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A numerical model is derived to investigate the effect of breaking wave shape on impact load on a monopile structure. The derived model combines potential flow model with a Navier-Stokes/VOF solution. The analysis indicates that the breaking wave impact on a monopile structure results in an extremely rapid increase of pressure to high amplitudes. The peak impact pressure occurs in the region below the overturning wave jet. The breaking wave impact leads to extremely high slamming forces. It is observed that the slamming coefficient corresponding to the peak impact force approaches 2π. The area directly affected by the impact force is much higher than the impact area considered in engineering practice. Moreover, the analysis shows that the vertical load distribution is far more realistic than a rectangular shape distribution commonly applied in engineering practice. The results also show that the parameters of the rectangular shape distribution applied in engineering practice are complex function of the breaking wave shape and cannot be uniquely defined beforehand. This is because the vertical load distribution strongly depends on breaking wave shape and it is difficult to uniquely approximate such a complex load distribution by a rectangle. The derived results are compared with experimental data from laboratory experiments on irregular breaking wave loads on a monopile structure. Numerical results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]