LEACOAST

Effect of Shore-parallel Breakwaters in Tidal Conditions on Coastal Morphology (LEACOAST)

Breakwaters at Sea Palling

This EPSRC funded research project is a collaborative venture between the University of Liverpool (UL) and the University East Anglia (UEA). It aims to improve understanding of interactive coastal processes and morphology changes produced by construction of shore-parallel breakwaters in UK tidal conditions. The Project will focus on modelling and measuring the hydrodynamics and morphogolical changes during storm-events. Use will be made of an existing Liverpool Q3D morphological computer model, which will be enhanced to include the effect of over-topping and reflective porous structures. Field data will be gathered from two typical (but different) embayments (one per winter season) at the Sea Palling in Norfolk, UK where 9 shore-parallel segmented breakwaters have resulted in the formation of low-water tombolos and salients, as well as impacts on the beaches down-drift. Existing data on waves, currents and transient bathymetric changes collected from a central embayment in the UKCRF by earlier EPSRC-sponsored research (LUPY Project) will also be used in the modelling component.The Project is also supported by HR Wallingford, Halcrow, EA, DEFRA as well as a number of academic partners, whose links are provided.

My Role: CI/PI

  1. To coordinate the research project
  2. To supervise the development of COAST2D Model

Publications

  • Li, M., Fernando, P. T., Pan, S. O’Connor. B. A. and Chen, D (2007), Development of a quasi-3d numerical model for sediment transport in the coastal region, Journal of Hydro-environment Research [doi:10.1016/j.jher.2007.09.001] (online)
  • Bacon J.C, Vincent, C. E. Dolphin, T. J. ,Taylor, J. A., Pan, S. and O’Connor, B. A. (2007) Shore parallel breakwaters in meso-tidal conditions: Tidal controls on sediment transport and their longer term regional impacts at Sea Palling, UK. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 50, 369-373
  • Pan, S., Fernando, P., Li, M., Zhu, Y., O’Connor, B., Vincent, C., Taylor, J., Dolphin, T. Bacon, J. (2005) Effect of shore parallel breakwaters on coastal morphology under storm conditions. In: N. W. H. Allsop ed(s) Coaslines, Structures and Breakwaters. Thomas Telford, The Institution of Civil Engineers, London pp 64-73
  • Bacon, J. C., Vincent, C. E., Dolphin, T. J., Taylor, J. A., Pan, S. and O’Connor, B. (2004) The offshore breakwater scheme at Sea Palling, England: sand transport generated by tidal currents. In: J M Smith ed(s) Coastal Engineering 2004. ASCE, Lisbon, Portugal pp 1896-1908
  • Dolphin, T. J., Taylor, J. A., Vincent, C. E., Bacon, J. C., Pan, S. and O’Connor, B. (2004) Storm-scale effects of shore-parallel breakwaters on beaches in tidal settings (LEACOAST). In: J M Smith ed(s) Coastal Engineering 2004. ASCE, Lisbon, Portugal pp 2849-2861
  • Bacon, J. C., Vincent C. E., Pan, S-Q. and O’Connor, B (2003) Effects of Tidal Currents on Sediment Pathways around the Shore-Parallel Breakwaters at Sea Palling, England . In: R.A. Davis & P. Howd ed(s) Coastal Sediment ’03. ASCE, pp CD-ROM