What is reef breakwater?

Answer 1

A

reef breakwater is a low-crested rubble-mound breakwater without

the

traditional multilayer cross section. This type of breakwater is little

more

than a homogeneous pile of stones with individual stone weights similar

to

those ordinarily used in the armor and first underlayer of conventional

breakwaters.

2.

In recent years a number of low-crested breakwaters have been built

or

considered for use at a variety of locations. Most of these structures are

intended

to protect a beach or reduce the cost of beach maintenance. Other

applications

include protecting water intakes for power plants and entrance

channels for

small-boat harbors and providing an alternative to revetment for

stabilizing

an eroding shoreline. In situations where only partial attenuation

of

waves on the leeside of a structure is required, or possibly even

advantageous,

a low-crested rubble-mound breakwater is a logical selection.

Since the cost

of a rubble-mound breakwater increases rapidly with the height

of

the crest, the economic advantage of a low-crested structure over a traditional

breakwater

that is infrequently overtopped is obvious. Because the

reef

breakwater represents the ultimate in design simplicity, it .could be the

optimum structure

for many situations. Unfortunately, the performance of lowcrested

rubble-mound

structures, particularly reef breakwaters, is not well

documented

or understood