HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE OF HOMOGENEOUS LOW-CRESTED STRUCTURES FOR BEACH PROTECTION IN CORAL REEF AREAS

Conventional Low-Crested Structures (LCS) are used worldwide to protect beaches from erosion. Artificial reefs, made of rocks and concrete elements that favor coralline colonization, can be used to actively regenerate retreating coral reefs (Blakeway et al., 2013). To protect sandy beaches in coral reef areas, Homogeneous Low- Crested Structures (HLCS) made of large rocks or pre- cast concrete elements has emerged as an option (Odériz et al., 2018). Previous research on Cubipod HLCS was primarily focused on: (1) checking its constructive feasibility for different placement grids through numerical and physical placement tests and (2) analyzing hydraulic stability and wave energy transmission in trunk sections for one triangular placement grid. On-going HOLOBRACE project is focused on: (1) the hydraulic performance of trunk and roundhead Cubipod HLCS’s and (2) analysis of squared and triangular placement grids.