ERDC/CHL CHETN-IV-32
June 2001
Leaky Internal-Barrier Normal-Flow
Boundaries in the ADCIRC Coastal
Hydrodynamics Code
by J. J. Westerink, R. A. Luettich, and A. Militello
PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) describes the
methodology and input requirements for the leaky-barrier boundary feature in the Advanced
Circulation (ADCIRC) coastal hydrodynamics code versions 40.02 and higher. This feature
calculates flow over and through structures such as levees and jetties.
BACKGROUND: The ADCIRC hydrodynamic model has been developed for the U.S. Army
and Navy over the past 12 years to compute long wave circulation in coastal oceans associated
with tides, winds, and density-driven flow (Luettich, Westerink, and Scheffner 1991; Westerink
et al. 1992b). ADCIRC is based on a reformulation of the shallow water equations and applies a
finite element discretization strategy. The specific strategies applied give accurate numerical
solutions free from artificial noise or spurious oscillations. Therefore ADCIRC does not require
the addition of artificially high viscosity in order to obtain smooth and stable solutions. The
model permits application of highly unstructured grids with great detail specified locally.
ADCIRC's basic formulation and algorithms have been extensively verified through analysis of
the algorithms and comparison to analytical solutions (Kolar et al. 1994 a,b; Kolar, Gray, and
Westerink 1996; Luettich, Westerink, and Scheffner 1991; Luettich et al. 1992; Luettich, Hu, and
Westerick 1994; Luettich and Westerink 1991; Westerink et al. 1994).
ADCIRC has been validated in tidal- and wind-driven ocean, shelf and estuarine applications
around the world (Blain et al. 1993; Blain, Westerink, and Luettich 1994, 1998; Grenier,
Luettich, and Westerink 1994, 1995; Hagen, Westerink, and Kolar 2000; Hagen et al. 2001;
Hench et al. 1994; Luettich, Birkhahn, and Westerink 1991; Luettich and Westerink 1995a;
Scheffner et al. 1994; Westerink and Luettich 1991, 1997; Westerink, Muccino, and Luettich
1992; Westerink et al. 1992a; Westerink, Luettich, and Scheffner 1993; Westerink, Luettich, and
Muccino 1994; Westerink 1993). Recently ADCIRC has incorporated flood wave propagation
over initially dry land, flood wave recession from initially wet regions, and barriers such as
levees or jetties that are treated as weirs (Luettich and Westerink 1995b,c, 1999; Westerink and
Luettich 1996). This CHETN describes the modification of ADCIRC to include leaky or
permeable barriers.
ADCIRC Versions 40.02 and higher include modifications that allow internal-barrier boundaries,
which lie entirely within the domain, to be specified as leaky barriers to represent large holes that
connect both sides of the barrier. This leaky internal-barrier boundary feature has been
implemented by adding cross-barrier pipes to the existing internal-barrier boundaries. Thus,
ADCIRC now allows the user to specify two basic types of internal boundary barriers. One type
is the existing internal-barrier flow boundaries that act as weirs that can be overtopped. This
representation describes a levee or jetty that is being overtopped. The second type is the new
leaky internal-barrier flow boundaries that allow cross-barrier flow once the crown of the pipe
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