COMPARISON OF A PHYSICAL AND NUMERICAL MOBILE- BED MODEL OF BEACH AND T-HEAD GROIN INTERACTION

Abstract: The Coastal Modeling System (CMS) numerical model is applied to simulate nearshore planform and beach profile morphology changes during storm wave and water level conditions on a sandy beach stabilized by T-head groins. The numerical model results are compared to measured planform and profile changes from a 1:25 scale, three-dimensional mobile bed physical model study of the beach and T-head groin system. Numerical simulations and comparisons are done at prototype scale. At present, the numerical model calculates well the wave propagation toward the shore and morphology change shoreward of T-head groins. It is evident that there is a need to include the swash zone process, wave asymmetry and undertow to improve the sediment transport calculation in area between the seaward ends of T-head groin