• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2011

The breaking wave pressure occurs when a plunging breaker instantaneously impinges on structural surface, and appears differently depending on whether or not to form air pockets at the instant of contact. The Wagner type normally forms a single pressure peak at the contact spot due to the direct collision of water volume to the structure whereas in the Bagnold type the time lagged oscillation of the air pocket causes pressure peaks even at areas away from the spot. In the present study, the Bagnold's impact pressure is numerically and experimentally investigated for the bulkhead of an underwater tunnel under construction which is subjected to nearby breaking waves. A numerical solver of Navier-Stokes equations was applied to reproduce the breaking waves near a bulkhead, and the results showed the Bagnold's impact pressure occurring on the back (land side) face of the bulkhead. The existence of the impact pressure was also verified by a hydraulic model testing, and it was found that the experimental results well conformed to their numerical counterparts.