LIMITING HEIGHTS OF BREAKING AND NONBREAKING WAVES ON RUBBLE-MOUND BREAKWATERS.

Abstract

The experimental investigation was conducted to determine the limiting heights of the breaking and nonbreaking waves that can reach sloping-faced rubble-mound breakwaters for the nonovertopping condition. Reasonably accurate techniques are available for predicting the heights of waves that can reach a selected site prior to the construction of the breakwater. However, adequate data for evaluating the effect on the incident waves of the waves reflected from the breakwater are not presently available in the literature. Accurate selection of design waves is necessary for the design of stable and economical breakwaters. The limiting breaking and nonbreaking waves on the sloping faces of rubble-mound breakwaters were determined as a function of breakwater side slope, slope of bottom seaward of the structure, water depth at the toe of the structure, wave period, and shape of armor unit or porosity of cover layer. The plotted data in plates 1-12 are the maximum wave steepness (H/L) versus relative depth (d/L) for variations in breakwater slope, bottom slope, and porosity of cover layer. The results of the tests show that the maximum wave steepness is influenced more by the relative depth (d/L) and the bottom slope seaward of the structure than by the slope of the breakwater face or the porosity of the armor layer. Thus, the limiting waves on rubble-mound breakwaters of the type tested are not affected appreciably by the reflection coefficient of the structure. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1968
Accession Number
AD0673129

Entities

People

  • R. A. JACKSON

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Breakwaters
  • Coefficients
  • Construction
  • Literature
  • Porosity

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering