BREAKWATERS

By

J.W. van der Meer, PhD. CE
J.C. van der Lem MSc. CE
ROYAL HASKONING
J.C. (Cock) van der Lem M.Sc.
Sr. Port Engineer
Maritime Advisory Group Rotterdam

Haskoning Nederland B.V.
a company of Royal Haskoning

George Hintzenweg 85
P.O.Box 8520
3009 AM Rotterdam
The Netherlands

tel. +31-(0)10-4433666
direct +31-(0)10-4433722
mobile +31-(0)6-15006372
fax. +31-(0)10-4433688
e-mail: C.vanderLem@RoyalHaskoning.com

www.royalhaskoning.com
Contact details
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Breakwaters
February 2011
BREAKWATERS
SUBJECTS

Rubble mound breakwaters (J.W. van der Meer)

Vertical wall breakwaters (J.C. van der Lem)

Berm breakwaters (J.W. van der Meer)

Submerged breakwaters (J.W. van der Meer)



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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters
Objectives (end of the course)

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

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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters
CONTENTS

Day 1 Introduction, set the problem

Day 2 PROVERBS parameter map (exercise) &
design methods (functional requirements)

Day 3 Design methods (static analysis)

Day 4 Design methods (dynamic analysis)

Day 5 Worked example
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters
DAY 1 - INTRODUCTION

Information (readers)

Functions

Types

Problem definition

Design methods (intro)

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Vertical Wall Breakwaters
Readers
In lecture notes/distributed:

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.
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters
Readers (continued)
Separate:
PowerPoint presentations (el. platform)
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
Breakwat (Deltares formerly WL|Delft Hydraulics)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Gijon (Spain)
IJmuiden (Netherlands) Kamaishi (Japan) Marsaxlokk (Malta)
Ras Laffan (Qatar)
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Functions
FUNCTIONS

Wave protection in
port/channel
Protection from siltation,
currents
Tsunami protection
Berthing facilities
Access/transport facility
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES
(breakwaters with vertical and
inclined concrete walls)


Conventional


Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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
overtopping)
Mutsu-Ogawara (Japan)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES (continued)




Vertical composite


Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES (continued)




Horizontal composite






Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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
(day 2)
Used when a (deep) quay is required at the
inside of rubble mound breakwater
Gela (Sicily, Italy)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES (continued)


Block type




Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES (continued)




Piled breakwater with
concrete wall







Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
TYPES (continued)




Sloping top



Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
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
vertical wall with equal level.
Napels (Italy)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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
reduced
Dieppe (France)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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
reduced
Miyazaki Port (Japan)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Types
TYPES (continued)




Combi-caisson
Sloping top

Semi-circular/perforated

Perforated front wall

Perforated rear wall
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February 2011
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

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Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Functional requirements

Access

Quay facilities

Overtopping

Transmission
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: acces (pedestrians, supply traffic)
Piraeus (Greece)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, oil piping)
Marsaxlokk (Malta)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, LNG piping)
Ras Laffan (Qatar)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: acces (harbour workers, traffic, conveyors)
Porto Torres (Sicily, Italy)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: quay facilities (access, warehouses, sheds)
Constantza Port (Romania)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirements: quay facilities (access, warehouses, sheds)
Durres Port (Albania)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Problem definition
Requirement: limit overtopping and transmission
Marina do Lugar de Baixo (Madeira, Portugal)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and resistance
Loads and resistance
Loads:

Hydraulic loads
Weight


Resistance:

Friction (mostly)
Soil bearing capacity

F
H
W

U

F
H
W

U

F
H
f W U ( )
SF
s
M F
H
( )
W t M
u

SF
s
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and resistance
Failure modes (overall)

Hydraulic failure Geotechnical failure
Sliding Overturning Slip

F
H
W

U

F
H
W

U

F
H
W

U

Planar
slip
Circular slip
Earthquake loading:
LIQUEFACTION
F
H
f W U ( )
SF
s
M F
H
( )
W t M
u

SF
s
t t
max
<
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and resistance
Failure modes (local)

Instability of mound Erosion of seabed Partial
Instability
U

Erosion
Scour
F
H
f W U ( )
SF
s
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Breakwaters
February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and resistance
Example overall failure: Mutsu Ogawara Port, East Breakwater (Japan)

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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Loads and resistance
Example local failure: Catania Breakwater (Sicily, Italy)

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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Impression of hydraulic forces (field)


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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Hydraulic Forces (laboratory)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Hydraulic Forces (laboratory)
iCam optical sensor (Deltaflume Deltares)
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February 2011
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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)
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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
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Breakwaters
February 2011
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)





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Breakwaters
February 2011
PROVERBS Definition of geometric parameters
h
s
d
h1
B
b
h
r
h
b
B
eq
d
c
B
c
h
c
h
f
R
c
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)

L
hs
H
s
H
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
PROVERBS parameter map (also PIANC WG 28)
B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods
PROVERBS parameter map
B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods

B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods

B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods

B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)
H
s
h
s
0.65 =
h
b
h
s
0.541 =
H
s
5.85m = h
b
4.87m = h
s
9m =
h
b
EL
berm
EL
bottom
:= Height of berm:
H
s
0.65 h
s
:= Design wave height
h
s
EL
water
EL
bottom
:= Design depth
EL
berm
3.63 m := Berm elevation
EL
water
0.5 m := Design water level
EL
bottom
8.5 m := Bottom elevation
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods

B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Example: Sakata Detached Breakwater (Japan)
What in case of low mound?
H
s
h
s
0.65 =
h
b
h
s
0.208 =
H
s
5.85m = h
b
1.87m = h
s
9m =
h
b
EL
berm
EL
bottom
:= Height of berm:
H
s
0.65 h
s
:= Design wave height
h
s
EL
water
EL
bottom
:= Design depth
EL
berm
6.63 m := Berm elevation
EL
water
0.5 m := Design water level
EL
bottom
8.5 m := Bottom elevation
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods
PROVERBS parameter map
B
eq
= B
b
+ 0.5m h
b
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February 2011
Vertical Wall Breakwaters - Design methods (intro)
Hydraulic Forces: evaluation of wave breaking
Sainflou Goda PROVERBS Goda (extended)
BREAKWATERS
To be continued..
(distribute PIANC WG 28 cases and PROVERBS map)

Homework: read the PIANC WG 28 case
Next course: bring PIANC case, Proverbs map & calculator