US20040120768A1

US20040120768A1 - Frame type breakwater

Info

Publication number: US20040120768A1
Application number: US10/610,385
Authority: US
Inventors: Won-Hoi Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-23
Filing date: 2003-06-30
Publication date: 2004-06-24
Also published as: KR100521906B1; KR20040055845A; JP2004204671A

Abstract

A breakwater assembly comprises an upper slab (15) supported on columns (14, 21) that extend upwardly from a lower slab (13). A solid back wall (17) depends from one edge of the upper slab (15) while a front wall (16) with holes (18) therein depends from the other edge to exchange sea water freely between inner sea and outer sea.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2002-82261, filed on Dec. 23, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A breakwater assembly to control the ebb and flow of sea water along a shoreline.

Various types of breakwaters are known in the prior art for exchanging sea flows between outer sea and inner sea.

Conventional breakwaters are shown in cross-section in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In the gradient or slope of the breakwater is 2 to 1, horizontal to vertical for outer sea side and 1.5 to 1 for inner sea side with a relatively large amount of construction, however, not only much quantity of rubble material and a long period of construction were required. A caisson or weight 3 has been disposed on top of the breakwater. There has been a change in the side gradient or slope of the basic rubble state to 1.5 to 1 for both the inner sea side and the outer sea side with a larger caisson 3 thereon, as shown in FIG. 2. This change in slope and increase in caisson reduces the length of the basic stage 2 a and reduces the amount of construction material. However, the increased size of the caisson 3 allows it to be overturned when extra strong wave power occurs by a typhoon or a storm pressing waves against the caisson.

As will be appreciated from FIG. 3, when increasing the size of the caisson for stability and lowering the amount of rubble in the

mound

2 a it may bring about difficulty of installation and transportation. In addition, the large caisson may cause generating larger reflective waves thereagainst and completely shut down the exchange of sea water between the inner sea and the outer sea.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

A breakwater assembly comprising a base having a longitudinal axis for support on a sea bottom and a plurality of columns extending upwardly from said base to upper ends and an upper lab having longitudinal edges extending between first and second ends and a front wall extending along and depending from one of said edges of said upper slab and having holes therein for the flow of sea water therethrough; and a block wall extending along and depending from the other edge of said upper slab.

The present inventor found that most of sea wave pressure and strength of power of rushed waves exert in surface of sea level and the level just under the sea surface, therefore, opening lower part of breakwater may give free exchanging flow of sea water, between inner sea and outer sea.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to make comparatively simple structured breakwater having ability to exchange sea water freely between inner sea and outer sea and to make exhaustion of rushing wave energy thereof, and to build the breakwater by assembling breakwater unit without stacking much quantity of rubble mound, with lower cost and with convenient working, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is now explained more fully in detail with reference to drawings of embodiments. [0009]
FIG. 1 is one of the cross-sectional view of a conventional prior art rubble mound breakwater; [0010]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior art composite breakwater having highly built caisson with lower rubble stone basic stage (mound); [0011]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior art composite breakwater having the highest built caisson thereon; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the break-water assembly of the present invention, partially broken away and in cross-section; [0013]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of the FIG. 4; [0014]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view partially broken away and in cross-section, a second embodiment in the present invention; and [0015]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a comparison between the prior art of FIG. 1 and the present invention of FIG. 5.[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates principally to a frame type breakwater comprising multi unit assembled side by side as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. [0017]
A [0018] breakwater assembly 10 comprises a base 12 having a longitudinal axis for support on a sea bottom 11. The base 12 includes a lower slab 13 and a basic rubble stage supporting the lower slab, the basic rubble stage being under the lower slab 13.
A plurality of [0019] columns 14, 20 extend upwardly from the base 12 to upper ends.
An [0020] upper slab 15 has longitudinal edges extending between first and second ends with a front wall 16 extending along and depending from one of the edges of the upper slab. The front wall 16 has holes 18 therein for the flow of seawater therethrough. A back wall 17 extends along and depends from the other edge of the upper slab 15. A concrete cap 19 is disposed on the upper slab 15.
The [0021] lower slab 13 supports the columns 14, 20, which are disposed in longitudinally aligned rows. A plurality of cross beams 21 extend transversely to the longitudinal axis between the vertical columns 20.
The [0022] columns 14, 20 include vertical columns 20 disposed in longitudinally aligned rows and inclined columns 14 on both longitudinal sides of the vertical columns 20 and inclined outwardly and downwardly from the upper ends of the vertical columns 20 to the base 12.
The plurality of [0023] cross beams 21 extend transversely to the longitudinal axis between and interconnecting the vertical and inclined columns 14, 20. A pair of the vertical columns 20 are aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis with a pair of oppositely inclined columns 14.
The [0024] front 16 and back 17 walls are inclined outwardly and downwardly from the edges of the upper slab 15 and rest upon the inclined columns 14. The back wall 17 is solid and devoid of openings therethrough.
The upper [0025] 15 and lower slabs 13 have longitudinal ends defining male and female keys 22, 23 for interlocking a plurality of assemblies in end to end relationship with one another.
All of the same components are included in the embodiment of FIG. 6 except they are denoted with the letter “a”. The difference in the embodiment in FIG. 6 is that the [0026] front 16 a and back 17 a walls depend vertically downwardly from the edges of the upper slab 15 a. There are no inclined columns in the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Claims

1. A breakwater assembly 10 comprising:

a base having a longitudinal axis for support on a sea bottom;

a plurality of columns extending upwardly from said base to upper ends;

an upper slab having longitudinal edges extending between first and second ends;

a front wall extending along and depending from one of said edges of said upper slab and having holes therein for the flow of sea water therethrough; and a back ball extending along and depending from the other edge of said upper slab.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said columns are disposed in longitudinally aligned rows.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including a plurality of cross beams extending transversely to said longitudinal axis between said vertical columns.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said columns include vertical columns disposed in longitudinally aligned rows and inclined columns on both longitudinal sides of said vertical columns and inclined outwardly and downwardly from said upper ends of said vertical columns to said base.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 including a plurality of cross beams extending transversely to said longitudinal axis between and interconnecting said vertical and inclined columns.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein a pair of said vertical columns are aligned transversely to said longitudinal axis with a pair of oppositely inclined columns.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said front and back walls are inclined outwardly and rest upon said inclined columns.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said back wall is solid and devoid of openings therethrough.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and back walls are inclined outwardly and downwardly from said edges of said upper slab.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and back walls depend vertically downwardly from said edges of said upper slab.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base includes a lower slab supporting said columns 20 and a basic rubble stage supporting said lower slab, said basic rubble stage being under said lower slab.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a concrete cap disposed on said upper slab.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base 12 includes a lower slab and said upper and lower slabs have longitudinal ends defining male and female keys for interlocking a plurality of assemblies in end to end relationship with one another.