Uğurlu, A. and Balas, C.E., 2024. Assessment of single-layer armor units in breakwater design under climate change: In-depth case analysis of Rize-Artvin airport breakwater. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 660-664. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.
This study provides an advanced analysis of single-layer armor units, emphasizing their role in optimizing stability and initial investment costs in breakwater construction considering climate change. Focusing on Piblok+, a new armor unit designed in Türkiye, we conducted Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using FLOW3D software. These simulations evaluated the hydrodynamic performance of Piblok+ in comparison to prevalent single-layer armor units, specifically for overtopping and stability characteristics. The Rize-Artvin Airport, located on the Black Sea coast and noted as the world's deepest coastal structure, serves as the case study for this research. The deterministic design incorporated the significant wave height predictions from the HYDROTAM3D Model and the deployment of Accropode II, Xbloc, and Piblok units. The design parameters included a significant wave height of 7.70 m and an armor layer volume of 12 m3. The deterministic breakwater design underwent a reliability-based probabilistic analysis using the Accropode II limit state function alongside a comparison for the armor layer, which was performed by the three-dimensional physical modeling conducted at the Ministry of Transport's Hydraulic Research Laboratory. The study also incorporated the anticipated sea level change (SLC) of +1.33 m over 100 years into the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) to assess structural safety, yielding a 96.70% probability of reliability within its economic lifespan. Physical model experiments for Accropode II were also conducted in the General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments wave basin, forming part of the Port Hydraulic Research Center. These experiments, along with design computations, took into consideration a range of environmental factors such as global warming, wind set-up, wave set-up, seasonal tides, barometric pressure, Coriolis Effect, and tidal influences, ensuring a holistic evaluation of all critical conditions that might impact the breakwater throughout its service life. An extensive series of physical model experiments were compared with the probabilistic approach, utilizing various design wave characteristics and fifteen structural alternatives. The aim was to determine the most robust cross-sectional design for the coastal defense structures at Rize-Artvin Airport, thereby ensuring optimal performance and resilience of the breakwater under varying environmental and climatic conditions.
