Numerical assessment of tsunami attack on a rubble mound breakwater using OpenFOAM®

The present study shows that hydrodynamics along the wave flume and over the breakwater can be simulated properly for both solitary wave and tsunami overflow experiments. Stability of the overall cross-section can only be simulated qualitatively for solitary wave cases; on the other hand, the effect of the time elapsed during tsunami overflow cannot be reflected in the simulations using the present numerical tool. However, the stability of the overall cross-section under tsunami overflow is assessed by evaluating forces acting on the rear side armor unit supporting the crown-wall of the rubble mound breakwater as a practical engineering application in the present paper. Furthermore, two non-dimensional parameters are derived to discuss the stability of this armor unit; and thus, the stability condition of the overall cross-section. Approximate threshold values for these non-dimensional parameters are presented comparing experimental and numerical results as a starting point for engineers in practice. Finally, investigations on the solitary wave and tsunami overflow experiments/simulations are extended to the potential tsunami simulation in the scope of both representation of a realistic tsunami in a wave flume and stability of the rubble mound breakwater.