Wave Basin Laboratory

Mission

The Civil, Coastal & Environmental Engineering Department at the University of South Alabama operates a wave basin laboratory for research on damage to beaches, roadways, buildings and other structures vulnerable to storm waves and surges. The wave basin also educates Civil Engineers in how to better protect coastal structures against future hurricanes.

Set up with funding from the Federal Highway Administration, the laboratory develops and tests new coastal engineering methods. This state-of-the-art facility gives opportunities to advance our understanding of how waves and storms affect beaches, transportation infrastructure, and other aspects of the Gulf Coast.

The wave basin is the only one of its kind in Alabama’s universities, and one of only a handful nationwide. It resembles a miniature beach, with a large mechanical arm that generates artificial waves. The basin is 20' wide and 30' long; it holds more than 5,000 gallons of water and around 20 tons of sand. Several types of waves can be simulated, including gentle Gulf waves, storm waves that erode beaches and cause dangerous rip currents, and tsunamis.

Issues that can be addressed include coastal roadway design, storm-water runoff management, beach erosion, coastal storm surges, tsunamis, rip currents, and their impact on the coastal environment and its structures.