Jos van der Baan

Research objective

The objective of this MSc Thesis is to develop a more generally applicable design criterion for the shoreline response to SBWs by extending the design criterion validated by (Blouin, 2012), for multiple shore parallel SBWs. This objective will be reached by way of the following points:

• A literature study on (the impact on the coastline of) submerged breakwaters,
• Short explanation of the modelling tool that will be used (Delft3D),
• Recapitulation of the research and conclusions of (Blouin, 2012) with a field case on the south coast of the UK (Rendle & Davidson, 2012) (subject to change),
• Analytic prediction of the change in the total hydrodynamic conditions caused by adding (a) gap(s) in the SBW,
• Extending the existing models with the addition of multiple SBWs, and a validation with Delft3D of the hydrodynamic processes caused by the added gap(s) in the SBW,
• Sensitivity analysis of multiple SBWs design parameters of the hydrodynamic processes,
• Validation and calibration of the Delft3D model by use of a comparable field case,
• Development of a (or addition to an existing) criterion that is based on structural parameters to predict the shoreline response when placing SBWs with certain dimensions. 

Research status

Currently I am finalizing my work plan and condensing the relevant data from studies on the hydrodynamics and morphdynamics in the vicinity of submerged breakwaters in a literature review.