Home > Projects > Coastal Infrastructure Programme > Holetown Beach Improvement Project > Physical Modelling/ Wave Climate

The Holetown Beach model was undertaken to assess design alternatives to provide continuous access along the shoreline, as well as improved beach amenity, and to support detailed development of the preferred alternative. The model included the simulation of approximately 950m of shoreline, including existing shoreline structures (revetments, seawalls and beaches) along The Regent, Chefette, Baku and Tides properties. The underwater bathymetry was simulated out to the -8m Lamont Datum contour, including the nearshore fringing reefs and pocket beaches between them.

Figure 1: Overview of the Physical Model for Holetown Beach

 The primary issues assessed in this model were:

• Nearshore wave transformation/ setup/ currents
• Headland and Revetment armour/ stability
• Revetment elevation/ overtopping
• Beach response/ stability

Key observations regarding the wave climate at Holetown Beach are as follows:

• The dominant wave direction is approximately NW.
• The dominant wave period is 6 to 8 seconds (may be higher at times).
• Cross-referencing storm events from the wave climate with the tropical storm database showed that seven of the top twenty storms at Holetown are a result of tropical storm events. This suggests that tropical systems do not have as significant an impact at Holetown, most likely due to the sheltering from westerly islands. However, the higher period swells which occur during the winter months are important with respect to beach design and sediment transport analysis.