Damage Evolution Formulation: A New Approach

Abstract

The ProCoast-3D project focuses on developing, applying, and testing methodologies to predict the structural behaviour of rubble-mound breakwaters (RMBs). The study aims to revisit Melby and Kobayashi’s (1999) damage evolution formulas for RMBs, adapting them to the behaviour of Tetrapod and Antifer cubes armour layers. It proposes recalibrating the empirical coefficients to better predict damage in breakwaters with these armour layers, by conducting three-dimensional, long-duration scale model tests. In a previous study, Lemos et al. (2023), adapted Melby’s formula, which traditionally applies to rock armor layers, by developing a similar predictive model for Tetrapods. The present work aims to consolidate this study, in a 3D scale model of the Ericeira breakwater, located on the western coast of Portugal.