Flexible Floating Breakwater
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 117, Issue 5
Abstract
A numerical model is developed to analyze a flexible, floating breakwater consisting of a compliant, beam‐like structure anchored to the sea bed and kept under tension by a small buoyancy chamber at the tip. Additional stiffness is provided by mooring lines. The fluid motion is idealized as linearized, two‐dimensional potential flow and the breakwater is idealized as a one‐dimensional beam of uniform flexural rigidity and mass per unit length subjected to a constant axial force. The boundary integral equation method is applied to the fluid domain. Modifications are made to the basic formulation to account for the zero thickness of the idealized structure, and the dynamic behavior of the breakwater is described through an appropriate Green's function. Numerical results are presented illustrating the effects of the various wave and structural parameters on the efficiency of the breakwater. Small‐scale physical model tests were also carried out to validate this theory. In general, the agreement between experimental and numerical results was reasonable, but with considerable scatter.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Carver, R. D., Markel, D. G., Dubose, W. G., and Jensen, R. E. (1987). “Sloping float breakwater study, Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.” Technical Report CERC‐87‐5, U.S. Army Engr. Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
2.
Clough, R. W., and Penzien, J. (1975). Dynamics of structures, McGraw‐Hill, Inc., New York, N.Y.
3.
Dean, R. G., and Dalrymple, R. A. (1984). Water wave mechanics for scientists and engineers, Prentice‐Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
4.
Harms, V. W. (1979). “Design criteria for floating tire breakwater.” J. Wtrway., Port, Coast, and Oc. Div., ASCE, 105(2), 149–170.
5.
Jones, D. B., Lee, J.‐J., and Raichlen, F. (1979). “A transportable breakwater for nearshore applications.” Proc. Civil Engineering in the Oceans IV, ASCE, New York, N.Y., 433–456.
6.
Kerper, D. R., Sollitt, C. K., and McDougal, W. G. (1991a). “Theoretical behavior of a compliant wave barrier.” J. Wtrway., Port, Coast, and Oc. Engrg., ASCE.
7.
Kerper, D. R., Sollitt, C. K., and McDougal, W. G. (1991b). “Experimental behavior of a compliant wave barrier.” J. Wtrway., Port, Coast, and Oc. Engrg., ASCE.
8.
Leach, P. A., McDougal, W. G., and Sollitt, C. K. (1985). “Hinged floating breakwater.” J. Wtrway., Port, Coast, and Oc. Engrg., ASCE, 111(5), 895–909.
9.
Lee, C. P., Sollitt, C. K., and McDougal, W. G. (1986). “Mechanically coupled flap type breakwaters: Theory and experiment.” Proc. Twentieth Coastal Engineering Conf., ASCE, New York, N.Y.,2445–2462.
10.
Liu, P. L.‐F., and Abbaspour, M. (1982). “Wave scattering by a rigid thin barrier.” J. Wtrway., Port, Coast., and Oc. Div., ASCE, 108(4), 479–491.
11.
Nelson, E. E., and Broderick, L. L. (1986). “Floating breakwater prototype test program: Seattle, Washington.” CERC Miscellaneous Paper No. 86‐3, U.S. Army Engr. Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
12.
Ratnayake, S., and Christensen, D. (1986). “Floating breakwater behavior: Theory and experiment.” Proc. Ocean Structural Dynamics Symposium '86, ASCE, New York, N.Y., 700–714.
13.
Sarpkaya, T., and Isaacson, M. (1981). Mechanics of wave forces on offshore structures, Van Nostrand Reinhold Inc., New York, N.Y.
14.
Sawaragi, T., Aoki, S., and Yasui, A. (1989). “Tensions on silt curtains and currents in waves.” Eighth Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, American Society of Mech. Engrs. (ASME), New York, N.Y., 13–21.
15.
Seymour, R. J., and Hanes, D. M. (1979). “Performance analysis of a tethered float breakwater.” J. Wtrways., Port, Coast., and Oc. Div., ASCE, 105(3), 265–280.
16.
Timoshenko, S. P., and Gere, J. M. (1961). Theory of elastic stability. 2nd Ed., McGraw‐Hill Inc., New York, N.Y.
17.
Williams, A. N. (1985). “Wave diffraction by elliptical breakwaters in shallow water.” Ocean Engrg., 12(1), 25–43.
18.
Williams, A. N., and Darwiche, M. K. (1988). “Three‐dimensional wave scattering by elliptical breakwaters.” Ocean Engrg., 15(2), 103–118.
19.
Williams, A. N., and Geiger, P. T. (1988). “Theoretical analysis of flexible floating breakwater.” Research Report No. UHCE88‐12, Univ. of Houston, Houston, Tex.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 117 • Issue 5 • September 1991
Pages: 429 - 450
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 ASCE.
History
Published online: Sep 1, 1991
Published in print: Sep 1991
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.