Characterization of overtopping waves on sea dikes with gentle and shallow foreshores

Journal Article (2020)
Author(s)

T. Suzuki (Flanders Hydraulics Research, TU Delft - Environmental Fluid Mechanics)

C Altomare (Universiteit Gent, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya)

T Yasuda (Kansai University)

Toon Verwaest (Flanders Hydraulics Research)

Copyright
© 2020 T. Suzuki, Corrado Altomare, Tomohiro Yasuda, Toon Verwaest
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8100752
More Info
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Publication Year
2020
Language
English
Copyright
© 2020 T. Suzuki, Corrado Altomare, Tomohiro Yasuda, Toon Verwaest
Issue number
10
Volume number
8
Pages (from-to)
1-16
Reuse Rights

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Abstract

Due to ongoing climate change, overtopping risk is increasing. In order to have effective countermeasures, it is useful to understand overtopping processes in details. In this study overtopping flow on a dike with gentle and shallow foreshores are investigated using a non-hydrostatic wave-flow model, SWASH (an acronym of Simulating WAves till SHore). The SWASH model in 2DV (i.e., flume like configuration) is first validated using the data of long crested wave cases with second order wave generation in the physical model test conducted. After that it is used to produce overtopping flow in different wave conditions and bathymetries. The results indicated that the overtopping risk is better characterized by the time dependent h (overtopping flow depth) and u (overtopping flow velocity) instead of hmax (maximum overtopping flow depth) and umax (maximum overtopping flow velocity), which led to overestimation of the risk. The time dependent u and h are strongly influenced by the dike configuration, namely by the promenade width and the existence of a vertical wall on the promenade: the simulation shows that the vertical wall induces seaward velocity on the dike which might be an extra risk during extreme events.