Violent wave overtopping at Samphire hoe: Field and laboratory measurements

As part of a major European research project into wave overtopping at coastal structures, overtopping discharges have been measured at full-scale on a composite vertical seawall in Southeast England. The measurement site, Samphire Hoe, is an area of reclaimed land just west of Dover on the English channel coast, and is an ideal location for monitoring overtopping. The site is described, and the design and operation of the measurement equipment are also outlined. Overtopping was measured on three occasions and the storms and their results are discussed. Laboratory simulations of these storms in a 2d flume and a 3d basin are also described, and the results are compared to field measurements. It is shown that the field measurements compare well with the laboratory simulations and the empirical prediction method of Besley (1999).