ABSTRACT
In-situ measurements have been made of oil barrier shape and loads created by current action. A commercial cylinder and skirt type barrier with a 100 foot length was used in these studies. The barrier was located in Narragansett Bay near the Jamestown Bridge so that the bridge could be used for certain measurements in this experimental program. The barrier shape was obtained by taking transit readings from the Jamestown Bridge on painted target areas located at various spots along the barrier's cylindrical floatation members. Pictures of the barrier also were taken from the bridge. The barrier was instrumented with two recording load cells — one at each end of the barrier—and two accelerometers located near the mid-point of the barrier for obtaining vertical and horizontal accelerations. Direct current measurements were made in the vicinity of the barrier by the drifting drogue technique. Wave data were taken with a capacitance wave staff located on the Jamestown Bridge. Local wind speed and direction were noted aboard the accompanying research vessel.
The shape, load and current data were used to calculate effective and base coefficients for the barrier. The observed shape was used with several drag coefficient calculations to calculate a predicted drag force on the barrier. The calculated results from these studies are in reasonable agreement with model barrier data taken in laboratory facilities.