Wave pressures on a vertical wall due to short-crested waves: fifth-order approximation

Non-linear wave pressure induced by short-crested waves on a vertical wall is an important factor to be considered in the design of coastal structures. The existing models to estimate the wave pressure in engineering design are limited to the third-order solution (Hsu et al., 1979). In this paper, an analytical solution up to the fifth-order is derived through perturbation approximation. This analytical closed-form solution is used to investigate the contributions of the higher-order components in short-crested waves. It is found that fifth-order components significantly affect the change of pressure, especially in shallow water and larger waves. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.