Prediction of Beach Profile Change behind Submerged Breakwater on the Niigata-West Coast

Abstract

The numerical model for predicting the beach profile change behind a submerged breakwater on the Niigata-West coast was developed. The model estimates the beach profile change on the basis of the cross-shore gradient of crossshore sediment transport rate consisting of suspended load due to wave breaking and bed loads due to wave nonlinearity and beach slope. The model was calibrated with the beach profile change on the Niigata-West coast during a one-year period from July 2001 to July 2002. Numerical simulations using the model shows that the increase in the crown height of the submerged breakwater is effective in reducing the foreshore erosion and in making the sediments transported seaward from the eroded foreshore remain in the inner surf zone.