Abstract:
The Varna port breakwater is vulnerable to settlement resulting from strong waves, due to the presence of a 16-meter layer of unconsolidated silt and clay at its foundation. There is a risk of partial or complete collapse of the central and southern part of the breakwater (which has happened in the past, followed by reconstruction). To address these vulnerabilities, a proposed solution is to implement detached protection at 250–350 m to the east from the breakwater by building two arrays of square submerged stationary ecological complexes with edges facing the incident waves. These complexes, which consist of artificial reefs, surrounding mussel farms, and artificial islands above them, will reduce the storm wave height to less than 2 m, which is safe for the breakwater. Detached protection is more secure and less expensive, and has several distinct advantages compared to the unfinished protective rubble-mound berm.