Facilities

Coastal Engineering Tank

This facility is used mainly for Ocean Engineering (EOE) laboratory classes and research projects that focus on shallow-water waves and the effects of wave action on coastlines/coastal structures. The main tank is currently subdivided into three sections:

1) Rectangular Basin – 50.0 FT X 23.0 FT (15.0 m X 7.0 m), with piston wave-maker.
2) Sediment Tank – 35.0 FT X 3.3 FT (10.7 m X 1.0 m), with vertical wedge wave-maker.
3) Circular Basin – 18.0 FT (5.5 m) diameter tank.

A portable channel, 20 FT long and 2 FT wide (6.10 m X 0.61 m), has a variable slope floor and can be installed in the Rectangular Basin to study shoaling waves and surf run-up.

Breakwaters, jetties, groins, and harbors can be designed, and their effectiveness evaluated, in all of the tanks. A large moveable bridge spans the main tank area and is used as an observation platform (and also as a movable foundation for mounting instrumentation).

Depth of Water = 0.0 to 2.0 FT

WAVE GENERATION CAPABILITY:

Regular, irregular waves; wave frequency range: Rectangular Tank, 0.20 Hz to 1.50 Hz; Sediment Tank, 0.40 Hz to 1.50 Hz.

WAVE-MAKER TYPE:

Rectangular Basin – Horizontal-travel piston with servo-hydraulic control.
Sediment Tank – Vertical-travel wedge with electric servo-motor ball-screw drive.

BEACH TYPE AND LENGTH:

Permeable vertical sheets; 5 sheets, 4 FT (1.2 m) long.

INSTRUMENTATION:

Same as used in the 380 FT Towing Tank.  The Coastal Engineering Tank is also outfitted with equipment for studying soil mechanics, as applied to coastal sediments, and with a wide variety of field survey and bathymetry equipment.

TESTS PERFORMED:

Measurement of wave breaking, wave run-up, wave transmission past coastal structures, forces on marine structures, sediment transport, and harbor flow modeling.