Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Tide-Adapting Low-Crested Structure

Abstract

A low-crested structure (LCS) is an excellent feature not only because it provides shore protection but also because it is fully submerged. However, in order to properly control waves, it is necessary to maintain a certain range of crest height and width in consideration of the wave dimensions at the installation area. According to previous studies, an LCS has some wave breaking effect when the crest width is more than a fourth of the incident wavelength and the crest depth is less than a third of the incident wave height. In other words, if the crest width of the LCS is small or the crest depth is large, it cannot control the wave. Therefore, when an LCS is installed in a large sea area with a great tidal range in consideration of the landscape, waves cannot be blocked at high tide. In this study, the hydraulic performances of a typical trapezoidal LCS with a constant crest height and a low-crested structure with an adjustable crest height, which was called a tide-adapting low-crested structure (TA-LCS) in this study, were compared and evaluated under various wave conditions through hydraulic experiments. It was found that the wave transmission coefficients of the TA-LCS at high tide were lower than the values for the typical LCS based on empirical formulas. In addition, the hydraulic performances of the TA-LCS for wave reflection control were 12.9?30.4% lower than that of the typical LCS. Therefore, the TA-LCS is expected to be highly effective in controlling the energy of incoming waves during high tide even in a macro-tidal area.

Keywords

• Low-crested structure(LCS)
• Tide-adapting low-crested structure(TA-LCS)
• Wave control
• Breakwater development
• Hydraulic experiment