Wave run-up and overtopping over smooth and rock slopes of coastal structures without crown walls

Abstract

This paper is concerned with a comparatively large-scale laboratory investigation carried out to examine the overtopping performance of a straight, rock slope without a crown wall. Measurements made over a smooth slope to verify the reliability of the experimental set-up are also reported. The wave run-up and overtopping data from the present tests with regular waves, when appropriately scaled based on the assumption of Rayleigh distribution for wave heights, show good agreement with corresponding data from irregular waves. The average overtopping discharges over the smooth and rock slopes have also been compared with different models available in the literature. Moreover, the overtopping rates for the comparatively large-scale rock slope tested in the present study show good agreement with the previous measurements reported in Van der Meer when scaled with a roughness reduction factor of 0.55. The overtopping measurements for the rock slope without a crown wall have also been compared with the overtopping model employed by Bradbury and Allsop for their measurements over rock slopes with crown walls.