Summary 



Introduction 



Because of present and projected commercial activities in Kahului Harbor, the 

 needs and concerns of community, private business, and government have been 

 reviewed under the state of Hawaii planning process. New berths for barge and 

 passenger ship operations are an expected future requirement Space for related 

 land-based facilities is needed. Deepening of main harbor areas from 35 ft to 38 

 ft is also anticipated. 



The new facilities would require expansion of harbor operations into areas not 

 presently used, particularly the western part of the harbor. Field wave 

 measurements and numerical (computer) model studies to evaluate the technical 

 feasibility of alternative modifications were conducted from September 1993 to 

 May 1996 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the U.S. Army Engineer 

 Waterways Experiment Station, Coastal Engineering Research Center, 

 Vicksburg, MS. Eleven alternative harbor plans were studied along with the 

 existing harbor (see table that follows). 



Study Results 



Harbor basin 



Wind waves and swell in the harbor are affected by distance from the 

 entrance, directional exposure, and bottom depths. Wave approach directions at 

 the entrance are consistently aimed at the southwest part of the harbor. Facilities 

 in the western harbor and located closer to the entrance (as the extension of 

 Pier 1) are prone to increased wind wave and swell conditions. A stub added to 

 the west breakwater tip in some plans shelters the western harbor from wind 

 waves and swell. Changes in the western harbor have no significant impact on 

 wind waves and swell at existing facilities in the eastern harbor. 



XII 



