The pressing global issue of climate change and the threat of rising sea levels demand coastal engineering solutions that are both sustainable and highly resilient. In response to this critical threat to the nation's shorelines, a team of researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has successfully published a high-impact study in the prestigious international journal, Ocean Engineering (Elsevier).

The high-impact research, titled “Wave overtopping performance of mild slope rock revetments enhanced with additional armour layer thickness,” was led by Dr. Noor Asiah Mohamad, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Shahrizal Ab Razak, Prof. Ir. Dr. Badronnisa Yusuf, Abd Muhaimin Amiruddin, and Abdul Rehman Khan.

Mitigating Wave Overtopping Driven by Climate Change

Traditionally, coastal rock revetments are constructed using a conventional two-layer configuration. However, the increasing frequency of extreme wave events and rising sea levels have compromised the effectiveness of these existing structures, subsequently escalating the risks of wave overtopping, severe shoreline erosion, and inland flooding.

To address critical data gaps in current engineering designs, the UPM research team conducted small-scale 2D physical model tests to evaluate the performance of mild-slope rock revetments enhanced with an advanced three-rock-layer thick armour configuration.

Key Findings and Industry Impact

This comprehensive study delivers several significant breakthroughs capable of upgrading future coastal protection design standards:

1. Enhanced Wave Energy Dissipation: The addition of a third armour layer significantly increases the permeability of the revetment. This allows the structure to absorb and dissipate wave energy much more efficiently compared to conventional two-layer systems.

2. Optimized Roughness Factor: The study successfully refines the empirical prediction formulas of the EurOtop manual—an internationally recognized guideline widely used in wave overtopping designs. The researchers propose an optimized roughness factor ($\gamma_f$) value of 0.40 to support practical industrial applications.

3. Cost-Effective Adaptation Strategy: The findings prove that upgrading existing revetments by increasing the armour layer thickness up to the crest is a highly practical and cost-effective adaptive approach to combat climate change threats, bypassing the need to completely overhaul the original structure.

Global Recognition for UPM

The successful publication of this research article in Ocean Engineering underscores the profound expertise of UPM's faculty in marine and coastal engineering. Furthermore, it positions UPM at the forefront of delivering solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

The Research Management Centre (RMC) UPM extends its heartiest congratulations to the research team for this outstanding achievement. The practical implications of this study are expected to serve as a primary reference for government agencies such as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), local authorities, and consulting engineers in strategizing safer coastal disaster mitigation plans for the nation.

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Date of Input: 15/06/2026 | Updated: 19/06/2026 | norasiah