Wave Overtopping and Damage Progression of Stone Armor Layer

Abstract

A probabilistic hydrodynamic model for the wet and dry zone on a permeable structure is developed to predict irregular wave action on the structure above the still water level. The model is based on the time-averaged continuity and momentum equations for nonlinear shallow-water waves coupled with the exponential probability distribution of the water depth. The model predicts the cross-shore variations of the mean and standard deviation of the water depth and horizontal velocity. The model is compared with four test series in which measurement was made of the wave overtopping rate and probability as well as the water depth, velocity, and discharge exceeded by 2% of incident 1,000 waves. The agreement is mostly within a factor of 2. Damage progression of a stone armor layer is predicted by modifying a formula for bed load on beaches with input from the hydrodynamic model. The damage progression model is compared with three tests that lasted up to 28.5 h. The model predicts the eroded area of the damaged armor layer well but overpredicts the deposited area because it does not account for discrete stone units deposited at a distance seaward of the toe of the damaged armor layer.