The increasing size and speed of containerships lower natural hull-girder frequencies, exacerbating wave-induced hydroelastic responses. This study investigates a high-speed containership in head waves using segmented model experiments and a 3D hydroelastic numerical framework. Motions and midship vertical bending moments (VBMs) are analyzed, emphasizing the spectral decoupling of wave-frequency and high-frequency components. To capture transient whipping accurately, the numerical method incorporates tilted bow slamming strips with dual triggering thresholds. Experimental and numerical results show favorable agreement. Crucially, nondimensional analysis reveals that while wave-frequency VBM remains linear with wave height, high-frequency VBM exhibits severe nonlinear escalation. Under extreme waves, this drives pronounced structural asymmetry, with midship sagging amplitude reaching approximately 1.5 times the hogging amplitude. These findings provide critical references for ultimate strength design.
Zhang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.