Numerical Modeling of Failure Mechanisms in Articulated Concrete Block Mattress as a Sustainable Coastal Protection Structure

Abstract

Shoreline protection remains a global priority. Typically, coastal areas are protected by armoring them with hard, non-native, and non-sustainable materials such as limestone. To increase the execution speed and environmental friendliness and reduce the weight of individual concrete blocks and reinforcements, concrete blocks can be designed and implemented as Articulated Concrete Block Mattress (ACB Mat). These structures act as an integral part and can be used as a revetment on the breakwater body or shoreline protection. Physical models are one of the key tools for estimating and investigating the phenomena in coastal structures. However, it does have limitations and obstacles; consequently, in this study, numerical modeling of waves on these structures has been utilized to simulate wave propagation on the breakwater, via Flow-3D software with VOF. Among the factors affecting the instability of ACB Mat are breaking waves as well as the shaking of the revetment and the displacement of the armor due to the uplift force resulting from the failure. The most important purpose of the present study is to investigate the ability of numerical Flow-3D model to simulate hydrodynamic parameters in coastal revetment. The run-up values of the waves on the concrete block armoring will multiply with increasing break parameter (0.5<ξm−1,0<3.3) due to the existence of plunging waves until it (Ru2%Hm0=1.6) reaches maximum. Hence, by increasing the breaker parameter and changing breaking waves (ξm−1,0>3.3) type to collapsing waves/surging waves, the trend of relative wave run-up changes on concrete block revetment increases gradually. By increasing the breaker index (surf similarity parameter) in the case of plunging waves (0.5<ξm−1,0<3.3), the low values on the relative wave run-down are greatly reduced. Additionally, in the transition region, the change of breaking waves from plunging waves to collapsing/surging (3.3<ξm−1,0<5.0), the relative run-down process occurs with less intensity.