3 shows the same plot as Figure 2, except in Figure 3, the User scaling
option has set the Z/X ratio to 1 instead of the default 0.2926.
The program has internal limits set on the scaling ratio so that the displayed
wave does not get too skinny in one direction. If you input a Z/X ratio that
exceeds the internal limit, the program automatically resets to its limit.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 4: Wave Discretization

Two check boxes are in the bottom right corner of the Wave Plot form.
The first check box is labeled Show Wave Discretization. When this check box
is checked, the wave plot appears as shown in Figure 4. A white grid is
superimposed over the wave showing the wave discretization. Exact values of
water particle velocities and accelerations, and pressure are calculated at
each grid intersection and at the intersection of the vertical grid lines with the
wave surface. Intermediate values are interpolated from the calculated
values.
The second check box is labeled Show Values at Pointer. This feature allows
you to move the mouse pointer over the wave and see values of various
items, as shown in Figure 5. The items shown vary depending on the display
type.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 5: Show Values at Pointer

Other buttons are available in the lower right corner of the Wave Plot form.
The Modify/Show Wave button brings up the Wave Characteristics form.
Use this button to modify the wave characteristics and then immediately see
the effect on the wave plot.
The Show Wave Table button brings up the wave table, which is the same
wave table as the one accessed from the Wave Load form. The wave table is
described later in this Technical Note.
The Refresh View button refreshes the wave plot view and the Done button
closes the Wave Plot form.
The following subsections describe each of the options available in the Display
Type area of the Wave Plot form.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 6: Click for Values Display Type

Click for Values Display Type

When the display type option is set to Click for Values you can left click any
where on the wave and a yellow square appears with its center located where
you clicked. In addition, the Values at Yellow Square area appears on the
right side of the form, as shown in Figure 6. The following values are reported
for the point where you clicked (center of the yellow square) in this area:

xwave: The X coordinate of the point in the wave coordinate system.

The positive X axis of the wave coordinate system is horizontal in the
direction that the wave is traveling.

zwave: The Z coordinate of the point in the wave coordinate system.

The positive Z axis of the wave coordinate system is in the same
direction as the positive global Z axis. The Z axis of the wave
coordinate system is referenced from the specified vertical datum.

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vxwave: The horizontal velocity of the wave (not including the

current) in the direction that the wave is traveling.

vxcurrent: The horizontal velocity of the component of the current in

the direction that the wave is traveling.

vxtotal: The combined horizontal velocity of the wave and the current
in the direction that the wave is traveling.

vzwave: The vertical velocity of the wave.

axwave: The horizontal acceleration of the wave in the direction that

the wave is traveling.

azwave: The vertical acceleration of the wave.

pressure: The pressure at the specified point.

Edit the xwave and zwave coordinates in the Values at Yellow Square area to
view the values at an exact location. To modify one of these coordinates, type
in the coordinate value and press the Enter key on your keyboard. The
velocity, acceleration and pressure values in the Values at Yellow Square area
immediately change and the yellow square itself will be moved to the
specified location.

Contours Display Type

When the display type option is set to Contours, the display appears as
contours and the Display This Item area appears on the right side of the
form, as shown in Figure 7. The following options are available in the Display
This Item area:

Horiz Wave Velocity: The horizontal velocity of the wave (not

including the current) in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Horiz Current Velocity: The horizontal velocity of the component of

the current in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Horiz Total Velocity: The combined horizontal velocity of the wave

and the current in the direction that the wave is traveling.

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Figure 7: Contours Display Type

Horiz Wave Accel: The horizontal acceleration of the wave in the

direction that the wave is traveling.

Vertical Wave Velocity: The vertical velocity of the wave.

Vertical Wave Accel: The vertical acceleration of the wave.

Pressure: The pressure at the specified point.

The legend for the contours is displayed at the bottom of the form, along with
the maximum and minimum values for the displayed item.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 8: Arrows Display Type

Arrows Display Type

When the display type option is set to Arrows, the display appears as
contours with arrows superimposed on them and the Display This Item area
appears on the right side of the form, as shown in Figure 8. The following
options are available in the Display This Item area:

Resultant Velocity w/o Current: The vector sum of the horizontal

and vertical wave velocity not including the current.

Resultant Velocity w/ Current: The vector sum of the horizontal

and vertical wave velocity including the contribution of the current.

Resultant Acceleration: The vector sum of the horizontal and

vertical wave acceleration.

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The contours indicate the magnitude of the resultant velocity or acceleration.

The contour legend is displayed at the bottom of the form along with the
maximum and minimum values for the displayed item.
The arrows serve the dual purpose of indicating the direction and the
magnitude of the resultant velocity or acceleration. The lengths of the various
arrows are proportional to the resultant magnitude at that location.
When the display type option is set to Arrows, the Show Arrows at Actual
Angle check box appears in the Z/X Scaling Ratio area. When this check box
is unchecked, the arrow direction is shown consistent with current Z/X scaling
ratio. Unless the ratio is one, this will not be the true direction of the
resultant. When the Show Arrows at Actual Angle check box is checked, the
arrows are displayed in their true direction.
Suppose, for example, that at some location in the wave the true direction of
the resultant is 30 degrees from horizontal. When the Show Arrows at Actual
Angle check box is checked, the arrow at that location will graphically appear
at 30 degrees from horizontal. If the check box is not checked, the arrow will
graphically appear at some angle that is consistent with the current Z/X
scaling ratio.

Vertical Cut Display Type

When the display type option is set to Vertical
appears through the wave and the Display This
right side of the form, as shown in Figure 9. The
Item area are the same as those described for the

Cut, a vertical section cut

Item area appears on the
options in the Display This
Contours display type.

Use the horizontal scroll bar that appears at the bottom of the form for this
display type to drag the vertical section cut to different horizontal positions
across the wave. Alternatively, left click on the wave and drag your mouse
horizontally while still holding down the left mouse button to reposition the
section cut left or right.

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Figure 9: Vertical Cut Display Type

Horizontal Cut Display Type

When the display type option is set to Horizontal Cut, a horizontal section cut
appears across the wave and the Display This Item area appears on the
right side of the form, as shown in Figure 10. The options in the Display This
Item area are the same as those described for the Contours display type.
Use the vertical scroll bar that appears to the right of the wave for this display
type to drag the horizontal section cut to different vertical positions on the
wave. Alternatively, left click on the wave and drag your mouse vertically
while still holding down the left mouse button to reposition the section cut up
or down.

Wave Display Plots

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Figure 10: Horizontal Cut Display Type

Wave Display Table

Figure 11 shows the Wave Data Table form as it might typically appear when
you first click the Show Wave Table button on the Wave Load form or the
Wave Plot form. The data shown in the Wave Data Table form is not editable.
It is only for display.
The following fields are shown in the display table:

Horiz Loc: The X coordinate of the point in the wave coordinate

system. The positive X axis of the wave coordinate system is
horizontal in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Wave Display Table

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Figure 11: Wave Data Table Form

Vrt from Datum: The Z coordinate of the point in the wave

coordinate system. The positive Z axis of the wave coordinate system
is in the same direction as the positive global Z axis. The Z axis of the
wave coordinate system is referenced from the specified vertical
datum.

Horiz Wave Vel: The horizontal velocity of the wave (not including
the current) in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Horiz Current Vel: The horizontal velocity of the component of the

current in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Horiz Total Vel: The combined horizontal velocity of the wave and the
current in the direction that the wave is traveling.

Horiz Wave Acc: The horizontal acceleration of the wave in the

direction that the wave is traveling.

Wave Display Table

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Figure 12: Wave Data Table Form Showing Data for Horizontal Grid at 123.3543

Vert Wave Vel: The vertical velocity of the wave.

Vert Wave Acc: The vertical acceleration of the wave.

Pressure: The pressure at the specified point.

Note that you can position the mouse pointer in the field name row and drag
the columns in the table to different widths if desired.
The Display Options area of the form allows you to display subsets of the data
at specified vertical or horizontal grid locations. For example, Figure 12 shows
data for the horizontal grid at 123.3543.
Note that the first row in the table in Figure 12 shows a Vrt from Datum value
of 11.4805. This is the wave surface elevation at the 123.3543 horizontal
location. In the Wave Data Table form the top value displayed for each
horizontal coordinate is the wave surface elevation for that horizontal
coordinate.

Wave Display Table

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