PRESSURES DUE TO PLUNGING WAVE IMPACT ON PLACED BLOCK REVETMENTS

Abstract

Plunging wave impacts can cause extensive damage. Failures of dikes and breakwaters in the past suggest that there is still much to learn about the characteristics of failure and failure mechanisms from the wave impact. In an attempt towards gaining a better understanding of the characteristics of wave impacts a series of experiments have been conducted, in which a plunging wave was made to impinge a 1V:2H sloping structure. To achieve this, a frequeney-amplitude modulated wave packet was programmed to yield a plunger at a specified location along the wave flume. A plunging wave was selected as this yielded severe loading.