Wave overtopping and flood risk assessment in harbours: The Port of Las Nieves and its future expansion

Abstract

This article presents the analysis of the probability of occurrence of wave overtopping events as well as its consequences at the Port of Las Nieves in Agaete, Gran Canaria Island, with the evaluation of the resulting level of flood risk. The study involves both the existing breakwater and its planned future expansion toward deeper waters and has been conducted using a third-generation spectral wave model, to reproduce wave propagation from deep to shallow water depths considering the associated mean sea level, and a neural network-based model, for estimating mean wave overtopping discharges. Results reveal that, in both cases, the access area to the infrastructure presents a risk level substantially higher than that associated with the cross-sections of the main body of the breakwater. Thus, control actions to reduce overtopping in the initial sections are required for the existing structure, and this fact should be seriously taken into account in the planning and construction phases of its extension, due to the important socioeconomic implications regarding the infrastructure inoperability.