Greenwater events, characterized by the overtopping of water onto offshore structures during extreme weather conditions, pose significant challenges due to their complex nature and the severe consequences they can have on both structural integrity and human safety. Despite the substantial forces involved, the failure mechanisms induced by greenwater loads remain underexplored, particularly concerning local structural failures that can lead to long-term degradation such as micro-cracking and corrosion. This thesis aims to fill this gap by investigating the local failure mechanisms induced by greenwater loading on offshore structures.

Through a combination of small-scale experimental setups and numerical Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, this study seeks to identify the dominant mechanisms that lead to material failure during greenwater events. The research involves simulating greenwater impact under controlled laboratory conditions and comparing these results with those generated by numerical models. A key aspect of the study is the parametric analysis, which correlates specific sea-state characteristics to the intensity of greenwater events providing a more detailed understanding of the conditions under which these failures occur.

The findings from this research aim to curve a path which later studies can follow, resulting into the knowledge acquired in the specific field to ultimately lead to more resilient offshore structures, reducing maintenance costs, prolonging the lifespan of marine vessels, and enhancing safety protocols.