GGU-DOLPHIN: Preface
The GGU-DOLPHIN program allows the analysis and design of dolphin piles. The fundamental principles are included in the Recommendations of the Committee for Waterfront Structures (EAU 2012) [1]. Comparative studies with numerous examples can be found in "Rudolph inter alia: Vergleichsberechnungen zur Dalbenbemessung nach Blum und mit der p-y-Methode (Comparative analyses for dolphin design after Blum and using the p-y method). Geotechnik 34 (2011) Issue 4, pp. 237-251" [2].
Depending on the application, dolphin piles are exposed to different actions. Breasting dolphins must be capable of accepting the actions exerted by the mooring process. Design is performed by specifying the ship's mooring energy to be accepted by the dolphin pile, which is referred to as required working capacity. In the GGU-DOLPHIN program, the required working capacity can be determined by specifying characteristic ship and structure parameters (see EAU 2012, Section 6.15.4). The actions to be transferred by mooring dolphins result from the rope tension and berthing forces, which can be regarded as static loads.
An essential parameter in dolphin pile design is their stiffness or the stiffness of the overall system resulting from the interaction between the dolphin, any fender and the ground. To model the deformation-dependent interaction between dolphins and ground, the GGU-DOLPHIN program utilises Blum's classical method, which adopts the spatial passive earth pressure Eph in front of the dolphin (see EAU 2012, Section 13.2.1.2).
In the program you have any specified load cases analysed consecutively in a single computation and thus to determine the load case with the greatest steel utilisation. It is also possible to analyse and design selected sections and load cases, e.g. rope tension, wind and flow pressure or ice loads. In addition, you can carry out a fender analysis.
If you are already working with GGU-CONNECT, you can also import soil properties from your subsoil layer model that you have created in GGU-CONNECT (see menu item “Editor 1 / Soils").
There are "?" buttons and "Info" buttons in the dialogue boxes for many technical and program-specific questions. Click on the "?" or "Info" buttons to obtain the necessary information.
The program includes convenient data input. The system is permanently displayed on the screen. Every change to the data is displayed on the screen, so that optimum control of the input data is guaranteed.
There are "?" and "Info"’ buttons in the dialog boxes for many technical and program-specific questions. Click on the "?" buttons or "Info" buttons to obtain the necessary information.
The graphic output supports the true type fonts provided by WINDOWS, so that an excellent layout is guaranteed. Colour output and numerous graphic formats (BMP, TIF, JPG etc.) are supported. PDF and DXF files can also be imported via the integrated Mini-CAD system (see "Mini-CAD" manual).
The program has been extensively tested. No errors have been found. Nevertheless, liability for completeness and correctness of the program and the manual, and for any damage resulting from incompleteness or incorrectness, cannot be accepted.