Experimental and Historical Verification of the Performance of Naturlly Armouring Breakwaters

by Kevin R. Hall, Queen's Univ, Canada,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Berm Breakwaters: Unconventional Rubble-Mound Breakwaters

Abstract:

A series of hydraulic model test were carried out to investigate the mechanism by which naturally armoring breakwaters, that is breakwaters in which the initial profile is adjusted into a more stable profile as a result of wave action, gain their stability. The breakwater models were instrumented with pressure transducers placed along the outer face of the structure and at the core/filter interface. Specially designed capacitance gages were installed throughout the core to monitor the motion of the phreatic surface within the breakwater. A substantial reduction in the magnitude of the internal and external pressure field was found for a natural armoring breakwater compared with a conventional structure. In addition, this paper provides a detailed summary of research on naturally armoring breakwaters which has occurred during the past 150 years.

Subject Headings: Coastal protection structures | Breakwaters | Hydraulic models | Armor units | Water table | Water pressure | Hydraulic structures

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