LARGE-SCALE MODEL STUDIES OF ARCTIC ISLAND SLOPE PROTECTION
Clients: Various Members of the Petroleum Industry
Arctic offshore construction requires innovation to deal with the limited resources and challenging construction season of the Beaufort Sea. In order to better predict the performance of various types of innovative slope armor for application to Arctic oil exploration and production islands, Coastal Frontiers has performed numerous large-scale model studies at the Oregon State University Wave Research Facility in Corvallis, Oregon. Based on these test results, the final designs of a number of offshore structures were optimized.
Hydraulic Modeling
2-D wave flume: 350 ft long, 12 ft wide wave tank accommodating water depths to 11 ft and wave heights of approximately 4 ft
3-D wave basin: 160 ft long by 87 ft wide capable of generating wave heights of approximately 2.5 ft
Irregular and monochromatic waves
Several hundred tons of gravel fill required to construct model cross-sections
Model scale ratios varying from 1:3 to 1:40
Large-scale models to minimize distortions of armor behavior and wave run-up and overtopping
Model Parameters Tested
Armor stability
Slope stability
Wave run-up
Wave overtopping
Gravel transport around islands
Effect of following wind on wave overtopping