Experimental Study Of Parsian Port Breakwater Toe Stability

Abstract

The stability performance of toe layer in structures with single-layer concrete armoures such as accropods and Xblocks is more crucial regarding their fast instability propagation and failure mechanism. This paper presents the case study concerning toe stability of Pasrsian port breakwater by experimental tests on physical model in Tarbiat modares university wave flume. Parsian industrial port is located in the south of Iran at Persian Gulf coastline. Its nineteen berths in final phase will be protected by approximately 1500 meter breakwater which at the most critical section, W5, reaches the sea bed level of -25 m.C.D. Figure 1. In concrete armored breakwaters, heterogeneous packing could increase the porosity in top rows and eventually result in instability. Therefore the number of rows in which the concrete units can be placed would be limited. According to the SUGRA guidance for Accropode units, this the maximum number of rows shall be 20, which leads designers to consider toe berm for breakwaters in deep water. Hence, it was vital to conduct a comprehensive physical model study.