On the Stability of Rock Slopes

Abstract

The stability of rock slopes under wave attack is addressed in this paper. The research on this issue as presented in Van der Meer (1988) and in Van Gent, Smale and Kuiper (2003) forms the basis for the analysis presented here. In the latter paper new physical model tests were described and analysed to obtain information on how to apply design formulae for conditions that include situations in which wave breaking occurs on the foreshore. This paper resulted in recommendations to apply modifications to the formulae by Van der Meer (1988), mainly to enlarge the field of application to situations with shallow foreshores. In addition, a new simple formula with a comparable accuracy was presented. Here, the comparisons between stability formulae and data by Van Gent et al (2003) are extended by including also data by Van der Meer (1988). The total data set applied here consists of about 800 test conditions.