Conceptual design of berm breakwaters

The extensive research of Van der Meer (1988) on dynamically stable slopes, including berm breakwaters, but also rock and gravel beaches. was re-analyzed and focussed only on the behaviour of the seaward slope of berm breakwaters in Van der Meer (1992), leading to a computational model on a personal computer. Results are presented in this paper. Other basic research on berm breakwater profiles was done by Kao and Hall (1990). However, most literature on berm breakwaters has been focussed on practical applications. In the MAST I and II project of the European Union. basic research is also focussed on the berm breakwater with the final aim of design rules. Two practical cases of berm breakwaters were extensively tested at DELFT HYDRAUUCS. The more basic aspects of these STUdies were treated in depth by Van der Meer and Veldman (1992). The stability of singular points such as the stability of the rear attacked by overtopping waves, the stability of the head and the longshore transport of material due to oblique wave attack were investigated and are summarized secondly in the present paper.Berm Breakwater