Falmouth Floating Breakwater

Year
1998
Project Type
Cruise and Ferries
Location
UK

The Falmouth Yacht Harbour was protected from offshore storm waves, but remained exposed to wind driven waves generated across the 3 kilometres fetch within Falmouth Bay. A solution was needed to allow craft to remain at their berths during the winter season, so a steel floating breakwater structure was installed to give all-year shelter.

Beckett Rankine advised the client on the procurement of the floating breakwater units and carried out a technical audit of the designs. The firm also designed the moorings using large stud linked chain and buried high performance anchors.

The floating breakwaters have been fabricated from large diameter steel tubes connected to each another with cross tubes. Vertical steel skirts have been included to enhance the wave reduction characteristics with lower tubes for increased buoyancy. The decking is made from recycled plastic.