A study of transmission, reflection and stability of low-crested rubble mound breakwaters under wave action.

Two-dimensional physical models of low crested breakwaters were tested at the Queen's University Coastal Engineering Research Laboratory (QUCERL) to establish the effects of water depth, crest width, structure slope, stone size, core permeability and incident wave characteristics on the wave transmission and reflection processes. Effects of structure slope, core permeability, water depth and incident wave characteristics, (including wave groups) on the processes leading to damage were also studied. The breakwater models consisted of a core and two armour layers attacked by irregular waves.