Author(s)

F. T. Pinto & A. C. V. Neves

Abstract

The increasing use of submerged breakwaters is not only due to their important role in beach protection, but also because of their low environmental impact. In their design process, an analysis of the pressure fields (near and along the structure slope) under wave flow is needed. Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted in order to improve our understanding of these structures behaviour and establish reliable formulae for design purposes, several outstanding questions remain. This paper aims to present the evolution of dynamic pressure fields when the structure is submitted to the action of regular incident waves. These pressure fields are obtained by indirect means, through the measured horizontal wave flow velocity component as a function of the wave phase and water depth. Keywords: submerged breakwater, wave-induced pressure fields, dynamic pressure. 1 Introduction Submerged breakwaters are used for coastal and harbour structure protection. They are usually detached and parallel to the shoreline, with their crest heights fixed below a specified design water level to allow for the passage of some wave energy. Since they are less vulnerable to wave action and have a lower crest height, the required volume of material is less than for emerged breakwaters. A number of authors prefer submerged breakwaters for coastal protection since, in addition to defending the coastline from erosion, they (if well designed) do not disturb the landscape scenery and thus contribute to the preservation of the environment, which is one of the major design priorities at the moment. This

Keywords

submerged breakwater, wave-induced pressure fields, dynamic pressure.