Author(s)

H. Diab, P. Lafon & R. Younes

Abstract

The influence of hydrodynamic model selection on the optimal layout of fixed breakwaters found in harbour design has been tested. Results from different models were compared. The mild slope equation was considered as reference. An extended mild slope equation taking into account the slope and curvature of rapid variation in the bathymetry was examined. The influence of adding the wave dissipation factor like bottom friction and wave breaking phenomena were verified. The effect of taking into account the irregularity of incident wave was examined comparing to monochromatic waves. This study was built on testing a genetic algorithm optimization process to identify the optimal shape and location of fixed breakwaters where the degree of attenuation of waves in the harbour zone was defined as object. The hydrodynamic model was varied and the results were compared. Three case studies with different bathymetries and boundary conditions were taken. The case of deep harbour where wave breaking didn’t have a great influence was the first. Then a case of shallow harbour is discussed and finally an open sea case was studied as typical big gas ship refuges in a random wave area. Keywords: breakwater, hydrodynamic modelling, sea wave, harbour.

Keywords

breakwater, hydrodynamic modelling, sea wave, harbour.