Workshop A. Hydrodynamics

Fourteen delegates attended this workshop session and we had a lively, thoughtful discussion with most of those present taking an active part.

We began by recognizing that the action of waves on breakwaters was not simply described by forces: there was a complex of actions to be considered but the starting point was obviously a description of the wave environment. Were we able to describe wave climate adequately? Even if we had a perfect knowledge of wave climate, would designers continue to abstract a simple measure of wave height and continue to use it in Hudson's formula? Work presented at the conference suggested that more sophisticated measures of wave climate were being recognized in the design process. Clearly a balance of understanding between all the factors involved in the hydrodynamics of breakwaters was required.