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

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 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)

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Jackson, R A
• Publication Date: 1968-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 54 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breakwaters; Port structures; Water waves; Wave height
• Subject Areas: Hydraulics and Hydrology; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00015071
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Defense Documentation Center
• Report/Paper Numbers: AEWES-TR-H-68-3
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1971 12:00AM