Experimental Evaluation of Wave Transmission and Dynamics of Double-Row Floating Breakwaters

Abstract

Floating breakwaters are recognized as effective wave-attenuation structures for protecting shorelines and marine facilities. However, most common single-row floating breakwaters are unable to effectively attenuate the waves that accompany adverse sea conditions. The double-row floating breakwater was evaluated in order to improve the wave-attenuation performance of floating breakwater technology in adverse seas. A series of scaled experiments in a two-dimensional wave flume was conducted to compare the effectiveness of single- and double-row floating breakwaters. The resulting wave transmission coefficients, reflection coefficients, motion responses, and mooring forces were measured to quantify the hydrodynamic performance of the breakwaters. The double-row floating breakwater exhibited superior wave-attenuation performance when compared with the single-row floating breakwater, especially when subjected to short-period, high-amplitude waves.