Concave-Legged Wave Absorbing Block for Breakwater Construction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wave absorbing blocks for breakwaters are costly, difficult to construct, and have poor durability and environmental friendliness, often failing to effectively absorb incoming waves and protect coastal facilities, while also causing erosion and harming underwater ecosystems.
Innovation Solution
A wave absorbing block design featuring a pair of concavely curved legs with inclined side portions and a unified column part, allowing for interlocking in multiple layers to dissipate wave energy through gravity and refractive principles, with a recess and chamfered edges for improved stability and manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wave absorbing blocks with four horns are used, then wave absorbing function is provided, but manufacturing cost is high and durability is poor due to difficulty in concrete placement
Solution Approach 1:
The wave absorbing block is divided into a body portion and a column portion that are integrally formed. This segmentation allows for optimized concrete placement where the body portion can be properly filled while the column portion extends upward, ensuring both manufacturability and structural integrity. The integral formation eliminates weak points at joints while maintaining ease of casting.
Solution Approach 2:
The block design incorporates a tapered shape where the central portion is thicker and the cylinder gradually thins toward the distal end of each horn portion. This preliminary shaping during manufacturing ensures proper concrete flow and placement before final setting, preventing voids and weak spots that would compromise durability while controlling production costs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional tetrapod wave absorbing blocks with cylindrical shape are used, then wave absorbing function is provided, but adhesion of underwater creatures is poor due to lack of vertices
Solution Approach 1:
The wave absorbing block employs a symmetric arrangement of four horn portions extending in cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) with inclined side portions at 45 degrees. This symmetric geometry creates multiple vertices and angular surfaces that provide attachment points for underwater creatures, enhancing environmental friendliness while maintaining structural balance and wave absorption effectiveness.
3Reliability
If wave absorbing blocks with complex tapered shape are used, then wave absorbing performance is improved, but structural complexity increases affecting mass production
Solution Approach 1:
The wave absorbing block features a rounded upper surface and curved transitions between the body portion and horn portions. These curved surfaces streamline the concrete casting process by eliminating sharp angles that trap air pockets, while still providing the tapered geometry needed for wave absorption. The smooth transitions maintain structural integrity and simplify formwork design for mass production.
Solution Approach 2:
The block design extends vertically with a column portion rising from the center of the upper surface, adding a vertical dimension to the wave interaction. This vertical element creates additional wave breaking surfaces and enhances energy dissipation without significantly complicating the horizontal geometry, allowing for efficient concrete placement and mold design.
4Ease of operation
If ready-mixed concrete is poured in the direction of portion (a) of conventional blocks, then pouring is easy, but reliable supply and placement to portions (b), (c) and (d) is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The block design incorporates a tapered shape where the central portion is thicker and the cylinder gradually thins toward the distal end of each horn portion. This preliminary shaping during manufacturing ensures proper concrete flow and placement before final setting, preventing voids and weak spots that would compromise durability while controlling production costs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new design reduces construction costs and time, enhances durability and environmental sustainability, while effectively absorbing waves and protecting breakwater structures, even under medium-sized waves, with improved interlocking and hydraulic performance.
Implementation Method 1
waves can flow over the inclined surface of the rear side of the wave absorbing block to fall into a gap provided in front of the arch portion to dissipate wave energy using gravity
Implementation Method 2
A wave absorbing block design featuring a pair of concavely curved legs with inclined side portions and a unified column part, allowing for interlocking in multiple layers to dissipate wave energy through gravity and refractive principles
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~3A
AI summary
A wave absorbing block for breaking waves of the present invention, consists of: a pair of left and right legs having a concavely curved arch portion at a front center thereof, and projecting sideways to have inclined side portions respectively on left and right sides thereof; and a column part unified with the pair of left and right legs and protruding vertically upward from a center portion of an upper surface of the arch portion. The wave absorbing block for breaking waves is excellent in a wave-absorbing performance and improves robustness, durability, workability, and cost effectiveness when being used for construction of harbor facilities, such as a breakwater or a revetment. The wave absorbing block is excellent in interlocking and hydraulic performances, thereby reducing construction costs. The wave absorbing block is suitable for mass production due to the simple shape and can be conveniently produced, transported, and placed, thereby enabling easy construction of a harbor.