Composite modelling for large-scale experiments on wave–dune interaction

Abstract

The research describes the design aspects related to the large-scale physical model experiments conducted within the EU-Hydralab III Integrated Infrastructure Initiative, at the Canal d'Investigaciò i Esperimentaciò Mar‘ıtima, Laboratori d'Enginyeria Mar‘ıtima at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona. The aim of the experimental investigation is to enlarge the knowledge on dune erosion, overwash and breaching processes during storm surges. An innovative ‘composite’ numerical model has been adopted to reach a model test setup valid to observe dune erosion, overwash and breaching. The use of the proposed approach provides a better insight into the physical problems thereby, reducing the uncertainties in selecting the optimum wave characteristics to be reproduced in the flume for a given beach–dune geometry.

Keywords:

• Breaching
• composite model
• dune erosion
• large-scale experiment
• overwash

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by European Community's Sixth Framework Programme through the grant to the budget of the Integrated Infrastructure Initiative HYDRALAB III within the Transnational Access Activities, Contract no. 022441. It also was partly funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN 2008 – “Strumenti operativi per la stima della vulnerabilità dei litorali sabbiosi anche in presenza di strutture costiere”). The authors gratefully thank Prof J.W. Kamphuis for fruitful discussion and comments during Coastlab 2010 in Barcelona.