ADVANCING OCEAN
ENGINEERING FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE

A distinctive feature of the lab is that a local north-northwesterly wind often generates sea states composed entirely of wind waves. These waves act as a small-scale model—under Froude similarity—of ocean storms. The significant wave height typically ranges from 0.20 m to 0.80 m, with peak periods between 2.0 s and 3.6 s. This local wind is remarkably stable and can remain steady from morning until evening. Tidal amplitude is minimal, usually not exceeding 0.10 m.
The facility was constructed following the successful outcomes of a series of small-scale field experiments led by Professor Paolo Boccotti beginning in 1989.