Hydrodynamic analysis of an H-shaped pile-restrained floating breakwater combined with a pair of vertical barriers

Abstract

The present study analyses the performance of a composite breakwater consisting of an H-shaped breakwater attached with vertical/inclined barriers held from both sides using the Multi-Domain Boundary Element Method (MDBEM). The study is performed to analyse the wave transformation characteristics (reflection and transmission), wave energy dissipation and horizontal wave forces due to the gravity wave-structure interaction. The hydrodynamic performance of the integrated breakwater is performed due to the effect of changing various structural properties such as porosity, width and depth of structural elements, relative spacing between breakwater and barrier, angle of incidence and the inclination of the barriers. The boundary conditions and the corresponding edge conditions are incorporated for each surface and interface and correlated with Green's function to solve the boundary value problem. The detailed study proposes the suitable dimensions of the structural elements of the breakwater for optimal performance. The application of inclined barriers over the vertical barrier in certain conditions for maximising wave reflection is presented and analysed to understand the effectiveness of the barrier inclination. The favourable barrier dimensions and the suitable relative spacing for deep water regions are discussed, and the effect of rigidity and porosity of the barriers are analysed to maximise breakwater performance in wave attenuation. On considering the suitable design parameters and structural stability, the composition of vertical/inclined barriers with an H-shaped pile-restrained floating breakwater serves as a protective component by encountering maximum wave force and dissipating considerable wave energy to provide an efficient solution in harbour protection. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd