Oblique wave attack on rubble mound breakwaters

•Physical model tests on the influence of oblique wave attack on breakwaters.•Influence of short and long-crested waves on stability of slopes under oblique waves.•Prediction formula for reduction in required armour size for oblique wave attack.

Stability formulae for armour layers of rubble mound breakwaters are usually being applied assuming perpendicular wave attack. Often the effects of oblique waves are neglected. This is however a conservative assumption since the stability of armour slopes generally increases for oblique waves. New wave basin tests have been performed to assess the effects of oblique waves on the stability of rock slopes and the stability of cube armoured rubble mound breakwaters. The physical model tests were focussed on wave directions between perpendicular (0°) and parallel (90°). The test programme included tests with long-crested waves and tests with short-crested waves. The results show that for rock slopes the influence of oblique waves is larger for long-crested waves. Based on the test results a design guideline is provided to account for effects of oblique waves on the stability of rock slopes, armour layers with a double layer of cubes, and armour layers with a single layer of cubes.