Laboratory study on effect of vegetation in reducing wave overtopping under wind effect

Understanding and mitigating wave overtopping are crucial for hinterland safety, yet research primarily focuses on designing coastal structures, with limited attention to structural materials. As global warming intensifies coastal hazards, there is a growing need for resilient infrastructures. A hybrid infrastructure incorporating vegetation alongside concrete may offer a viable solution. In this study, we evaluated the effect of vegetation on wave overtopping reduction under strong winds through hydraulic model experiments simulating extreme storm conditions. The experiments were conducted under the simultaneous action of wind, waves, and vegetation using a two-dimensional wind tunnel flume and vegetation. A higher vegetation density was found to exponentially reduce the overtopping rate. Moreover, dense vegetation was demonstrated to be equivalent to raising the height of protective structures by at least 1.1 m. Furthermore, the increase in overtopping rate by the effects of wind can be compensated by the reduction effects of vegetation. Based on these investigations, an equation was proposed to predict the wave overtopping rate that considers the effects of both wind and vegetation. The results highlight the potential applicability of vegetated coastal protection in future coastal disaster prevention against extreme events with stronger winds and waves that may be induced by climate change. • Wave overtopping rate exponentially decreased as the vegetation density increased. • Dense vegetation was equivalent to raising the dimensionless freeboard by 1.1 m. • Vegetation can decrease the wave overtopping rate increased by wind flow. • An equation was proposed to predict wave overtopping considering wind and vegetation.