Experimental Study on Counter Weight Block for Breakwater Stability and Environment

Tetsuya Hiraishi1, Hajime Mase1, and Hiroshi Matsushita2

1. Ujikawa Open Laboratory, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto Univerity, Japan

2. Nikken Kogaku Co. Ltd., Japan

Abstract: Sea level change and global warming may cause increasing of external forces due to tides, currents and waves acting on breakwaters. Counter-weight block is newly developed to increase the resistance against horizontal sliding of breakwaters located at entrance of harbors. In the paper, a physical experiment is carried out to evaluate the friction factor of the counter-weight blocks and to compare with a normal type flat concrete block. The friction factor of counter-weight block with rubbles inside the center hole becomes larger than the normal one.

Key words: friction factor, counter-weight block, accidental wave load, breakwater stability, tension experiment