Overtopping over Vertical Walls with Storm Walls on Steep Foreshores

Abstract

As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, coastal urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to wave overtopping and flooding. Retrofitting existing vertical seawalls with retreated storm walls represents a key adaptive strategy, especially in the Mediterranean, where steep foreshores and limited public space constrain conventional coastal defenses. This study investigates the effectiveness of storm walls in reducing wave overtopping on vertical walls with steep foreshores (1:7 to 1:10) through high-fidelity numerical simulations using the SWASH model. A comprehensive parametric study, involving 450 test cases, was conducted using Latin Hypercube Sampling to explore the influence of geometric and hydrodynamic variables on overtopping rate. Model validation against Eurotop/CLASH physical data demonstrated strong agreement (r = 0.96), confirming the reliability of SWASH for such applications. Key findings indicate that longer promenades (Gc) and reduced impulsiveness of the wave conditions reduce overtopping. A new empirical reduction factor, calibrated for integration into the Eurotop overtopping equation for plain vertical walls, is proposed based on dimensionless promenade width and water depth. The modified empirical model shows strong predictive performance (r = 0.94) against SWASH-calculated overtopping rates. This work highlights the practical value of integrating storm walls into urban seawall design and offers engineers a validated tool for enhancing coastal resilience. Future research should extend the framework to other superstructure adaptations, such as parapets or stilling basins, to further improve flood protection in the face of climate change.