Hazards of Reflected Waves
When a wave directly reaches a rigid impermeable vertical wall or other surface such as a rigid float, it is reflected or bounced. In time, under suitable conditions, the reflected waves and the original incident waves may combine, forming a larger wave.
This wave can be, in a worst case, as great as twice the height of the initial wave. In practice, a reflected wave of twice the magnitude of the initial wave is not likely but is always possible.
Just think for a moment about the countless articles written following the recent attention to tsunamis. In seas of moderate wave height, rogue waves have been noted of far greater height than the typical wave height in the general area.
Permeable breakwaters made of rock or rubble and floating systems such as WaveBraakker tend to mitigate the wave forces by absorption and minimizing the reflection or bounce back.
For a “Cost Free” – “No Obligation” evaluation of your particular location, please contact us at sales@wavebraakker.com.
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