Coastal Structures:

Types, Functions and Applications

US Army Corps of Engineers

Presentation to Shoreline Erosion Task Force
August 15, 2012
Hartford, CT
1
 Session Objectives
Coastal Structure Types & Functions:
Understand fundamental concepts of coastal
structures and how they provide protection.

2
 SOFT v.s. HARD
(Erodable v.s. Nonerodable)

Beachfill Seawalls
Dunes Revetments
Marshes Breakwaters
Bioengineered Jetties

geotubes
Groins
are in
between Bulkheads

3
What Do Coastal Structures Do?
1. Stop water 2. Hold soil
1a. Stop flooding 2a. Hold upland soil

1b. Stop impact 2b. Slow down sand transport

Protect infrastructure from flooding due to high

water levels, erosion, and impact from waves and currents
Protect boat traffic by reducing waves and wave
impact
Stabilize navigation channels by reducing
sedimentation, inlet migration
Reduce erosion by stabilizing shorelines/beaches
Enhance recreation, beauty 4
 Advantages of Hard Structures
v.s. Soft
Withstand larger forces
Resist erosion - consider hard structures if
erosion > 3 ft/yr
Less footprint area
Reduce renourishment needs/costs
Help extend available sand resources
Function in deep water
Transition to existing shore over short distances
Tend to last longer
5
 Coastal Structures
Functional Areas
1. Coastal armoring structures resist
waves, scour, overtopping
2. Beach or soil stabilization structures
hold upland sediment, retard alongshore
transport
3. Navigation structures resist waves,
currents, sedimentation

6
1. Coastal Armoring Structures
More is more

Seawalls Largest

Revetments Medium

Bulkheads Smallest

7
 Seawalls
Prime objective is to
protect upland
infrastructure from
flooding, wave impact and
overtopping

Secondary function is to
hold fill (bluff, shoreline) in
place

Generally massive. Often

OShaughnessy high. Often long.
Seawall,
San Francisco, CA High wave energy
application
8
 Seawalls
Often concrete
May be rubblemound
or other materials
Tend to be free-
standing with backfill,
gravity or pile
supported
Scour protection
integral
Galveston seawall, TX 9
Galveston Seawall during construction, 1905. Built following
Galveston Hurricane of 1900. (image from Wikipedia)

10
Scour protection Seawalls
Typical cross-
sections
(EM1110-2-1614)

11
Seawalls
Waves breaking over
Sea Bright NJ seawall

Curved concrete seawall

La Jolla, CA

Curve directs waves away

from infrastructure
12
 Seawall
Hereford Inlet,
NJ

Wall added for

overtopping
protection

13
 Seawalls
When would you want major armoring?

Very valuable upland infrastructure

Harsh wave conditions, high surge

Cannot provide protection further

offshore, for example with an offshore
breakwater
14
Digression #1: Three coastal damage mechanisms flooding, erosion, wave attack

People understand flooding,

but what exactly is wave attack?
Wave attack is impact from waves. Water is heavy, plus waves have
forward velocity. To illustrate:

1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons

1 cubic foot = 64 pounds

2 cubic feet = 128 pounds

15
 Rule of Thumb

Repeated impact from 3-ft waves during a

storm can destroy a small house.

16
Heavier seawall materials can
withstand wave impact
Concrete 1 cubic foot = 145 pounds
(more than me)
Rock 1 cubic foot = 165 pounds
Steel 1 cubic foot = 490 pounds

Sand (dry) 1 cubic foot = 100 pounds

17
Wave Impact on the Structure

Waves impact the face of

structure
Overtopping also impacts the
top & back of the structure
Scour impacts the toe

18
What is overtopping?
Overtopping is water that splashes
above and landward of the line of
protection.

Lajes, Azores Breakwater (image from Jeff Melby)

19
 What does overtopping do?
Impact from overtopping water can cause direct damage to upland
infrastructure, and can remove material from behind structures, causing
structure failure. Overtopped water floods behind line of protection.

ASHAROKEN 15 Mar 2010 Removes unprotected soil

from behind structure, fails
structure

Damage reaches to far side of

roadway
20
 Structure stops forward
Scour: loss of motion of wave,
material at the toe reflects it back,
increasing wave height
Wave form is
traveling forward

Moving water digs out

sand - bottom scours
Friction from sloping bottom
But water particles slows down water particles,
go in circular paths wave steepens (may break)

21
 Scour
Common experience
of scour standing still
at waters edge, waves
dig out around your
feet, you sink.

Rule of Thumb:
Scour depth will equal Scour protection likely to be
reflected wave height comparable in size to upper
part of seawall

22
Coastal Armoring: Purpose is to protect
Revetments the shoreline against
erosion

Function by
reinforcing of part of
the beach profile

Medium cross-
section size. Can be
long.

Generally built on
Barnegat North
existing slope

Often rubblemound
23
 Revetments
Materials: Rock, concrete

Layered on existing slope

24
 Digression #2:

How to Build a Rubblemound Structure

Water

Existing Bottom

251
How to Build a Rubblemound Structure

3. Place bedding stone to smooth

bottom, provide gradation 2. Place geotextile to control
loss of fines, spread load

1.Excavate if needed 262

How to Build a Rubblemound Structure

Place large toe stones

273
 How to Build a Rubblemound Structure

Place core stone

284
 How to Build a Rubblemound Structure

Place armor stone

295
30
 Revetments
Materials: Other

Gabion Revetment Geotube revetment

Cape May Pt, NJ
31
 Revetments
Fort Fisher, NC before Fort Fisher, NC after

Road protection

Photos: Williams Dennis SAW 32

Bulkheads Objective is to
retain upland
soil

Function is
reinforcement
of the soil
bank

Steel,
concrete,
timber, vinyl,
composite

small
33
 Bulkheads
Anchored

Tie rod Sheeting

Anchor pile

34
Bulkheads
Cantilever

35
 Bulkheads

Bulkheads: Every homeowner for himself!

Coney Island, 1990
36
 Bulkheads
Timber bulkhead at Bradley Beach, NJ
under direct wave attack

Tie-back section to
landside closure

Rock placed at the base of the structure to prevent scour,

sometimes placed to reinforce bulkhead.
37
 Types of Coastal Structures

1. Coastal armoring structures

2. Beach or soil stabilization structures

3. Navigation structures

38
 Beach or Soil Stabilization
Structures

Nearshore breakwaters
Groins
Reefs and sills (perched beach)
Containment dikes

39
Nearshore (Detached) Breakwaters
Purpose is to prevent
shoreline erosion
Function is reduction
of wave energy in lee
and reduction of
longshore transport
Parallel to shoreline
Allow some
alongshore transport

40
Nearshore (Detached) Breakwaters
Presque Isle, PA

41
Nearshore Breakwaters
Maumee Bay State Park

42
Lake Erie
 Groins

Purpose is to reduce beach erosion, or terminate a beach fill

Function by trapping or slowing down longshore transport.

Generally perpendicular to shoreline

Designed to both hold back sand and allow transport, to reduce

downdrift impacts 43
 Groins

Not jetties!
Trap % of longshore transport, if transport exists
Most effective when combined with beach fill
Usually constructed in groups or groin fields
Terminal groins anchor beach or limit sand into
navigation channel
Types include notched, permeable, adjustable,
T/L/Y shaped
Varied types of construction materials
44
Groin Geometries

(Figure: CHL Website) 45

Groins

Overhead view of
a rock groin
showing the
underwater
extent of the
structure

46
 Groin Field

Long Branch and Deal, NJ 1987 Allenhurst, Loch Arbour, Asbury

Park, NJ 1987 47
 Groins

Terminal groin
Buried groin field
Coney Island terminal groin (w/beach) 48
 Digression #3:

How does sand travel in water?

Rolling along the bottom (bed load)
Floating in the water column
(suspended)
Saltation, or hopping

Sand travels mostly between

depth of closure and landward
limit of flow 49
 How does sand move past a groin?
Sand can only travel where the water flows

4. Around
2. Over 3. Through landward end

1. Around
seaward end

50
To add permeability to a groin:
Lower the crest
Shorten seaward extent
Shorten landward extend
Use material with voids

To reduce permeability:
Raise the crest
Lengthen seaward extent
Lengthen landward extend
Eliminate voids 51
Reefs and Sills
Purpose is to limit
beach erosion
Reef breakwaters
function by reducing
waves at the fill toe
Submerged sills are
used to slow offshore
movement of sand,
shorten fill profile
Often used inside
groin compartments
52
 Reefs and Sills

Used with or
Without beach fill

53
Double-T Units & Scour Apron

54
Placement of Double T Unit

55
 Beachsaver
Units

Patented shape
56
 Other Technologies
Holmberg Beach Technologies
Sand Rx, Sand Castle Technologies
Beach/Dune Dewatering

57
 Containment Dikes

Stabilize perimeters of
marshes, disposal islands
58
Branch Box Breakwaters

59
Types of Coastal Structures

Coastal armoring structures

Beach stabilization structures

Navigation structures

60
 Navigation Structures
Breakwaters

Jetties

Repair of North Jetty Yaquina, Oregon (2000) 61

-Smaller vessels are more affected by
waves

-Larger vessels are more affected by

currents

-Faster moving vessels are less at risk than

slower moving vessels

-Vessels generally have to slow down and

turn to enter channels
62
 Navigation Breakwaters

Purpose is to shelter
harbor basins and
entrances against
waves and currents
primarily for boat
traffic

Function by
dissipating and
reflecting wave
energy
Marina del Rey, CA 63
 Jetties
Acting as breakwaters

64
Source: Heidi Moritz, Portland District
Breakwaters and Jetties
Ventura Harbor, CA

65
 Jetties
Barnegat Inlet, NJ
(new south jetty)

Purpose is to reduce sedimentation of channels

Shelter harbor basins and entrances against

waves and currents

Limit inlet migration 66

 Jetties
As with groins, geometry can vary

Spur Jetties Siuslaw River, OR 67

 Jetties (Dolos/CoreLoc)
Manasquan Inlet, NJ

Concrete units may be cost effective vs. large stone 68

Core-Loc units at Manasquan Inlet
Jetty, NJ

69
 Floating Breakwaters

Purpose is to
shelter harbor
basins and
mooring areas

Reduce waves
by reflection
and breaking
Floating Breakwater
RIBS System
70
Combination of Structures (Systems)

Submerged Breakwater

Groins
Beach fill

Revetment with walk way

Chicago, 31st Beach 71

Construction of first hydraulically pumped beachfill at
Coney Island NY, 1922 72
Essayons!