ON 3-DIMENSIONAL STABILITY OF RESHAPING BREAKWATERS

Abstract

The paper deals with the 3-dimensional stability of the type of rubble mound breakwaters where reshaping of the mound due to wave action is foreseen in the design. Such breakwaters are commonly named sacrificial types and berm types. The latter is due to the relatively large volume of armour stones placed in a seaward berm. However, as also conventional armoured breakwaters sometimes do contain a berm it is assumed that a better and more ambiguous designation would be "reshaping" mound breakwaters. The principle of reshaping breakwaters is to use relatively fine rock material which will then be eroded to S-shape profiles if sufficient amount of material is provided, Fig. 1. This type of breakwater can be constructed and maintained without the use of expensive specialized equipment. For a detailed discussion see Baird et al., 1984.