Three-dimensional numerical simulation of oblique wave action on vertical walls

A three-dimensional numerical model based on the potential theory was developed to study the oblique wave action on vertical walls. A source term inside the domain was used to generate incident waves and outgoing waves were dissipated by sponge layers and transmitted by radiation boundaries. The finite difference method was used to solve the governing equations and boundary conditions in the regular transformed domain in sigma-coordinate. Satisfactory agreements between the numerical predictions and experimental results of wave force were obtained. It is concluded that the maximum wave force acting on the vertical walls is induced by the obliquely incident waves rather than the normally incident waves.