Wave-induced pressures in porous bonded revetments. Part I: Pressures on the revetment

Revetments made of polyurethane bonded aggregates (PBA) are a recent alternative to mitigate coastal erosion. Their advantages over conventional impermeable revetments are shown in previous studies, based on large-scale laboratory tests (Oumeraci et al., 2010) and CFD modelling (Foyer and Oumeraci, 2013). The latter were conducted to describe the hydrodynamic and hydro-geotechnical processes involved in the wave-structure interaction with PBA revetments. However, the data generated did not allow a full description of the wave-induced loading of the revetment and the response of the underlying soil; therefore, a comprehensive parameter study with a computational fluids dynamics-computational solid dynamics (CFD-CSD) model system was performed. This paper (Part I) focuses on the wave-induced pressures on the revetment, while a companion paper (Part II) describes the pore pressure development just beneath the revetment and in the embankment subsoil. In this first part, the following issues are addressed: (i) introduction to the numerical parameter study and the CFD-CSD model used for the modelling of the wave-induced pressures; (ii) brief review of the wave load classification and parameterization to define the elements and notations for the wave-induced pressure analysis; (iii) analysis of the peak pressure magnitude, its location on the revetment, and the spatial pressure distribution; and (iv) the development of prediction formulae, based on the results of the analysis in issue iii. Finally, a summary of the key results and concluding remarks are provided, including the implications and recommendations for engineering applications as well as for further research. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.