QUALITY AND DURABILITY OF CONCRETE ARMOUR UNITS

The reliability of rubble mound breakwaters not only depends on the hydraulic stability but to a large extent on the strength of the armour units as well. In the debate on the shape of armour units, which turns out quite often to be merely academic in nature, generally too little attention is paid to the question of structural strength. On the occasion of the realization of the new outer harbour at Zeebrugge (Belgium) a serious effort has been made to arrive at a better understanding in the behaviour of concrete as construction material for armour units. This contribution gives an overview of the routine tests and of some particular investigations, carried out with respect to quality and durability of concrete armour units.