Movable-Bed Model Study of Storm-Induced Beach Fill Erosion at Ocean City Maryland

by Jimmy E. Fowler, USAE Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, United States,
Steven A. Hughes, USAE Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Sediments

Abstract:

Movable-bed physical model scaling guidance has recently been validated for the case of turbulent-dominated sediment transport, such as occurs in the surf zone. The tests successfully reproduced, at scale, beach evolution observed in a prototype-scale flume. The selected modeling guidance was considered validated, but had not been tested in an actual field situation. To accomplish this, the scaling guidance was used to simulate severe erosion associated with a winter storm at Ocean City, Maryland, during March 1989. The tests were conducted without prior knowledge of post-storm profiles using irregular waves at a 1:7.5 undistorted geometric scale and 0.13mm sand. Water level, wave height, and period in the model were varied (in three-hour prototype time increments) as the model storm progressed. Results indicated that model and prototype profiles showed reasonable agreement, and gives further credence to the scaling guidance.

Subject Headings: Sediment transport | Scale models | Hydraulic models | Storms | Movable bed models | Fouling | Erosion | Maryland | United States

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