Citation

Rakha KA, Kamphuis JW. Coast. Eng. (Amsterdam) 1997; 30(1-2): 23-52.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0378-3839(96)00035-X

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Wave-induced currents play an important role in the sediment motion. This papers provides a description of a wave-induced current module for the case of an infinite beach backed by a continuous seawall. Two formulations are proposed for the calculation of the depth-integrated currents. The first formulation includes the additional mixing induced by the interaction between the undertow and the longshore current (UV). The second formulation assumes a higher eddy viscosity to replace this additional (UV) term. The vertical distribution for both the undertow and the longshore current is also formulated. A sensitivity analysis and the verification of the numerical model is provided using tests performed in a wave flume and a wave basin. A description of a set of wave basin tests performed on a fixed beach is also provided. Both the undertow and the longshore currents were measured for cases with and without reflection. The numerical and experimental results showed that the reflected wave reduced the undertow, and had a small effect on the longshore current.