Effect of seabed condition on the hydrodynamic performance of a pile-restrained H-shaped floating breakwater

Abstract

The present study investigates the hydrodynamic analysis of pile-restrained H-shaped porous breakwater for various seabed conditions using the small amplitude wave theory. The Multi-Domain Boundary Element Method (MDBEM) is employed to investigate the influence of parametric variations on the hydrodynamic coefficients and horizontal wave force under normal and oblique incident waves. The numerical accuracy is ensured by comparing it with the available literature. The numerical investigation on the hydrodynamic performance of the H-shaped breakwater is performed for various seabed configurations considering different angles of slope, the width of slope/step/obstacle, step height, number of steps, soil permeability, angle of wave incidence, the width of flange and submergence draft of the web of the H-shaped structure. The findings indicate that the seabed undulation has a higher wave impact on the breakwater than the horizontal seabed. In addition, the study suggests that the sloped seabed is preferable in deeper water depths to reflect waves efficiently and the seabed permeability can affect the hydrodynamic coefficients in shallow and intermediate water depths. The study performed on the H-shaped breakwater for varying seabed topography will be helpful in the design and construction of a suitable H-shaped breakwater for an effective wave absorber in coastal regions. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.