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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/8532| Title: | Laboratory studies of wave attenuation through artificial and real vegetation |
| Authors: | Environmental Laboratory (U.S.) Anderson, Mary E. Smith, Jane McKee Bryant, Duncan B. McComas, Robert W. |
| Keywords: | Wave dissipation Flood and Coastal Systems Program (U.S.) Wave attenuation Hydraulic modeling Physical modeling Vegetation Artificial vegetation Spartina alterniflora Wave flume |
| Publisher: | Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | ERDC TR ; 13-11. |
| Description: | Technical Report Abstract: A physical model study investigating the dissipation of wave energy by artificial and real Spartina alterniflora was performed in a large-scale two-dimensional flume. The purpose of the parametric study was to isolate the influence of a single plant or wave property on wave dissipation through vegetation by varying the parameter of interest while holding other parameters constant. The varied parameters included vegetation submergence depth, incident zero-moment wave height, incident peak wave period, and stem density. Measurements of the free surface and instantaneous velocity were collected for single- and double-peaked irregular wave spectra. The experiment setup and data collection methodology are described in detail. Results from the artificial and real vegetation tests indicate vegetation submergence depth and stem density strongly influence wave attenuation, while the effects of incident wave height and peak period were small and unclear in comparison. An increase in stem density of the artificial vegetation resulted in a greater reduction in wave height for all modeled wave conditions. As water depth exceeded canopy height, the wave attenuation capacity of both the artificial and real vegetation decreased. Dissipation occurred at all frequencies of the spectra, with the most evident loss of energy at the peak frequencies; however, separating the double-peaked spectra into two wave spectra revealed a preferential dissipation of higher frequency wave energy compared to lower frequency wave energy through the artificial array. The real vegetation was found to dissipate wave energy more efficiently than the artificial vegetation, which is likely due to the additional drag induced by the leaves. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/8532 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERDC-TR-13-11.pdf | 21.54 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |