Design, Testing, and Construction of a Wave Energy Absorbing Quay Wall

Reducing or eliminating wave agitation effects in harbors has long been a problem. The long and short period action can cause harmonic seiche action if the wave lengths are tuned to the basin dimensions. Various techniques have been attempted to dampen or reduce wave action including, but most involve large scale interventions and are often in conflict with the functioning needs of the port. Manipulating harbor entrance geometry or implementing wave entrance resonators sometimes work to avoid the problem ever entering the harbor, but once trapped inside, the only options remaining are reducing or redirecting the wave reflection. The typical choices then are revetted edges which steals valued water space and makes berthing more difficult, slit caissons which are structurally difficult and challenging, or implementing an energy absorbing block wall. In this paper a newly developed type of wave energy absorbing block and its development testing is presented which achieves both the desired wave damping and still allows the wall to serve as a berth.