Wave impact pressure propagation into cracks

The propagation of wave impact pressures into cracks and fissures of man-made or natural coastal structures has been held responsible for damage to coastal structures. In order to establish whether wave impact pressures can propagate into water-filled cracks, model scale experiments were conducted at Queen's University Belfast. Wave impact pressures were measured on a vertical sea wall and in a water-filled model of a crack inserted into the wall. It was found that impact pressures can propagate into water-filled cracks which are only open to the front. The pressures and propagation velocities measured in the experiment gave some indication about the generation mechanism of wave impact pressures.