Geotextile Influence on Deformation Reduction of Rockfill Breakwater

Breakwaters are one of the important structures in ports whose main function is to prevent storm waves and ocean currents from entering the shore. There are various kinds of breakwaters. Incline plate breakwaters is an instance which is more frequently used due to simple implementation and low cost. Most breakwaters are built on soft clay bed with low resistance, little permeability, high subsidence ability. Therefore, subsidence and overall failure happen in most of them. Drawing on surface reinforcers (geotextiles) is one of the ways to confront this problem. Geotextiles decrease subsidence, improve failure and prevent permeation of breakwater stones in the soft clay. The effect of surface reinforcers on the soft layers under embankments and breakwaters has been the subject of many researches. Some researchers have examined the behavior of reinforcers in large and real scale of embankments ([1], [2] , [3]). This methodology shows very good results, though it is very expensive. [4] examined the behavior of reinforcers using centrifuge test. Also, validation of numerical methods with centrifuge tests is an economic way to study the behavior of embankments built on soft soil [5]. Nevertheless, many issues related to reinforced lands have remained unknown because of complexities in their operation. The present article models the subsidence and overall stability of Nakhl-e Nakhoda breakwater built in Bandar-e Abbas, Iran, using PLAXIS software. And the influence of surface reinforcements under this breakwater which has confronted many cases of subsidence has been studied using this software.