Comparison of the Effect of Tetrapod Block and Armor X block on Reducing Wave Overtopping in Breakwaters

Abstract

As the Armor shape has a significant effect on the reduction of wave overtopping, this study compares the performance of various shapes of concrete armored blocks of X block and Tetrapod as the most suitable armors. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model was used for simulation of the effects of waves on the armors of Tetrapod and X Block breakwaters. In this regard, in order to calibrate the numerical model, a sample of conventional stone armor has been selected and using available experimental data on the design of armor such as wave overtopping, wave height, period of waves and energy density of the required spectral range of wave verification was conducted on a numerical model. In this regard, it is necessary to calibrate all the conditions of the model including boundary conditions, numerical modeling, initial conditions, numerical solvers and other parameters in the numerical model and simulation error rate is determined. The maximum error of the numerical model for the relative height values of the impact waves on the structure of breakwater is 7.87% for different conditions. Accordingly, the maximum error of the numerical model in determining overtopping values is 7.81%. The average fluctuation value of overtopping in the X block armor has dropped by about 31% compared to the tetrapod armor.