Stability of Monolithic Rubble Mound Breakwater Crown Walls Subjected to Impulsive Loading

This paper evaluates the validity of a simple onedimensional dynamic analysis as well as a FEM model to determine the sliding of a rubble mound breakwater crown wall. The evaluation is based on a case example with real wave load time series and displacements measured from two-dimensional physical model tests. The outcome is a more reliable evaluation of the applicability of simple dynamic calculations for the estimation of sliding distances of rubble mound superstructures. This is of great practical importance since many existing rubble mound crown walls are subjected to increasing wave loads due to rising sea water level from climate changes which may lead to sliding and overturning of the superstructures.