"The Way Ahead"

It is true for all structures that the design and the location affects the loads. Breakwaters are extreme examples of this thesis, since even small variations in waterdepth, orientation slope etc. produce large variations in the load. As the dominant load is stochastic in nature and exhibits extreme variations, it is not surprising that we have difficulty in reaching an acceptable design procedure. However, being a little provocative, I would like to say that some of the recent failures of major breakwaters are due to gross errors, which cannot be explained away by a claim of insufficient basic knowledge. One could say that the available knowledge did not reach the engineers on time. One way ahead is, therefore, and always has been, to ensure good communication of up-to-date knowledge.