Nonlinear Simulation of Wave Train Impact on a Vertical Seawall

A 2D nonlinear numerical wave flume is developed to investigate the wave train impact on a vertical seawall. Fully nonlinear kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions are satisfied on the instantaneous free surface. Cases of single-, double- and multi-crest wave trains are discussed. For single-crest wave train cases, the present nonlinear results are compared with the solution of the Serre-Green-Naghdi (SGN) model, showing good agreement. For double-crest wave train cases, the SGN model underestimates the maximum wave run-up along the vertical seawall. Compared with the linear results, the nonlinearity for double-crest cases can lead to an evident increase of the wave run-up and high-frequency free-surface oscillations. Through a fast Fourier analysis, evident nonlinear characteristics of the time series of the wave run-up and wave load during the wave impact process are confirmed. For multi-crest wave train cases, irregular wave run-ups can be observed. In some cases, the wave run-up along the vertical seawall can reach about 6 times that of the incident wave, which should be considered carefully in a practical design.