Lighthouses situated on exposed rocky outcrops warn mariners of the dangers that lurk beneath the waves. They were first constructed when approaches to wave loading and structural response were relatively unsophisticated, essentially learning from previous failures. Here, we chart the evolution of lighthouses on the Wolf Rock, situated between Land's End and the Isles of Scilly in the UK. The first empirical approaches are described, followed by design aspects of the present tower, informed by innovations developed on other rocky outcrops. We focus on a particular development associated with the automation of lighthouses: the helideck platform. The design concept is described and the structure then scrutinized for future survivability, using the latest structural modelling techniques of the entire lighthouse and helideck. Model validation data were obtained through a complex logistical field operation and experimental modal analysis. Extreme wave loading for the model required the identification of the 250-year return period wave using a Bayesian method with informative prior distributions, for two different scenarios (2017 and 2067). The structural models predict responses of the helideck to wave loading which is characterized by differential displacements of 0.093m (2017) and 0.115m (2067) with associated high tension forces and plastic strain.

Estimation of impulsive wave loading on a cylinder upon a shoal, such as an offshore rock lighthouse constructed on a partially emerged offshore rock with a steep foreshore, poses a unique challenge to marine structural engineers. Large and small scale experimental investigations are the most feasible methods to study this phenomena. However, any experimental investigation with impulsive loading faces challenges in the data analysis, when it is necessary to separate the total impact forces from the force response time series, and to separate the impulsive and quasi-static force components of the total force measurements. This paper is an attempt to re-visit several data analysis techniques with a unique experimental data set to study the advantages and limitations of those techniques, and also to learn how different techniques can be combined into a data analysis methodology to harness maximum information.