• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.154-162
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• 2011

A reliability analysis model is developed for evaluating the crest freeboard of vertical breakwaters based on the concepts of maximum overtopping volume of individual wave. A reliability function is formulated by defining the margin of admissible overtopping volume and maximum overtopping volume that is depend on the number of overtopping waves, dimensionless crest freeboard, and mean overtopping discharge. In addition, Level III MCS technique is straightforwardly suggested by which the related empirical parameters to reliability function can be considered to be random variables with the wide range of different uncertainties. It can be possible to calculate the probabilities of failure according to the relative crest freeboard with the variations of the incident wave directions, the structural types of vertical breakwaters, and admissible overtopping volumes in conditions of the long and short crested-waves.