Hydraulic performance of vertical walls with horizontal slots used as breakwater

The hydrodynamic performance of a vertical wall with permeable lower part (horizontal slots) was experimentally and theoretically studied under normal regular waves. The effect of different wave and structural parameters was investigated e.g. the wave length, the upper part draft, and the lower part porosity. Also, the theoretical model based on an Eigen Function Expansion Method and a Least Square Technique was developed. In order to examine the validity of the theoretical model, the theoretical results were compared with the present experimental results and with the results obtained from different previous studies. Comparison between experiments and predictions showed that the theoretical model provides a good estimate of the wave transmission, reflection, and energy dissipation coefficients when the friction factor f=5.5. In general, the tested model gives transmission coefficients less than 0.5 and reflection coefficients larger than 0.5 when the relative wave length h/L is larger than 0.3, the relative upper part draft D/h larger than 0.36, and lower part porosity E less than 0.5. Also, the tested model dissipates about 50% of the incident wave energy when the relative wave length h/L is in the range of 0.25 to 0.35. (C) 2010 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.