analytical study of a bridge system for underway replenishment

A folding span deployed between two ships is proposed for dry cargo transfer during replenishment operations at sea. This structure is modeled as a one-dimensional truss-work, composed of spatially periodic units. The governing equation is formulated for a single periodic unit by a finite element method. A transfer matrix method is then used to connect it to its neighboring units. The dynamic response of the structure is finally obtained by a wave propagation approach. For application to underway replenishment (UNREP), this analysis is extended to the case of a travelling load and to the case of moving boundaries, which accounts for the relative motion of the supplying and receiving ships. Moreover, a parametric study is conducted for future design purpose.