Design Aspects of Breakwaters for Cold Climate Oil and Gas Terminals

This paper focuses on design aspects regarding breakwaters for cold climate terminals, in particular, the different types of berm breakwaters, their stability, armour mobility criteria and armour size. A methodology is analyzed in order to determine the mean weight of the heaviest armour class as a function of wave parameters such as the significant wave height and the mean wave period, both for non-reshaping and reshaping stable berm breakwaters. The influence of the wave period on the stone mass required will be of special importance in the discussion. This methodology will enable us to determine the required median armour weight for a specific wave parameter, being easily able to compare the feasibility of different concepts or availability of the required stone size at the location. As a case study, the breakwater selection for the Melkøya terminal in the Norwegian Barents Sea, is assessed through a comparison of the necessary armour unit masses for the different berm breakwaters. The armour mobility criteria currently established is reviewed and a recommendation for an updated criterion for the statically stable non-reshaped berm breakwater category is proposed.