Mechanism of the wave-induced seabed instability in the vicinity of a breakwater: a review

A detailed knowledge of the wave-induced seabed instability is particularly important for engineers involved in the design procedure of many marine structures and offshore installations. In this paper, the basic aspects of such instability will be examined. The current understanding of the mechanism of the wave-seabed interaction phenomenon and available approaches will be reviewed. Based on the framework of simplified analysis, the potential for such instability will be formulated that will help engineers to identify potential unstable sediments in the vicinity of a marine structure. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.