Submit to Water Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Related Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2025) | Viewed by 16948

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Miaohua Mao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Interests: numerical model; hydrodynamics; wave dynamics; wave–current interaction; coastal circulation; physical modeling; ocean dynamics; water exchange; lagoon; coastal engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Junliang Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
Interests: nonlinear water wave hydrodynamics; wave–structure interaction; water wave theory; fluid–solid interaction; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); coral reef hydrodynamics; tsunami dynamics; wave propagation model development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coastal engineers have designed and constructed protected structures to cope with coastal dynamics, including wave behavior, storm surges, sediment transport, erosion, and sea level changes. Therefore, understanding coastal hydrodynamic environments and fluid–structure interactions is an important issue in coastal engineering. The research topics in the field of coastal engineering include broad scopes such as: (1) coastal dynamic environments of winds, waves, currents, sea ice; (2) sediment transport in the changing morphology of coastal, estuarine, and offshore regions; (3) the technical and functional design of coastal and harbor structures; (4) fluid–structure interactions including conventional hard and nature-based soft structures; (5) innovations in research methods and techniques including mathematical and numerical modeling, laboratory and field observations, and experiments. This Special Issue invites papers including, but not limited to, the abovementioned topics.

Coastal engineering;
Offshore engineering;
Polar engineering;
Innovative marine structural design;
Innovative analysis technology for coastal engineering;
Extreme marine environments and their impacts;
Wave–structure interaction/soil(sand)–structure interaction;
Coastal zone disaster prevention and mitigation;
The reliability and survivability of marine structures;
The development of model testing technology.
Numerical modeling in coastal zones;
Coastal dynamics;
Coastal hydrodynamics.

Prof. Dr. Miaohua Mao
Prof. Dr. Junliang Gao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

coastal engineering
wave–structure interactions
high-fidelity numerical modeling
laboratory and field experiments
mathmatical models
harbors, coastal, and offshore structures
nature-based solutions
hydrodynamics
wave loads
wave overtopping

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions, 2nd Edition in Water (5 articles)

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 164 KB

Open AccessEditorial

Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions

by Miaohua Mao and Junliang Gao

Water 2026, 18(2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18020206 - 13 Jan 2026

Viewed by 796

Abstract

Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) in coastal engineering is a core topic in the interdisciplinary fields of harbor, coastal, offshore, and structural engineering [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 5950 KB

Open AccessArticle

Nonlinear Water Waves Induced by Vertical Disturbances Through a Navier–Stokes Solver with the Implementation of the Immersed Boundary Method

by Hai-Ping Ma and Hong-Xia Zhang

Water 2025, 17(24), 3573; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243573 - 16 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 704

Abstract

Nonlinear water waves (NWWs) can be generated by the vertical bottom disturbance, which represents the conceptual processes of the rise of seabed rupture under seismic loads. To explore the correlation between the disturbance parameters and the wave features, a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model is applied, with the flow turbulence and fluid–structure interaction (FSI) being resolved by the k–ɛ model and the immersed boundary method (IBM), respectively. The free surface is tracked using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. After validating against the theoretical solutions and experimental results, the effects of disturbance duration and bulk on the wave features at the source region (the generation stage) and offshore direction (the propagation stage) are systematically discussed. The fixed maximal vertical displacement is considered, with four moving durations and five disturbance widths being simulated, resulting in four disturbance velocities and five disturbance bulks. The results indicate that the proposed RANS model can accurately create various wave patterns (including the linear, solitary, and tsunami-like waves) generated by bottom disturbances. Special attentions are paid to the tsunami-like wave. The wave evolution exhibits strong dependence on disturbance duration and width, with shorter durations triggering earlier soliton fission and longer widths accelerating phase celerity. These findings highlight the critical role of disturbance parameters in governing soliton formation and energy propagation patterns, which are vital in disaster forecasting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 10274 KB

Open AccessArticle

Microtopography Governs Tidal Inundation Frequency in the Luanhe Estuarine Salt Marsh: A Decadal Assessment Integrating Sentinel Data and UAV Photogrammetry

by Youcai Liu, Pingze Ni, Wang Ma, Qian Zhang, Qi Hu and Ziyun Ling

Water 2025, 17(24), 3559; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243559 - 15 Dec 2025

Viewed by 627

Abstract

Tidal inundation is a key factor determining the structure and function of estuarine salt marsh ecosystems. However, due to the influence of microtopography (small-scale topographic variations), the fine-scale spatial variations in tidal inundation have not been fully studied. To fill this research gap, this study focuses on the Luanhe Estuary—a region highly sensitive to topographic changes—and explores in depth the physical mechanisms regulating tidal inundation in this area. The study integrates long-term data from the Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI), spanning the period from 2016 to 2025, to construct a high-resolution time series dataset of Apparent Inundation Frequency (AIF). Subsequently, this dataset is correlated with a high-precision microtopographic Digital Elevation Model (DEM) obtained through Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) surveys. The analysis reveals a strong nonlinear relationship between AIF and topographic elevation, which is best described by an exponential decay model (R² = 0.903). The results show that the average inundation probability in the study area has shown a fluctuating but overall upward trend, increasing from 16.74% in 2016 to 29.02% in 2025 (peaking at 31.39% in 2024). Quantitative modeling confirms that microtopography is the primary controlling factor for fine-scale variations in tidal inundation levels. The integrated research approach proposed in this study provides a reliable framework for coastal vulnerability assessment. Against the backdrop of increasingly severe impacts from climate change and human activities, the high-resolution quantitative data generated by this study provides scientific support for formulating disaster mitigation and geomorphological management strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1632 KB

Open AccessArticle

Rainfall Characteristics and Effective Precipitation Analysis of Rice Growth Period in Typical Areas in East China

by Haifei Fang, Zhan Weng, Miao Hu, Xingya Feng and Qiang Liu

Water 2025, 17(24), 3542; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243542 - 14 Dec 2025

Viewed by 650

Abstract

Rainfall characteristics during the rice growth period were analyzed using long-term data (1986–2017) from three typical irrigation stations, namely, Pinghu, Jinqing, and Yongkang in East China. Annual rainfall, concentration indices, and monthly distributions were examined, and the soil–water balance method was applied to estimate effective rainfall (precipitation) from 2018 to 2020. Results showed that rainfall during the growth period generally accounted for 40–80% of the annual total rainfall, with more than 60% of the years exceeding half of the annual rainfall. The effective precipitation utilization coefficients at Pinghu Station reached 0.573, 0.644, and 0.764 in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, indicating relatively high utilization efficiency and confirming effective precipitation as a major water source during rice growth. High utilization was observed for extreme rainfall events (≥30 mm or ≤5 mm), whereas moderate rainfall (5–30 mm) showed larger variability due to soil and management factors. To further improve quantitative assessment, a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model was employed to predict daily effective precipitation using rainfall, antecedent precipitation index (API), drought days, and extreme rainfall indicators as inputs. The effective precipitation utilization coefficient was then derived as the ratio of effective to total precipitation. The optimized SVR model achieved a coefficient of determination of

R^{2} = 0.904

and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.58 mm for daily effective precipitation, effectively capturing the nonlinear relationship between rainfall characteristics and effective precipitation. These findings highlight that the machine learning method can complement existing estimation models, offering an alternative tool for irrigation scheduling and water-saving crop cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1603 KB

Open AccessArticle

Two-Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Submerged Dike Hydrodynamics

by Xiaojie Zhang, Yachao Zhang, Yanfen Deng, Xianghuang Li and Bowen Guan

Water 2025, 17(24), 3455; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243455 - 5 Dec 2025

Viewed by 643

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted on wave and sediment movement with submerged dikes. However, the effect of a submerged dike’s height and orientation on hydrodynamics has not been thoroughly examined from the perspective of the marine ecology impact. This paper employs a two-dimensional numerical model to investigate effects of submerged dike height and orientation on flow, specifically flow velocity and cross-dike flux. The findings indicate that the most significant velocity variation occurs at a distance of approximately one-fifth of the dike length (0.2 L) from the dike head, when the flow is perpendicular to the dike and parallel to the coastline. And this area as the submerged dike’s protection zone will have the least impact on the surrounding environment. The change pattern of the flow velocity with the distance apart from the submerged dike varies for different submerged dike heights. A submerged dike height of 0.7 times the water depth (0.7 H) is a dividing value. Additionally, as the orientation angle increases, the cross-dike flux rises. From the perspective of the impact on the marine ecological environment, the design angle of the submerged dike should be as small as possible. The findings establish a theoretical hydrodynamic basis that may support future integrated studies on coastal zone management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 7434 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation into the Working Behavior of Geotextile Pipe-Bag Systems on Soft Soil Foundations in the Ningde Port Industrial Zone, China

by Peijun Fan, Honglei Ren, Xiatao Zhang, Wei Li and Wanli Guo

Water 2025, 17(21), 3063; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17213063 - 25 Oct 2025

Viewed by 858

Abstract

With the rapid development of coastal and nearshore engineering projects in China, geotextile pipe and bag (GPB) structures have been increasingly applied in marine land reclamation and coastal protection works. To better understand the mechanical behavior of GPB structures on soft soil foundations, this study conducts a systematic investigation into the mechanical properties of both soft soils and GPBs using a physical model test system. By integrating numerical simulations, the stress–deformation characteristics of GPB structures on soft soils and the evolution of pore pressure are further analyzed. The results indicate that the compression curve of soft soil exhibits significant nonlinearity, with silt showing higher apparent compressibility than silty clay. Experimental data yielded the compression coefficient λ and rebound coefficient μ for both soil types. As consolidation pressure increases, deviatoric stress in the soft soil rises notably, demonstrating typical strain-hardening behavior. Based on these findings, the critical state effective stress ratio M was determined for both soil types. The study also establishes the development laws of cohesion c and friction angle φ during soil consolidation, as well as the variation of pore water pressure under different confining pressures. Interface tests clarify the relationships between cohesion and friction angle at the interfaces between geotextile pipe bags and sand, and between adjacent pipe bag layers. Numerical simulations reveal that the reclamation construction process significantly influences structural horizontal displacement. Significant stress concentration occurs at the toe of the slope, while the central portion of the pipe-bag structure experiences maximum tensile stress—still within the material’s allowable stress limit. The installation of drainage boards effectively accelerates pore pressure dissipation, achieving nearly complete consolidation within one year after construction. This research provides a scientific foundation and practical engineering guidance for assessing the overall stability and safety of (GPB) structures on soft soil foundations in coastal regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 8209 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hydraulic Response of Dam-Break Flood Waves to Converging Channel Geometries: A Numerical Investigation

by Amir Ghaderi, Hooman Shahini, Hossein Mohammadnezhad, Hossein Hamidifar and Jaan H. Pu

Water 2025, 17(17), 2593; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17172593 - 2 Sep 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

The topography of the flood path significantly influences the hydraulic characteristics of flood events, necessitating in-depth analysis to better understand the continuous dynamics during dam failure scenarios. These analyses are useful for the hydraulic evaluation of infrastructures downstream of a dam site. This study examined the effects of four distinct converging configurations of guide-banks on the propagation of unsteady flow in a rectangular channel. The configurations studied included trapezoidal and crescent side contractions, as well as trapezoidal and crescent barriers located at the channel’s center, each with varying lengths and widths. Numerical simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation were validated against experimental data from the literature. The results reveal that the flow experienced a depth increase upon encountering converging geometries, leading to the formation of a hydraulic jump and the subsequent upstream progression of the resulting wave. The width of the obstacles and contractions had a marked influence on the flow profile. Increased channel contraction led to a more pronounced initial water elevation rise when the flood flow encountered the topography, resulting in a deeper reflected wave that propagated upstream at less time. The reflected wave increased the water elevations up to 0.64, 0.72, and 0.80 times the initial reservoir level (0.25 m), respectively, for cases with 33%, 50%, and 66% contraction ratios to the channel width (0.3 m). For the same cases at a certain time of t = 5.0 s, the reflected wave reached 1.1 m downstream, 0.5 m downstream, and 0.1 m upstream of the initial dam location. Waves generated by the trapezoidal configuration affected the upstream in less time than those formed by the crescent contraction. The length of the transitions or their placement (middle of/across the channel) did not significantly affect the flow profile upstream; however, within the converging zone, longer configurations resulted in a wider increased water elevation. Overall, the intensity of the hydraulic response can be related to one factor in all cases, namely, the convergence intensity of the flow lines as they entered the contractions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 3684 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Successive Typhoon Durian and Typhoon Utor on Chlorophyll-a Response in South China Sea

by Xiaoyang Hou, Zhenxin Ruan, Bo Li and Yumeng Wang

Water 2025, 17(11), 1567; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17111567 - 23 May 2025

Viewed by 1011

Abstract

This paper investigated the effects of the successive Typhoons Durian and Utor on the chlorophyll-a concentration in the overlapping regions of the South China Sea in 2006. Satellite observations were employed to analyze the spatial–temporal variability of chlorophyll-a concentrations. The results show that the strong vertical mixing and upwelling after the passage of the first Typhoon Durian led to a rapid increase in chlorophyll-a concentration, while the effects of the subsequent Typhoon Utor showed regional variability: the chlorophyll-a concentration in the area to the right of the path of Typhoon Utor increased significantly, but it did not continue to increase in the area of the overlap with Durian and showed a decreasing trend. Studies have shown that the impacts of successive typhoons on marine ecology are not simply additive but can be modulated by changes in the marine environment caused by the previous typhoon. This study revealed the complexity of the impacts of successive typhoons on marine productivity and provides a new perspective for understanding how typhoons affect marine productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2135 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Numerical Study on the Pullback Process of a Submarine Cable Based on Trenchless Directional Drilling Technology

by Gang Qian, Wei Kang, Yun Cong and Zhen Liu

Water 2025, 17(10), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17101517 - 17 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1532

Abstract

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) can be utilized in a submarine cable landing operation to solve the problems of a deficient buried depth and a limited route. In this study, a numerical model of the pullback process of a submarine cable using HDD technology is established based on the commercial finite element method platform OrcaFlex 11.3, which is validated using the in situ measured data of an HDD operation project for a pipeline. The effects of the crossing length, incident angle, and pullback velocity of the cable on the effective tension in the cable are investigated and analyzed. The results indicate that an increase in the crossing length and incident angle can significantly enhance the tension in the cable. Under the specific conditions in the Zhoushan islands, the maximum crossing length and incident angle are 1700 m and 35°, respectively. The pullback velocity has a minor influence on the tension in the cable, and an extremely large velocity might lock the cable during its pullback operation. The permissible values derived in this study can provide valuable information to similar engineering cases and projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7106 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial–Temporal Distribution of Offshore Transport Pathways of Coastal Water Masses in the East China Sea Based on GOCI-TSS

by Yuanjie Peng and Wenbin Yin

Water 2025, 17(9), 1370; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091370 - 1 May 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1327

Abstract

The offshore transport of coastal water masses in the East China Sea is vital for maintaining ecological stability. Understanding its spatial-temporal pathways helps clarify material transport and ecological responses. This study used total suspended sediment (TSS) data from the Korean Geostationary Ocean Color Imager to analyze TSS distribution and anomalies, combined with satellite-derived surface residual currents. Results show significant seasonal variations: coastal water masses expand to the 50 m isobath in winter and contract to the 20 m isobath in summer. Offshore transport pathways vary spatially, extending to the shelf edge north of 28° N but restricted by the Taiwan Warm Current south of 28° N. A persistent transport pathway near 28° N shifts from northeastward to eastward. Other pathways include one south of Hangzhou Bay (spring and autumn) linked to tidal mixing and another north of the Yangtze River estuary (summer) following the Yangtze River Diluted Water. These findings provide crucial observational insights for modeling material cycling in the East China Sea shelf. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 4426 KB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of Sediment Incipient Velocity and Scouring in Submarine Cable Burial Areas

by Fanjun Chen, Wankang Yang, Feng Liu, Lili Zhu and Zhilin Sun

Water 2025, 17(9), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091310 - 27 Apr 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1427

Abstract

This study investigates the incipient motion and scouring of sediments around simulated submarine cables in a controlled flume experiment, focusing on five distinct grain sizes in an experimental pool. The measured incipient velocity values were compared with predictions from three established formulas, leading to a modification of the Sun Zhilin formula for improved accuracy. By incrementally increasing flow velocity, the scour depth and scour duration were measured required to expose cables buried at varying depths for different sediment sizes, and the relationships between scour rate, relative flow rate, and Froude number were analyzed. The results indicate that as the Froude number increases, both the relative flow velocity and scour rate increase, thereby enhancing the erosion of sediment. The modified formula demonstrated a higher consistency with observed scour depths, providing a reliable tool for assessing submarine cable exposure risks. These findings offer valuable insights for developing effective protection strategies to enhance cable stability in complex marine environments. This research highlights the importance of understanding sediment dynamics and their impact on submarine cable stability, contributing to the development of more effective protection strategies for submarine cables in dynamic seabed conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 14855 KB

Open AccessArticle

Selection of a Turbulence Model for Wave Evolution on a New Ecological Hollow Cube

by Haitao Zhao, Junwei Ye, Kaifang Wang, Yian Zhou, Zhen Zeng, Qiang Li and Xizeng Zhao

Water 2025, 17(8), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081149 - 12 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 929

Abstract

A suitable turbulence model is needed for numerical simulations to accurately simulate the wave evolution and hydrodynamic performance of the new ecological hollow cube. The new ecological hollow cube is an improvement upon traditional designs, as it can grow plants to dissipate wave energy. In this study, the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software OpenFOAM v2206 is used as the computational platform to analyze and evaluate the numerical results of four turbulence models, i.e., the standard k-ε, steady k-ω shear stress transfer (SST), buoyancy-corrected k-ω SST, and large eddy simulation (LES) models, by using three mesh systems (with grid counts of 0.89, 2.92, and 8.91 million grids, respectively). Comparison of the numerical results from the four turbulence models reveals that the stabilized k-ω SST turbulence model provides better results for simulating the complex wave evolution process on the cube and effectively captures the wave free surface. In contrast, the other models exhibit a greater grid dependency. The stabilized k-ω SST model more accurately captures the wave run-up and reflection coefficient better than other turbulence models do. Therefore, the stabilized k-ω SST model is selected as the most suitable turbulence model for hydrodynamic modeling of the new ecological hollow cube. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5205 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Broken Wave Dissipation Effects of Submerged Shell Dike in Front of Breakwater

by Na Wang, Gang Wang, Hui Zhang and Xing Li

Water 2025, 17(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050609 - 20 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1334

Abstract

In this study, the effects of a submerged shell dike in front of a breakwater on dissipating broken waves were studied. The dissipation effects of different broken wave heights and the submerged shell dike were investigated through numerical simulations. High-precision wave gauges and pressure sensors were used to collect data. Numerical simulations were performed using OpenFOAM software, based on the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, to simulate broken waves. The time-histories of broken wave heights simulated by the numerical model were validated by physical experiment results, and the proportion of errors was less than 5.6%. The results show that the broken wave exerted on different positions of the breakwater shows a different time-history of pressures, and the peak pressure decreases with the decreasing broken wave height (from 0.342 to 0.227 m in the model) and increasing radii of the submerged shell dike (from 0.03 m to 0.18 m in the model). Through dimensional analysis, the relationship between the broken wave pressures and the dimensionless parameters related to broken wave height, breakwater height, and the radii of the submerged shell dike were established. Following the attenuation of the broken wave by the submerged shell dike, the equations for estimating broken wave pressures on various points along the breakwater were proposed. These equations are functions of the broken wave height, the radius of the submerged shell dike, and the height of the breakwater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

22 pages, 5217 KB

Open AccessReview

Deep Learning-Driven Sandy Beach Resilience Assessment: Integrating External Forcing Forecasting, Process Simulation, and Risk-Informed Decision Support

by Yuanshu Jiang, Yingtao Zhou and Juntong Zhang

Water 2025, 17(23), 3383; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233383 - 27 Nov 2025

Viewed by 1047

Abstract

Sandy beach resilience faces growing threats from extreme events and intensified human activity. Deep Learning (DL) has emerged as a powerful tool in coastal research, offering strengths in spatial feature extraction, nonlinear sequence modeling, acceleration of physical processes, and integration of multi-source data. This review frames resilience in three technical dimensions—resistance, recovery, and adaptation—and examines DL applications across three domains: first, monitoring and forecasting external forcing, including typhoon tracks and storm surge peak values; second, modeling and simulating beach processes, from rapid hydrodynamic forecasting to medium- and long-term shoreline evolution, and high-resolution sediment transport forecasting; and third, management and decision support, where DL methods and multi-scenario generation expand governance options, and interpretable features with uncertainty quantification enhance risk communication and policy adoption. DL complements traditional models by shortening the “observation–model–decision” cycle, expanding scenario analysis, and improving governance transparency. Challenges remain in cross-domain generalization, robustness in extreme scenarios, and data governance. This review confirms DL’s potential as a technology stack for enhancing sandy beach resilience and provides a methodological foundation for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Coastal Engineering and Fluid–Structure Interactions

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (14 papers)

Editorial

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI