Optimum safety levels and design rules for the Icelandic type berm breakwater

This paper gives first an elaboration of berm recession equations for berm breakwaters and then new deterministic design rules for the Icelandic-type berm breakwater. Safety optimization calculations have been performed for a mild depth limited wave climate and for a situation at deep water. Repair strategies and possible failure with corresponding downtime have been taken into account, as well as actual market prices (in Iceland and Norway) for rock material and construction. Calculations show that low stability numbers for the largest rock armour layer give the optimal safety level