Local scour around a large circular cylinder due to wave action

Laboratory experiments were performed in a wave basin to reproduce the local sea bed scour around large-scale maritime structures. Experiments suggested that the mass transport velocity and wave-induced steady currents were essential in modeling sand transport. Based on experimental observations, a numerical model was presented for the local scour around a large circular cylinder. The applicability of the model was confirmed with experiments. Although some discrepancies are still present between experiments and computation, the model seems to provide a basic framework for the local scour around large-scale structures. Future studies are expected on the three-dimensional boundary layer flow as well as on the wave nonlinearity.