Jun.

4 FLOATING WAVE ATTENUATOR

FLOATING
WAVE ATTENUATOR

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Jun. 4 FLOATING WAVE ATTENUATOR

TABLE OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………3

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….4

1.1 BREAKWATER………………………………………………….……………….…4

2. FLOATING BREAKWATER / WAVE ATTENUATOR……………………….…..5

2.1 POSITIVE POINTS………………………………………………………………....6

2.2 EFFECTIVENESS…………………………………………………………….……..8
2.3 APPLICATION DURING MARINE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES………..9

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ABSTRACT
Ever since main problem of the marine construction sector is to be working against unpredictable
natural event, waves.

In today’s technology, we have chance to have couple days marine forecast which is sensitivity 6
hour as timing and a beaufort scale as a force. Furthermore increasing of machinery capacities
and number of skilled-professional persons and developed methodologies could be considered as
advantages of the sector.

On the other hand due to today’s economical situation and shortage of sources put the
construction sectors and companies on highly competitive situation. Therefore these estimations
and forecasts having more importance with considering of idle cost of high performance
machinery and manpower, besides low margin profits.

Another approach is, companies are not winning, profiting when they get award of tender, they
are profiting during construction phase when they minimize or gain idle duration, caused by
aforementioned unpredictable natural events.

In this study floating breakwater, wave attenuator will be proposed to use as a part of contractor
methodology, which I believe highly affective and feasible, to continue profiting during
construction after award, to stand on highly competitive environment.

Sincerely,

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 BREAKWATER

Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defense or to protect an

anchorage from the effects of both weather and longshore drift.

A breakwater structure is designed to absorb the energy of the waves that hit it, either by using
mass (e.g., with caissons), or by using a revetment slope (e.g., with rock or concrete armour
units).

Caisson breakwaters typically have vertical sides and are usually erected where it is desirable to
berth one or more vessels on the inner face of the breakwater. They use the mass of the caisson
and the fill within it to resist the overturning forces applied by waves hitting them. They are
relatively expensive to construct in shallow water, but in deeper sites they can offer a significant
saving over revetment breakwaters.

Rubble mound breakwaters use structural voids to dissipate the wave energy. Rock or concrete
armour units on the outside of the structure absorb most of the energy, while gravels or sands
prevent the wave energy's continuing through the breakwater core. The slopes of the revetment
are typically between 1:1 and 1:2, depending upon the materials used. In shallow water,
revetment breakwaters are usually relatively inexpensive. As water depth increases, the material
requirements, and hence costs, increase significantly.

In this proposal mainly floating breakwater and possible permanent and temporary (during
offshore construction activities) applications for marine constructions will be examined.

Rouble mounded and Conventional/Caisson Breakwaters

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2. FLOATING BREAKWATER / WAVE ATTENUATOR

Ever since progressive engineers came up with the idea of creating floating structures into the
sea, around 100 years ago. Many studies and model tests were performed to develop a floating
breakwater. Although the first engineers used the trial-and-error approach to test their creations
(Mr.Thuillard-Froideville in 1884 to protect the harbor of Le Havre), research on this topic
professionalized soon after the Second World War. A lot of designs were laboratory tested and
checked with numerical calculations.

Floating breakwaters are gaining in importance for the protection from severe waves nowadays
simply because of its multi-functional structures. Floating breakwaters have many potential
applications for boat basin protection and boat ramp protection. Presently, most floating
breakwaters provide a degree of protection from short-period wind waves or boat wake at semi-
sheltered sites like reservoirs, marinas, lakes and rivers. A safe sheltered zone can be established
at the lee side of the floating structure in order to meet both the environmental or commercial
need at coastal areas.

Currently, the interest in floating breakwaters mainly comes from the military for construction
deployable ports, from the pleasure boat market, and from expanding commercial harbors. Most
of these sites will need some form of perimeter protection. Even a sheltered site will likely
require some separation between the berthing area and the river or outlet to reduce short period
waves and boat wash and keep out floating debris. Floating breakwater is the best solution to the
problems. It can provide a versatile means of protecting any marina or dockage area as well as
providing the best protection both from wind waves as well as wave created by boat traffic.

Besides, floating breakwaters also provide a certain extent of shoreline erosion control. They can
reduce or prevent the costly consequences of lakeshore or seashore erosion. Floating breakwaters
can also provide a protected area of water such as near beaches, and around constructed projects
at nearshore or offshore from severe waves. Some of the floating breakwaters are found suitable
to be applied as docks for mooring boats in non-storm condition, e.g. floating pontoon. For some
practical uses, they can act as a swim area barrier, debris boom, etc. They can be useful even in
the most unusual applications such as sewage ponds, etc., by simply helping to moderate the
wave or providing accesses from one place to another.

The main reasons to apply unconventional types of breakwaters, and floating breakwaters in
particular, are the technical and economic restrictions related to the monolithic and conventional
types of breakwaters.

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2.1 POSITIVE POINTS

Floating breakwaters are commonly divided into four general categories:

1. Box
2. Pontoon
3. Mat
4. Tethered float.

The advantages of the use of floating breakwaters have a common origin; economics.
The conventional breakwater, from an economic point of view, will only be preferable until a
water depth of around 8m. In depths ranging from 8m to 20m, a caisson breakwater will be the
best solution. And after that, up to a depth of 30m, the composite type of breakwater is
preferable.

Costs are not the only reason; local soil conditions and structural stability also influence the
limits of design. A huge structure will result in tremendous pressures on the subsoil as well as
stability problems when the slopes become too steep. A floating breakwater can be more feasible
in poor soil conditions than a heavy fixed breakwater since the subsoil pressure is virtually non-
existent, however, the floating breakwater does have to be anchored to the sea bottom.

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Floating breakwaters can be easily moved and rearranged due to their transportability,
reusability and flexibility in design. Due to this quality, a floating harbor can be adapted and
rearranged easily when needed.
Floating breakwaters can effectively attenuate wave heights of a limited frequency range. They
are less effective for relative longer waves than fixed structures are. The structure will show a
simultaneous movement with the water surface at a certain frequency range. Of course this
depends on a range of factors, like the weight of the structure and the mooring line stiffness, etc.

Floating breakwaters have minimal interference with water circulation, sediment transport
and fish migration. Floating breakwaters can be easily moved and rearranged due to their
transportability, reusability and flexibility in design.

On the other hand; a lot of theoretical and practical research has been done, no practical solution
has been found for the general problem of creating a floating breakwater, able to attenuate waves
of a wide frequency range. The floating breakwaters that have been built in real situations were
designed to serve at specific locations with specific wave conditions. “A floating breakwater is
able to attenuate waves to an acceptable level in a limited wave frequency range.”

Model tests proved the fact that floating breakwaters are able to attenuate waves in a limited
period range. This limited performance is the main negative characteristic affecting the
development of floating breakwaters in the past. Floating breakwaters can only be applied in
areas with relative moderate wave conditions. The floating breakwaters that have been built were
designed for specific locations, where specific wave conditions were expected.

A new kind of floating breakwater should discern itself by being applicable in a wide wave
spectrum. With this characteristic, it will be possible to create floating harbors in open-sea
conditions and to reuse them at several locations in the world.

Summarized, the main requirements that a floating breakwater has to fulfill are:
1. Economic reasons: water depth
2. Attenuate waves of the critical period range
3. Applicable on several locations in several conditions
4. Manageable, transportable
5. Minimal interference with water circulation sediment transport and fish immigration
6. Reusable
7. Durable

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2.2 EFFECTIVENESS

In practice, waves can be discerned in four categories:

1) Waves generated by vessels or other water-moving objects
2) Waves generated by the interaction of the water surface with the wind
3) Waves generated by astronomical forces: tides
4) Waves generated by geomorphologic activities: Tsunamis

The main objective during this approach is to attenuate waves of the second category. These
waves harm the harbor activities because of their period as well as their amplitudes.

 A floating breakwater is able to diminish the incoming wave amplitude for 95-100%
when wave periods smaller than 9 seconds are considered, like swell.
 Waves with periods between 9 and 10.5 seconds are attenuated for 80-90%.
 Waves with periods between 10.5 and 13 seconds for 65-80%.
 Waves with periods larger than 13 seconds can be diminished by 65-70%

Ali, A. (2005). Msc thesis ‘Floating Transshipment Container Terminal’, Delft University of Technology.

When this performance is coupled to the maximum allowed ship motions, as 100% harbor
efficiency for waves with periods larger than 13 seconds can only be guaranteed when the wave
height does not exceed 2.45 meters.

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2.3 APPLICATION DURING MARINE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES

Floating breakwaters represent an alternative solution to protect an area from wave attack,
compared to conventional, fixed breakwaters. It can be effective in coastal areas with mild wave
environment conditions. Therefore, they have been increasingly used aiming at protecting small
craft harbors or marinas or, less frequently at the shoreline, aiming erosion control. Some of the
conditions that favor floating breakwaters are:

Poor foundation: Floating breakwaters might be a proper solution where poor foundations
possibilities prohibit the application of bottom supported breakwaters.

Deep water: In water depths in excess of 8 m, bottom connected breakwaters are often more
expensive than floating breakwaters.

Water quality: Floating breakwaters present a minimum interference with water circulation and
fish migration.

Visual impact: Floating breakwaters have a low profile and present a minimum intrusion on the
horizon, particularly for areas with high tide ranges.

Breakwater layout: Floating breakwaters can usually be rearranged into a new layout with
minimum effort.

Reusable: Floating breakwaters can be used many times for different purpose and location by
advantage of easy transportation.

In the light of aforementioned advantages application could be on two different ways during
construction by contractor.

1- EPC contracting; Since engineering design under contractor responsibility at least

some part of protection structure could be planned as floating breakwater, like;
 Detach breakwater, that option could bring extra advantages during tender phase
against other contractor candidate moreover; early supply of floating breakwater could be used
as temporary wave attenuator front of construction location.
 Part of main breakwater where water depth or soil conditions designate unfeasible to
construct ruble mounded or conventional breakwater. That option could bring extra advantages

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during tender phase against other contractor candidate. Moreover early supply of floating
breakwater could be used as temporary wave attenuator front of construction location.
 Part of secondary breakwater where water depth or soil conditions designate
unfeasible to construct ruble mounded or conventional breakwater / quay wall. This option could
bring extra advantages during tender phase against other contractor candidate. Moreover early
supply of floating breakwater could be used as temporary wave attenuator front of construction
location
 If project locations main wind-wave direction makes difficult to protect harbor during
operations like less than 300 days per year, extension of breakwaters which will cover the
entrance channel of harbor could be designed with floating breakwater that may be temporarily
positioned to protect the construction machinery and activities against wave affect during
construction.

Eventually consideration of using floating breakwater/quay during design phase of EPC

contracting will bring two main advantages against other contractor candidate;

1- Cost advantages
2- Time advantages
Consequently Safer and more Qualified production by appropriate stress and time management.

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Jun. 4 FLOATING WAVE ATTENUATOR
2- Standard contracting; Main difficulties for coastal construction operation are to be
working against natural wave affect. Our experiences shows around %30 (about %25 due to
weather, %5 due to temporary protection works that will be removed after) of calendar days,
offshore activities stop and machinery-personnel idle due to unsuitable weather-sea conditions,
that changes depend on regional climate, bathymetrical and geographical conditions. This is the
one of the biggest force and trigger to increase time and cost calculations of the project by tender
candidates and project management of contractor.

Among aforementioned advantages, just reducing wave affect but limited up to 2,5m height
wave conditions, obviously will reduce idle duration at least %80, which means saving more
than %25 (%30 idle due to weather x %75 gain to be using floating breakwater) of the total
offshore/project duration consequently related direct and indirect costs. “In other words able to
work easily up to 6 beaufort which creates 2,5m waves, could be dreams of contractor project
management especially construction managers.”

Not only offshore even shoreline activities will be affected positively. Below you can find totally
marine construction operations which will be affected positively due to using of floating wave
attenuator.
 Onshore approach breakwater construction
 Offshore approach breakwater construction, especially detach breakwaters. Even by
using those advantages main breakwater could start from both side onshore and offshore to have
safer basin early, to be able to start more critical and predecessor activities like basin dredging.
 Quay wall channel dredging and bedding operations, early start
 Basin dredging and Reclamation fill, early start
 Quay wall installation, Preloading and Capping beam construction, early start
 Piling and placing of elements, early start
 Super structures, buildings, early start

Besides having safer and more qualified production by appropriate stress and time management,
able to be start these all activities early will bring extra advantage to manage cash flow of the
project too.

“Simply and loudly; reduce duration of offshore construction plus early start activities plus safer
and qualified process, with very less investment which is chicken feeds beside benefits.”

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Table of advantages:

AFFECTIVENESS Up to 2,5 m height waves, Period less than 13

second, at least 80 percent enough reduced waves to
be working
STAND BY RATIO OF OFFSHORE %30 (%25+%5) experienced, specially core
ACTIVITIES DUE TO WEATHER placement and floating crane operations
BENEFIT TO BE USING WAVE %30*%80=%25 calendar working days for direct
ATTENUATOR operations, should not be less than %15 for related.
INVESTEMENT Very less beside benefits, Reusable even could be
fabricated by construction site efforts.
MAIN BENEFITS Less construction duration, Early start activities,
Safer and Qualified process, Easiness to manage
cash flow of project
POSITIVELY AFFECTED ALMOST ALL
ACTIVITIES

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It would make sense to have the breakwater generate

electricity from wave energy while creating a calm lagoon for the project material and
machinery.

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Floating breakwater samples that could be fabricated by construction site efforts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V16bZPi41DE

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