Experimental study of the hydraulic efficiency of a novel perforated-wall caisson concept, the LOWREB

Abstract A novel perforated-wall caisson concept, the so-called LOW REflection Breakwater (LOWREB), based on a three-chamber perforated-wall and inner weirs, is under development in the University of Porto – Faculty of Engineering, Portugal. Physical model tests, carried out in the wave basin of the Hydraulics Laboratory of the Hydraulics, Water Resources and Environment Division, Civil Engineering Department, have been used to study the hydraulic processes related to wave reflection. The physical model was built to a Froude scale of 1:50. Test conditions covered two water levels and irregular waves at three significant wave heights (3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 m) and three peak wave periods (10, 14 and 18s). Three models of varying porosity, and vertical slots' arrangements were tested under the same hydrodynamic conditions to study how these affect the LOWREB performance, namely how these affect the wave reflection from the structure, as compared to a plain caisson tested under the same conditions. The experimental study demonstrates that the LOWREB caisson is a valid concept for marine structures, namely harbour breakwaters, because of its wave energy dissipation capacity, for which the inner weirs were found to play a major role. Results indicate that the hydraulic efficiency of the LOWREB caisson increases with wave height for the lower water level, and decreases with it for the highest. Greater efficiency with respect to wave reflection was accomplished with the highest water level.