The use and effect of a simplified wave pressure model on a breakwater's design width

Abstract

The Sainflou pressure diagram is a generally accepted diagram to calculate the seaside pressure but for structures for which precision is relaxed, such as preparatory studies or small harbour works, an approximate pressure diagram can be substituted. The simplified diagrams considered here need only the expected wave height to produce the pressure profile on the sea-side of the breakwater face. The pressure profile is then used to calculate the value for the minimum breakwater width for a range of environmental parameters, these are then compared to the corresponding widths derived using Sainflou.