Curved concrete crownwalls are commonly installed on vertical breakwaters in deep water to mitigate wave overtopping. This study compares the hydraulic and structural performance of fully curved and recurved crownwalls under impulsive wave loads induced by non-breaking waves, known as Confined-Crest Impact. Using one-way coupled numerical simulations in OpenFOAM and structural analyses in DIANA FEA, we assess the pressure fields and structural responses of the two geometries. Results reveal that while the fully curved crownwall significantly reduces overtopping, it experiences wave forces up to 2.5 times greater than the recurved crownwall, along with longer pressure impulse durations, leading to amplified tensile stresses and higher risk of cracking. In contrast, the recurved crownwall, despite localized peak pressures, benefits from a broader cross-section and linear stress distribution, resulting in better structural performance. These findings underscore the importance of integrating dynamic structural analysis in crownwall design to balance hydraulic efficiency with structural resilience.

Coastal boulder deposits hold the potential to aid in the reconstruction of past extreme wave events. However, commonly used hydrodynamic equations for calculating wave heights from transported boulders can be inaccurate. New and alternative methods need to be explored in an interdisciplinary way to ensure a more complete picture of the phenomenon of boulder transport is achieved. Through the use of a physical experiment, this study aims to investigate the influence of different tsunami wave types, wave parameters and boulder shapes on boulder transport distance. The experimental results also allow for a novel application of dimensional analysis to enable comparisons with other experiments as well as a field case study. In the experiment an elongate irregularly shaped boulder showed transport distances up to 1 m farther than a cuboid shaped boulder under the influence of the same waves. The irregularly shaped boulder had a predominant transport mode of rolling, whereas the cuboid shaped boulder predominantly underwent sliding transport. Tsunami wave type also influenced boulder transport distances, with N-waves frequently showing greater transport than E-waves of a comparable wave steepness. Key offshore wave and boulder parameters were then compared through dimensional analysis using Buckingham's Pi Theorem, enabling comparisons to other datasets to be made. Data from another published experimental study and a field study in Settai, Japan, showed reasonable agreement, particularly for the shorter period field data. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating boulder shape, wave type, and dimensional analysis into future studies, providing a foundation for more accurate reconstructions of past tsunami events.

Saltmarshes are a promising nature-based alternative for conventional flood protection. However, saltmarshes can erode under storm conditions, whereby the seaward edge of the saltmarsh often forms a vertical cliff. Despite its importance, the effect of storm conditions on erosion at the saltmarsh cliff remains understudied, especially when waves traverse over a cliff. This research investigates the complex flow patterns around a saltmarsh cliff non-intrusively using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) conducted through a series of scaled monochromatic wave flume experiments. We adopted realistic foreshore configurations (e.g. cliff heights) and hydraulic loading conditions from the Dutch Wadden Sea. Results show two local near-bed velocity maxima on top of the saltmarsh, created during different wave phases by water depth contraction, wave transmission and interaction between flow and vortices that are shed from the cliff. Under the wave crest, high onshore-directed near-bed velocities were measured at approximately 2.5–4 times the cliff height onshore from the cliff. Under the wave trough, high offshore-directed velocities were found at the marsh edge. Both onshore- and offshore-directed velocities increase with increasing cliff height, larger wave height or lower water depth. Vegetation on top of the marsh reduces both the incoming and outgoing velocities in front of the cliff. Increasing the cliff height resulted in a greater reduction in velocities by the vegetation. These results demonstrate how local near-bed velocity maxima and location are influenced by the presence of a cliff and the interaction with vegetation on top of the saltmarsh. This research highlights the vulnerability of the cliff even during inundation of the cliff and will help to implement saltmarshes as nature-based solutions for flood defence.

More than 1700 km of historic quay walls exist in the Netherlands, of which many approach the end of their lifespan. Collapses of the structures have already occurred, such as the failure of the Grimburgwal in Amsterdam, which stresses the urgency of assessing these structures. The application of vibration-based monitoring (identifying and tracking modal properties over time) to assess quay wall structures is investigated in this paper by executing a vibration-based monitoring campaign at a historic quay wall in Amsterdam. Based on the preliminary results of this monitoring campaign, this study shows that vibration-based monitoring is a promising field to explore further for quay wall assessment.

Hard coastal structures such as dikes covered with asphalt or placed block revetments have been widely used in the past for coastal protection in densely populated deltas around the world. Nonetheless, in recent years the effectiveness of hard structures has been questioned in light of the inevitable effects of climate change and their static nature. Decades of research on how salt marshes can play a role within a comprehensive coastal protection scheme suggest that these low environmental impact structures (Maza et al., 2015) might have the capability of dissipating wave energy and hence be technically and formally considered within hybrid coastal erosion and flood protection systems (Borsje et al., 2011). However, only very few studies investigated wave attenuation by real salt marsh vegetation in large-scale laboratories (Ghodoosipour et al., 2022; Maza et al., 2015; Möller et al., 2014) and none of them addressed extreme hydrodynamic design conditions in terms of wave energy and water levels. As a result of this knowledge gap, salt marshes in The Netherlands and all around the world have never been formally considered within the coastal flood protection systems and the underlying risk assessment. With this contribution our aim is to provide an overview of the first worldwide large-scale test focused on the interaction between a salt marsh (i.e. vegetation and shallow foreshore) and extreme hydrodynamic conditions, the adopted measurement techniques and the preliminary results in terms of wave damping, erosion and removed biomass.

This study treats a detached homogenous low-crested structure (HLCS) made of Cubipod concrete elements placed seaward of a vertical wall (forming a basin in between) to reduce overtopping. Assessing the complex hydrodynamics and effects of changing the geometry of such a system in relation to overtopping reduction is challenging. The numerical model OpenFOAM was applied to this end. Forchheimer coefficients for wave transmission and the flow through the HLCS were calibrated and validated using existing physical modeling data (α = 500 and β = 1.0, with varying porosity based on the Cubipod shape), while the effect of the basin and vertical seawall was determined fully numerically. The crest freeboard (R_c), crest width (B), and basin length (L_B) were the main geometrical parameters that influenced the performance of the HLCS in reducing overtopping. An exponential decay was observed in the overtopping discharge when the values of these geometrical parameters increased. As L_B increased, this decay was primarily due to the dissipation of the broken-wave bores. The largest gradient in the predicted overtopping discharge was noted at R_c/H_s,i ≈ 0, B/H_s,i ≈ 4.5, and L_B/L_p ≈ 1.2, where H_s,i is the incident significant wave height and L_p is the peak wavelength in the basin.

Tsunami events are traditionally represented in the geological record by a sequence of fine-grained sediments, but increasingly coastal boulder deposits are being used as indicators of past tsunami events. The emplacement mechanism of many boulder deposits, however, is heavily debated and determining whether the inundation event was a tsunami or storm remains an unresolved challenge (Cox et al., 2020). Using physical experiments, we aim to achieve a better understanding of how tsunamis move coastal boulders. This knowledge will aid field geomorphologists in the identification of the emplacement mechanism for coastal boulder deposits and allow for the determination of wave parameters. In January 2023, physical experiments using the HR Wallingford Tsunami Simulator were completed as part of the MAKEWAVES collaboration. These experiments investigated the movement of a cuboid and irregular shaped boulder model when impacted by different tsunami waveforms on a plane beach. We propose new empirical formulae to describe relationships between transport distance and different tsunami waves.

As with any strategic structure, vibration-based structural health monitoring techniques are often used to ensure the structurally safe operation of offshore wind turbines. Among such techniques, Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) methods allow the identification of modal properties, such as natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping, which variation might be caused by damage or operational/environmental factors. This paper investigates the application of OMA techniques on a two-bladed offshore wind turbine, which poses multiple challenges: fundamental OMA assumptions about the applied loads are violated by environmental and operational loads; the closely spaced modes of an offshore wind turbine are hard to identify; and an operative two-bladed offshore wind turbine is a time-variant system. Within this study, three OMA procedures to overcome some of the preceding challenges are discussed: (1) a standard frequency domain decomposition method; (2) a proposed enhanced transmissibility-based approach with a post-processing technique based on the Kurtosis index; and (3) a proposed refined hybrid OMA procedure that combines a transmissibility-based approach, the dedicated post-processing technique based on the Kurtosis index, and the frequency domain decomposition method. A numerical model representative of an operative two-bladed offshore wind turbine is used to compare the three procedures. Based on the comparison, the hybrid method is proven to be a promising new OMA-based procedure that outperforms the stand-alone transmissibility-based approach and the frequency domain decomposition method in identifying the modal properties of a two-bladed offshore wind turbine.

Wolf Rock Lighthouse is a Victorian era masonry structure located in an extreme environment facing the fiercest Atlantic storms off the southwest coast of England whose dynamic behaviour has been studied since 2016. Initially, a modal test was used to determine modal parameters; then, in 2017, a monitoring system was installed that has operated intermittently providing response data for a number of characteristic loading events. These events have included wave loads due to storms, a small UK earthquake, helicopters landing on the helideck, and the grounding of a ship on the reef. This is believed to be the most extensive experimental campaign on any structure of this type. This paper briefly describes a unique project involving the characterisation and measurement of dynamic behaviour due to different forms of dynamic loading.

The accurate description of wave climate at different spatio-temporal scales requires the application of advanced statistical models together with a good knowledge of geophysical processes. Furthermore, accurate modelling of multimodal sea states is of primary importance for most of offshore and coastal activities, such as wave energy device optimization, maritime design practice and for safety at sea. The present manuscript is conceived within this scientific framework proposing to assess wave climate of a complex area of French Atlantic Ocean bordering seas. The main “Spectral Climatology Types” of the area are identified as resulting of defined combinations of wave systems detected through directional spectra and partitioned wave systems analysis. The presence of swell systems is evaluated quantitatively on the whole area, characterized by different regimes of multimodal sea-states at strong regional variability and put into relation with main meteorological forcing active on the area at different spatial scales. Celtic Sea exhibits a marked regional characterization with a prevalence of multimodal conditions given by different combination of wave systems with increasing contribution of swell systems moving from North-West to South. A significant presence of crossing sea states is observed in South Celtic Sea especially in proximity of bathymetric slope. The South Bay of Biscay is influenced by fully developed swell systems enhanced by refraction effects caused by both the coastline and bathymetry gradients. English Channel and North Sea show complex sea-states conditions induced by local topography features together with wind channelling and tide effects able to trigger geophysical processes at a sub-scale responsible for the development of multimodal seas. Crossing and bimodal seas are also found to be influenced by bathymetry gradients acting directly on the directional spectrum shape as well as by tide due to tidal current-induced refraction effect on wave propagation. No generalized significant trends are detected within the investigated spatial domain for the wave spectrum integral quantities; locations sited at northern Celtic Sea show a downward Significant Wave Height, while only locations confined at eastern English Chanel only shows a Peak Period upward trend.

Nature-based flood defences receive increasing interest as a viable option for improving flood safety worldwide. A contemporary case is using the ability of saltmarshes to attenuate waves during storm conditions for strengthening coastal flood defences. To ensure a long-term reinforcement of flood protection, it is important to understand the erosion mechanisms of saltmarshes during storms. One of the critical locations for erosion is at the transition between the saltmarsh and the bare mudflat, often characterized by a vertical step or cliff. These cliffs vary between 0.2 to 2.0 m in height, depending on soil characteristics and local hydrodynamics. However, wave-induced hydrodynamics that controls the (mass) erosion at the saltmarsh cliff are not fully understood. Also the role of saltmarsh vegetation on these near-cliff hydrodynamics are not clearly quantified. In this research, we present high-resolution measurements of wave-induced hydrodynamics at a saltmarsh cliff performed in a scaled wave flume experiment.

In a time of climate emergency due to global warming, nature-based coastal defence systems are attractive solutions for flood mitigation and adaptation. Coastal forests such as mangroves have received a growing interest for their disaster mitigation effectiveness such as water flow energy dissipation, hence helping communities to become more resilient (Iimura & Tanaka, 2012). The role of coastal forests as a defence measure was highlighted in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and displaced millions more across fourteen countries. Post-disaster damage observations indicated that forests, particularly mangroves, reduced the impact of the tsunami wave in some locations. As a result, significant international relief and reconstruction efforts focused on extensive forest replantation of coastlines (Satake, 2014).

The role of coastal vegetation in reducing the severity of tsunami waves has been studied since. Several studies using physical modelling and computational approaches have provided insights into the wave attenuation provided by coastal vegetation, in terms of relationships between incident hydrodynamic conditions, forest configurations and wave height decay. However, there are still many gaps in knowledge, particularly in quantifying the efficacy of coastal forests in reducing inland hydrodynamic conditions (Tomiczek et al., 2020). It is therefore essential to improve the understanding on how wave heights, velocities and runup are influenced by the characteristics of the “obstacles”, e.g. the forest density, as well as the incident hydrodynamic conditions, e.g. the wave period. This study aims to address these questions conducting physical experiments using the novel pneumatic Tsunami Simulator (TS) developed by HR Wallingford together with UCL (Rossetto et al., 2011).

Physical or numerical models are common tools to investigate the interaction between waves and marine structures. The decomposition of the water level into incident and reflected wave components is often required, as most design variables (overtopping, run-up) are linked to the incoming wave characteristics. Also, an accurate solution can provide information on the distribution of energy in the wave spectrum and the spread of energy from the fundamental wave components to the lower and higher frequencies (Lin and Huang, 2004). Thus, utilizing an appropriate wave reflection analysis is critical in the analysis of such experiments.

MAKEWAVES is an international multi-partner collaborative project bringing together six academic institutions and two commercial consultancies. Their objective is to overcome the inherent problems for long term research projects that don't naturally attract significant domestic funding, but which may ultimately lead to internationally accepted guidance for structural codes or standards.

Coastal flooding events pose a critical risk in delta areas, since they are characterized by population growth and urban expansion. A better understanding of Extreme Water Levels (EWLs), the mechanisms generating them, and their components, i.e., astronomical tide and storm surge is of great importance as they drive the maintenance and design of flood protection systems. Therefore, a statistical investigation of them can provide new insights for more reliable flood risk mitigation infrastructures. In this study, we analyse these components and compare different probabilistic methods i.e., univariate extreme value analysis, copula functions, and Joint Probability Method (JPM) for the better estimation of EWLs. We use Hoek van Holland (NL) as a representative case study, since the dynamic conditions of this deltaic environment with man-made infrastructures render the area of strategic importance. The results indicate that a more accurate estimate of the declustering time between extreme events can be achieved using correlation of high surges and high wind speeds, taking into consideration also the wind direction. In the Southwest Delta this time estimated to be around 4 days. Furthermore, the EWLs components, i.e., surge and astronomical tide, show negative dependence. From the comparison between statistical approaches to model EWLs, results show that EWLs estimated via EVA and JPM do not vary significantly, while copulas’ seems to outperform the other methods. However, the selection of the proper copula to show the dependence is critical. As a conclusion, the analysis of the dependence between tides and storm surges can lead to more robust inferences of EWLs.

Single layer randomly placed armour units are used in many rubble mound breakwaters around the world. For these armour layers, breakage of armour units due to rocking could be a major damage mechanism, but no good methods exist to evaluate and quantify rocking. The aim of the study is to quantify the rocking impact velocities for irregularly placed single layer armour units. This study utilizes embedded Rocking Sensors to obtain the first measurements of rocking impact velocities of single layer armour units. More generally, the paper (Hofland et al. 2023) shows how novel measurement techniques can be used for the investigating the stability of single layer armour layers.

Single layer randomly placed armour units are used in many rubble mound breakwaters around the world. For these armour layers first extraction of units starts at high loads and can then progress quickly. Before the first extraction of a unit, typically no quantitative description of damage can be given. But additional to extraction, breakage of armour units due to rocking could be a major damage mechanism. This paper treat novel embedded Rocking Sensors. The technique is used to obtain the first measurements of rocking-impact velocities of single-layer units. They are also the first tests where the instrumented units can naturally move with the compacting layer during storm build-up. Physical model tests were performed on an armour layer with XBloc units. With 8 to 10 instrumented units per test run, in total 640 single measurements of the rocking motion of a unit during a 1200 wave test run were obtained, for three water levels and five wave heights. From the Rocking Sensors the number of impacts and rotational impact velocities were obtained. From an image analysis the along-slope settlement of the units during the tests was quantified. The rotational motion expressed by was found to be most convenient to express the motion. It can be seen that the units in the armour layer rock much more often than visually observed. Settlement seems to be a continuous progress, with most units rocking intermittently. Highest impact velocities are seen to occur around the water line, and in the uprush phase of the waves. A maximum impact velocity for all tests of 0.34 m/s (model scale) was measured. A preliminary design expression for rocking impact velocities of single layer units (Xblocs) is given. The paper shows that novel measurement techniques like the Rocking Sensors and vision techniques can and should be used to quantify damage mechanisms to rubble mound single-layer armour, additional to counting the extracted number of intact units.

The design of crest walls is often based on empirical formulations, physical model tests, numerical models and a fair amount of expert judgement. The present work validates the prediction of wave induced forces on the front face of crest walls on top of composite breakwaters in the numerical model OpenFOAM. The results show that OpenFOAM is able to capture the shape and order of magnitude of the force events caused by non-breaking and heavily breaking waves. In addition, a calibrated model predicts the highest wave induces forces caused by breaking waves with errors lower than 20%.

The recent failure of a coastal buried pipeline along the Italian coast is presented. Extensive initial investigations to assess failure causes are conducted and several shreds of evidence are identified leading to wave-induced liquefaction as the main source of failure. This thesis is subsequently confirmed through the application of two known analytical models, i.e. Ishihara and Yamazaki 1984 and Sumer et al., 2012. The results show that despite the rather inexpensive computational cost of the models, they can be successfully used to identify the area affected by the wave-induced liquefaction with good agreement with field observation.

Coastal hazards represent an existential threat to Italian coastal regions since they host important economic centers related to manufacturing and tourism. Knowledge of potential extreme sea levels (ESL), their component, and their interactions are essential to better evaluate potentially hazardous future extreme events in a changing climate and possible effects on the design of coastal structures. Hence, in this study, we investigate the interaction between tide and surge for extreme conditions of sea level in 9 locations along the Italian coastline facing both the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian Seas and all in a semi-diurnal tidal regime. First, we introduce a novel dependence metric, i.e., the β factor, in support of the classical Kendall's τ to preliminary assess the effect of the dependence between tide and surge when conditioned on ESL on the variance of ESL, and then we quantify such effect using a copula-based framework. Here, the surge component is determined via the concept of skew surge, i.e., the difference within a tidal cycle between the maximum observed sea level and the predicted high tide (irrespective of the time of occurrence), to remove any random effect in the interaction due to the timing of the tidal peak. Our results show that ESL components, i.e., tide and skew surge, are negatively dependent, i.e., high/low values of the surge are associated with low/high values of the tide, in all the stations investigated, and that higher values of dependence, measured with Kendall's τ, can be observed in the Adriatic Sea, around −0.6, while lower values in the Tyrrhenian Sea, around −0.45, with the exception of Palermo. In general, an increase in ESL for higher quantiles is observed when the negative dependence between tide and surge is explicitly modeled. Moreover, our results show that the β factor can help quantify the relative contribution of tide and surge on the variability of ESLs. More specifically, small β refers to cases when tide and surge are similar in their magnitude, e.g., Palermo, while values of β close to 1 refer to the case when one component dominates the other. In the former case, ESLs obtained from a model that does not account for the dependence between tide and surge will result in ESL estimates with larger variability. On the other hand, when one component dominates the other, the variability of ESLs is slightly influenced by the model used for tide and surge, i.e., dependent or independent. We can then conclude that by explicitly modeling the dependence between tide and skew surge we can improve estimates and inference of ESLs.