Comparison of Calculation Methods of Cumulative Damage to Breakwater Armor Layer

Abstract

In the probabilistic design of a breakwater armor layer, it is often necessary to calculate the damage accumulated over the breakwater's life cycle. In this paper, a comparison is made between existing methods to calculate the cumulative damage to the breakwater armor layer. In the current study, hydraulic experiments are conducted to gauge the damage progression of Tetrapod armor units. When severe damage occurs at the beginning of the breakwater's life cycle, the two methods do not differ significantly, but, in general, the latter predicts a larger cumulative damage than the former. For a Tetrapod armor layer, it is recommended that the average of the two methods be used.