Coastal Protection (DM-26.2), Section 2: Design Waves

This section explains how to arrive at the waves a structure is designed for. It covers wave distribution, including the significant wave height and variations in period or direction, and wave hindcasting, in which past winds are used to estimate the waves they produced. The hindcast parameters, the hindcasting procedure, and other considerations are all covered.

It also lists sources of wave observation data, discusses extreme waves, and explains the selection of design waves. Choosing the design wave is one of the most important decisions in a project, because it sets the size and cost of everything that follows.

In this chapter

• General
• Wave Distribution
  • Significant wave height
  • Variations in period or direction
• Wave Hindcasting
  • Hindcast parameters
  • Hindcasting procedure
  • Other considerations
• Sources for Wave Observation Data
• Extreme Waves
• Selection of Design Waves