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Breaking Wave Force on Piles Calculator

Calculate drag forces on piles from breaking waves in the surf zone according to ASCE 7-10 standard.

Typical value for seawater is 10.05 kN/m³ according to ASCE 7-10
Recommended values: 1.75 for circular sections, 2.25 for square sections
Enter the pile diameter in meters. For square piles, use 1.4 times the width.
Enter the breaking wave height in meters. Typically approximately 0.78 times the water depth.
Documentation

About This Calculator

This calculator determines the wave force on piles in the surf zone based on the ASCE 7-10 standard. It uses the following formula:

FB = 0.5 · γw · CD · Dp · Hb2

Methodology

The calculator applies a drag force model to determine the wave force on piles in the breaking wave zone. The formula accounts for:

  • Water unit weight (γw): Weight per unit volume of water, typically 10.05 kN/m³ for seawater according to ASCE 7-10
  • Drag coefficient (CD): A dimensionless quantity that depends on the pile shape, with recommended values of 1.75 for circular sections and 2.25 for square sections
  • Pile diameter (Dp): For circular piles, this is the actual diameter. For square piles or columns, ASCE 7-10 specifies using 1.4 times the width of the pile/column.
  • Breaking wave height (Hb): The height of the wave at the point of breaking, approximately 0.78 times the water depth

The wave force is applied at the mean water surface level at the pile location.

Breaking Wave Force on Piles Diagram

Fig. 1: Schematic representation of wave force on a pile in the surf zone.

References

  1. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). (2010). Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE/SEI 7-10). Reston, VA: ASCE.
  2. This tool is based on research conducted by Adilson as part of a university conclusion paper, with calculations and methodology implemented according to ASCE 7-10 standards.

All diagrams and illustrations were produced by the author specifically for this tool.