Kim and Mevoier 



In short, this writer would like to suggest that the evaluation 

 of float configuration should be made from two different view points ; 

 i.e. motions and wave-induced forces and moments of the platform. 



REPLY TO DISCUSSION 



John A. Mercier 



Stevens Institute of Technology 

 Hoboken 3 New Jersey 3 U.S.A. 



Doctor Ochi is, of course, right. The proper design charac- 

 teristics must depend on the design problem and in the case of study- 

 ing structural characteristics and the behaviour of rigidly connected 

 floats one must be able to calculate the forces and minimize them, 

 rather than the motions responsible, which I studied at that time. 



I found that our situation in regard to calculating the vertical 

 forces on such floats was pretty satisfactory so long as the interaction 

 effects could be safely ignored, that is, so long as the floats were 

 sufficiently spaced - and I hope to be able to say what I mean by 

 "sufficiently" at some time in the near future. I know that if they are 

 too closely spaced we cannot calculate them satisfactorily. 



The horizontal force, on the other hand, is more complicated, 

 as Weigel has just reported, and we must await further results for 

 this case. In fact, the calculations may be influenced by the presence 

 of ambient currents and other complicating factors. 



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