BREAKWATERS

BREAKWATERS
SUBJECTS

• Rubble mound breakwaters

• Vertical wall breakwaters

• Berm breakwaters

• Submerged breakwaters
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters
Objectives

• To be able to make an assessment of hydraulic

loads against caisson breakwater

• To be able to make a preliminary design of a

caisson breakwater (length, width, height)

• To be able to compare caisson breakwater

against rubble mound breakwater
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters
CONTENTS

• Introduction, set the problem

• PROVERBS parameter map (exercise) &

design methods (functional requirements)

• Design methods (static analysis)

• Design methods (dynamic analysis)

• Worked example
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters
INTRODUCTION

• Information (readers)

• Functions

• Types

• Problem definition

• Design methods (intro)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters
References:
• Y. Goda, Ch. 4 Design of Vertical Breakwaters
(from: Random Seas and Design of Maritime
Structures. 1985)
• S. Takahashi, Design of Vertical Breakwaters
(Short Coarse, ICCE, 1996)
• PIANC; Breakwaters with Vertical and Inclined Concrete
Walls, Report WG 28, 2003
• G. Cuomo: Wave impacts on vertical sea walls &
caisson breakwaters. PIANC On Course Magazine 127
van Mei 2007.
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters
References (continued)
• PIANC WG 28 sub-group reports (el.
platform)
• Overtopping manual:
www.overtopping-manual.com

Additional reading:
• Oumeraci, H. et. al.; Probabilistic Design
Tools for Vertical Breakwaters
(PROVERBS), February 2001
(ISBN 09 5809 248 8 / 249 6)
• Coastal Engineering Manual
• The Rock Manual
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Functions
FUNCTIONS

• Wave protection in port/channel

• Protection from siltation, currents
• Tsunami protection
• Berthing facilities
• Access/transport facility

Ras Laffan
Marsaxlokk
IJmuiden
Kamaishi (Qatar)
Gijon(Japan)
(Spain)
(Malta)
(Netherlands)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES
(breakwaters with vertical and inclined
concrete walls)

• Conventional
The caisson is placed on a
relatively thin stone bedding.

Advantage of this type is the

minimum use of natural rock (in
case scarse)

Wave walls are generally placed on

shore connected caissons (reduce
Mutsu-Ogawara (Japan) overtopping)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Vertical composite
The caisson is placed on a high
rubble foundation.

This type is economic in deep

waters, but requires substantial
volumes of (small size) rock fill

Algeciras (Spain)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Horizontal composite
The front slope of the caisson is covered
by armour units
This type is used in shallow water. The
mound reduces wave reflection, wave
impact and wave overtopping
Repair of displaced vertical breakwaters
Used when a (deep) quay is required at the
inside of rubble mound breakwater

Gela (Sicily, Italy)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Block type

This type of breakwater needs to

be placed on rock sea beds or on
very strong soils due to very high
foundation loads and sensitivity to
differential settlements

Alderney (Guernsey, UK)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Piled breakwater with concrete

wall
Piled breakwaters consist of an
inclined or curtain wall mounted
on pile work.

The type is applicable in less

severe wave climates on site with
weak and soft subsoils with very
thick layers.
Manfredonia New Port (Italy)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Sloping top

The upper part of the front slope

above still water level is given a
slope to reduce wave forces and
improve the direction of the wave
forces on the sloping front.

Overtopping is larger than for a

Napels (Italy) vertical wall with equal level.
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Perforated front wall

The front wall is perforated by

holes or slots with a wave chamber
behind.

Due to the dissipation of energy

both the wave forces on the
caisson and the wave reflection are
Dieppe (France)
reduced
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Semi-circular caisson

Well suited for shallow water

situations with intensive wave
breaking

Due to the dissipation of energy

both the wave forces on the
caisson and the wave reflection are
Miyazaki Port (Japan) reduced
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)

• Dual cylindrical caisson

Outer permeable and inner

impermeable cylinder.

Low reflection and low permeable

Centre chamber and lower ring

chamber filles with sand

Nagashima Port (Japan)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
• TYPES (continued)

• “Combi-caisson”

Sloping top

Semi-circular/perforated

Perforated front wall

Perforated rear wall

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

What is needed?

• Proper understanding of functional requirements

• Proper understanding of loads and resistance

• Insight in failure modes

• Understanding of breaking/non-breaking waves

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Functional requirements

• Access

• Quay facilities

• Overtopping

• Transmission
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: acces (pedestrians, supply traffic)

Piraeus (Greece)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, oil piping)

Marsaxlokk (Malta)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, LNG piping)

Ras Laffan (Qatar)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, conveyors)

Porto Torres (Sicily, Italy)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: quay facilities (access, warehouses, sheds)

Constantza Port (Romania)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirements: quay facilities (access, warehouses, sheds)

Durres Port (Albania)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem
definition

Requirement: limit overtopping and

transmission

Marina do Lugar de Baixo (Madeira, Portugal)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and
resistance

Loads and resistance

Loads: Resistance:

• Hydraulic loads • Friction (mostly)

• Weight • Soil bearing capacity
W W
FH FH

U U

f  ( W  U) W t  M u
FH 
SF  
M FH 
SF
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and
resistance
Failure modes (overall)

Hydraulic failure Geotechnical

failure
Sliding Overturning Slip
W W W
FH FH FH
Planar
slip
U U U
Circular slip
f  ( W  U) W t  M u
FH 
SF 
M FH   SF
   max

Earthquake loading:
LIQUEFACTION
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and
resistance
Failure modes (local)

Instability of mound Erosion of seabed Partial

Instability

Erosion Scour
U

f  ( W  U)
FH 
SF
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and
resistance
Example overall failure: Mutsu Ogawara Port, East Breakwater (Japan)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and
resistance
Example local failure: Catania Breakwater (Sicily, Italy)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods
(intro)
Impression of hydraulic forces (field)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

Hydraulic Forces (laboratory)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

Hydraulic Forces (laboratory)

iCam optical sensor (Deltaflume Deltares)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)
• Aerated impact
• The wave breaks before reaching the wall
• Air pocket entrapped in the water not on
the wall
• Pressure varies gradually in time in phase
with wave elevation

iCam optical sensor (Deltaflume Deltares)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

• Air pocket impact

• The wave breaks closer to the wall
• A large air pocket is entrapped against
the wall
• Large peak force by crest hitting wall
• Followed by small force oscillations
• Duration of the pressure peak: O(0.01 s)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

• Flip through impact

• Forward moving wave crest and rising
wave trough converge at same impact
point
• No air pocket entrapped against the wall
• Large peak force by crest hitting wall
accelating into vertical jet
• Very short duration of impacts O(0.01 s)
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

• •Slosh impact
Rising wave trough arrives at
convergence point way before forward
moving crest
• No air pocket entrapped against the wall
• Small forces with long durations
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)
Hydraulic Forces

• Differentiate between non-breaking and breaking waves

• Identification of types of horizontal loading by means of the PROVERBS

parameter map (distribute)
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)

PROVERBS Definition of geometric parameters

Bc
Lhs

Hs Hb Rc

d h1 hc hf
Bb
hs
dc
1:m
hb Beq hr
α
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)
• PROVERBS parameter map (also PIANC WG 28)

Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

• PROVERBS parameter map

•Breakwaters
Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
•February 2011
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

•Breakwaters
•February 2011 Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

•Breakwaters
•February 2011 Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

•Breakwaters
•February 2011
Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)

 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)

Bottom elevation EL bottom  8.5  m

Design water level EL water  0.5  m

Berm elevation EL berm  3.63  m

Design depth hs  EL water  EL bottom

Design wave height Hs  0.65  hs

Height of berm: hb  EL berm  EL bottom

hs  9 m hb  4.87 m Hs  5.85 m

hb Hs
 0.541  0.65
hs hs
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

•Breakwaters
•February 2011 Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)

Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)

Bottom elevation EL bottom  8.5  m
What in case of low mound?
Design water level EL water  0.5  m

Berm elevation EL berm  6.63  m

Design depth hs  EL water  EL bottom

Design wave height Hs  0.65  hs

Height of berm: hb  EL berm  EL bottom

hs  9 m hb  1.87 m Hs  5.85 m

hb Hs
 0.208  0.65
hs hs
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods

• PROVERBS parameter map

•Breakwaters
•February 2011
Beq = Bb + 0.5∙m ∙ hb
 Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design
methods (intro)
Hydraulic Forces: evaluation of wave breaking

Sainflou Goda Goda (extended) PROVERBS

BREAKWATERS