Evaluating Breakwater Damage Progression: Experimental and Theoretical Insights

Abstract

The ProCoast-3D project aims at the development, application and testing of methodologies for predicting the structural behavior of rubble-mound breakwaters (RMBs), as part of a decision support system for the planning and prioritization of maintenance/repair work developed at LNEC, to increase the safety, functionality, and resilience of RMBs in the face of climate change. The study uses both experimental data (through 3D wave basin simulations) and theoretical models to analyze the progression and variability of damage for Ericeira’s breakwater. This combination allows to create a more accurate representation of the breakwater’s behavior under different wave conditions. Melby and Kobayashi’s damage evolution formulae to rubble-mound breakwaters are revisited to reflect the specific behaviour of tetrapod armour layers. The study proposes recalibrating the empirical coefficients to improve the prediction of damage evolution in breakwaters with tetrapod armor layers, through the application of 3D long-duration experimental tests and probabilistic and statistical methods offering deeper insights into their structural behavior under wave action.