Performance characteristics of horizontal interlaced multilayer moored floating pipe breakwater

Abstract

The paper presents the results of model scale experiments for the study of wave attenuation by horizontal interlaced, multilayer, moored floating pipe breakwater. A review of some significant floating breakwater models proposed by earlier investigators is included. For a floating breakwater the transmission coefficient (K<inf>t</inf>) is influenced by relative width of the breakwater (W/L). Nondimensional graphs indicating the variation of K<inf>t</inf> with respect to W/L (with H<inf>i</inf>/L as a parameter for different H<inf>i</inf>/d values) and K<inf>t</inf> versus H<inf>i</inf>/L (for a range of d/L values from 0.09 to 0.24) have been plotted. Further variation of K<inf>t</inf> with relative depth d/L for different W/L values is also studied. From the experimental study and results obtained, it is found that the transmission coefficient decreases with an increase in relative breakwater width W/L and wave steepness H<inf>i</inf>/L for all H<inf>i</inf>/d values. In the present study it was observed that performance was better for breakwater configurations of W/L≥0.7 when compared with configurations of W/L<0.7. Further, the experimental results obtained were compared with the output of a mathematical model. From the comparison for H<inf>i</inf>/L=0.04, values of K<inf>t</inf> obtained from the present experiments were in agreement with those obtained from the mathematical model. © 2007 ASCE.