Experimental study of the breaking limit of multi-directional random waves passing over an impermeable submerged breakwater

✍ Scribed by D.-S. Hur; N. Kawashima; K. Iwata

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 391 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0029-8018
• DOI: 10.1016/s0029-8018(03)00046-5

✦ Synopsis

This study investigates experimentally the breaking wave height of multi-directional random waves passing over an impermeable submerged breakwater. Experiments have been conducted in a three-dimensional wave basin equipped with a multi-directional random wave generator. A special type of wave gauge has been newly devised to record the water surface elevations in the breaker zone as accurately as possible. The records are analyzed to estimate the location and limit of wave breaking. Comparisons have also been made with the results of regular waves. The influence of the incident wave conditions on the breaking wave height normalized by the breakwater dimensions has been investigated. Empirical formulae have been presented to estimate the breaking limit of multi-directional random waves based on the experimental records. The formulae have been tested and found to work well not only for multi-directional random waves, but for regular waves as well.