Numerical simulation of the wave pattern within a harbor due to ship waves

A numerical simulation methodology to predict the wave pattern within a harbor due to ship waves is presented. It is based on the spectral decomposition of the solitary incident wave, assuming that non-linear effects are negligible, which is the usual case. Each component is transformed using Berkhoff's mild slope model. Superposition of the different solutions allows reconstruction of the wave temporal history, from which the maximum wave height at any point within the harbor can be obtained. An application of the proposed methodology to study the protection structure for the Argentine Yatch Club, located within Buenos Aires harbor, is presented. Details about the schematization and the necessary data are explained. The maximum wave height distribution for the projected structure and the original situation are compared. A variant of the project is proposed and analyzed, showing a significant extra attenuation of the maximum wave heights. This illustrates the utility of the methodology for design purposes.