Numerical modelling of wave penetration in Ostend Harbour

The initial Ostend harbour entrance at the North Sea coast of Belgium is being modified and extended with two new rubble-mound breakwaters. Through an integrated study of the wave penetration in Ostend harbour, the waves are being acquired by prototype measurements and physical and numerical modelling is carried out. Two numerical models are used. SimWave is a numerical model based on Nwogu’s extended Boussinesq equations. The second numerical model is MILDwave, a mild-slope wave propagation model based on the equations of Radder and Dingemans. The present study concentrates on applications of the numerical models, throughout the different design stages and construction phases of the new breakwaters

Prototype wave measurements on the beach of Ostend

The city of Ostend (Oostende) is situated centrally along the Belgian North Sea coast. The low-lying city centre is located very close to the shore. The shoreline consists of a sandy beach and a smooth impermeable sea dike. In 2002-2003 it was concluded that the risk of flooding of Ostend was critically high. As provisional solution, the beach was nourished in April 2004. The wave propagation on the beach is monitored with 3 different wave measurement devices placed into the sea / on the beach. This paper presents the results of the prototype measurements performed on the beach of Ostend. Further the prototype wave characteristics are compared with results of scale model tests performed at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Ghent