Author(s): Hanna Brandt; Mario Oertel; Yola Patzwahl

Linked Author(s): Hanna Brandt

Keywords: Pile breakwater; Experimental model; Drag force; Energy dissipation; Wave damping

Abstract: Breakwaters are important coastal structures to prevent coastlines from damage and major erosion due to wave impact. The chosen type of structure depends on various boundary conditions and the need for energy dissipation, transmission or reflection. A permeable breakwater structure can consist of several vertical piles with predefined pile distances and heights as well as number of piles. The current study deals with experimental tests in a laboratory flume to investigate the efficiency of pile breakwaters for various configurations. Therefore, wave damping and drag forces are analyzed within a scaled physical model. Results indicate that wave transmission is reduced as the pile spacing decreased, with a row of piles achieving a notable damping effect only when the spacing is less than half of the pile diameter. Furthermore, for spacings of 0.1 times the pile diameter and 0.3 times the diameter, the transmission coefficient decreases as the relative wave height increases. As the pile spacing decreases, the force on individual piles of the breakwater increases. This becomes particularly evident for higher waves. A detailed analysis of the force distribution across the breakwater width reveals a deviation in the forces acting on the outer and inner piles, especially at smaller spacings. The maximum force occurs at the center of the breakwater.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64697/978-90-835589-7-4_41WC-P1641-cd

Year: 2025