3-2-00, Composite/Vertical Wall Breakwaters, Description

Ref: Shore rotection !an"al, #S$C%, &'()

Basic Coastal %n*ineerin*, R+!+ Sorensen, &'',
Coastal %n*ineerin* -an./ook, 0+B+ -er/ich, &''&
%! &&&0-2-2'0), Desi*n of Breakwaters an. 0etties, #S$C%, &'(1
Breakwaters, 0etties, B"lkhea.s an. Seawalls, ile B"ck, &''2
Coastal, %st"arial an. -ar/o"r %n*ineers2 Reference Book, !+B+ $//ot an. W+$+ rice,
&''), 3Chapter 2'4
Coastal %n*ineerin*, 5+ -orikawa, &',(
6opics
Description Composite/Vertical Wall Breakwaters Desi*n
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Composite/Vertical Wall Breakwater Desi*n
Description
Composite or 7ertical wall /reakwaters are 7ertical str"ct"res /"ilt on r"//le
mo"n. fo"n.ations+ 6he 7ertical wall portion "s"all8 consists of caisson str"ct"res+ 9$
caisson is a lar*e, *enerall8 rectan*"lar concrete /o:, "s"all8 not soli., /"t compose. of
walls an. internal .iaphra*ms to *i7e it stren*th, an. fille. with san. or *ra7el to *i7e it
wei*ht+ ;t rests on the sea /ottom, or on a la8er or mo"n. of stone, rel8in* on its mass to
resist wa7e action+ $ strin* of s"ch caissons can make a contin"o"s /reakwater++9 3<o.a,
&''&4
$ 97ertical /reakwater9 is *enerall8 a free stan.in* caisson 3or strin* of caissons4
restin* .irectl8 on the /ottom, /"ilt on an impro7e. fo"n.ation pro/a/l8 with a r"//le
mat fl"sh with the nat"ral *ro"n.+ 6he most common t8pe is the 9low mo"n.
/reakwater9 where the 7ertical portion rests on a low 3relati7e to water .epth4 r"//le
mo"n. which .istri/"tes the loa. of the caissons to a lar*er area an. re."ces the
settlement+ 6he mo"n. therefore allows constr"ction on weaker soil+ 6he fo"n.ation is
"s"all8 prepare. /8 placin* la8ers of r"//le "ntil a.e="ate /earin* press"re is o/taine.
for the complete str"ct"re+ 6he com/ination of weak soil an. .eep .epths ma8 re="ire the
mo"n. si>e to increase, th"s the str"ct"re /ecomes a 9hi*h mo"n. /reakwater+9
6he /asic .esi*n proce."res are similar to r"//le mo"n. /reakwaters, e:cept that
the wa7e forces m"st /e e:plicitl8 calc"late. an.
the sta/ilit8 of the 7ertical str"ct"re is of concern+
;n the r"//le mo"n. .esi*n, the wa7e forces are implicitl8 consi.ere. /8 "sin*
the wa7e hei*ht to calc"late the armor la8er si>e an. the str"ct"re sta/ilit8 is .epen.ent
on the armor la8er sta/ilit8+
6he main .esi*n concern for composite /reakwaters is sta/ilit8 of the 7ertical
section+ 6he sta/ili>in* force is the net *ra7it8 force 3i+e+ str"ct"re wei*ht re."ce. for
/"o8anc84 an. the "psettin* forces are ."e to wa7e reflection with a..itional wa7e
impact loa.in* consi.ere.+ 6he str"ct"ral sta/ilit8 concerns are sli.in* an. o7ert"rnin*
of the 7ertical section+