BARDEX II: Bringing the beach to the laboratory - again!

Gerd Masselink, Ian Turner, Daniel Conley, Gerben Ruessink, Ana Matias, Charlie Thompson, Bruno Castelle, Guido Wolters

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Proto-type laboratory experiments are particularly useful in coastal research when forcing parameters are modified in a way that is impossible to achieve in the field, and where installation and maintenance of instrumentation requires absence of waves. In 2008, the Barrier Dynamics Experiment (BARDEX) took place in the Delta Flume, the Netherlands. This project, funded by Hydralab III, focused on the effect of varying wave, sea level and beach groundwater conditions on a gravel beach (D50 = 10 mm). In 2012, a similar project was carried out, referred to as BARDEX II, this time funded by Hydralab IV and on a sandy beach (D 50 = 0.42 mm). During the experiment, a 4.5-m high and 70-m wide sandy barrier was constructed in the flume with a lagoon situated to the landward. The barrier was instrumented with a very large number (> 200) of instruments and subjected to a range of wave conditions (Hs = 0.8 m; Tp = 4-12 s) and varying sea and lagoon water levels. Five distinct test series were executed over a 20-day period: series A focused on beach response due to accretionary/erosive wave conditions and a high/low lagoon water level; series B investigated the effect of a lower sea level on nearshore bar dynamics; series C simulated tidal effects; series D addressed the swash/overtopping/overwash threshold; and during series E the beach-barrier system was subjected to an extended period of energetic overwash conditions. This paper will describe the experimental design and the test programme during BARDEX II. © Coastal Education & Research Foundation 2013.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1545-1550
Number of pages0
JournalJournal of Coastal Research
Volume0
Issue number0
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Sept 2013

Keywords

  • Proto-type experiment
  • swash
  • breaking waves
  • berm
  • nearshore sediment transport
  • hydrology
  • overwash

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