Geography: Coastal Protection

Hard engineering coastal protection methods.

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  • Created by: JJ
  • Created on: 30-05-11 17:42

 

 

 

GABIONS

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Gabions

ADVANTAGES

  • Strong wire cage with rocks, pebbles and stones inside.
  • Protects the coastline by stopping the waves from hitting the cliffs
  • Reduces the power of the waves by absorbing the wave energy.
  • They are very cheap to make because they are made from natural materials.

DISADVANTAGES

  • They take up a lot of space.
  • Over time the cages will rust.
  • They could easily be damaged by storm waves.
  • Once the rocks inside have eroded the cages will have to be replaced.
  • THIS IS A SHORT TERM MEASURE!!!
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GROYNES

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Groynes

ADVANTAGES

  • They are wooden structures that go along the beech at angles to prevent long shore drift.
  • The wave energy gets absorbed in the groynes.
  • It catches and prevents sediment and sand from which helps to build up a beech.

DISADVANTAGES

  • They have to be maintained as they dont last very long.
  • It stops the rest of the beech further down from getting any more sediment which could course the beech to become smaller (TERMINAL GROYNE SYNDROME)
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REVETMENTS

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Revetments

ADVANTAGES

  • They are sloping structures placed on banks or cliffs to prevent erosion.
  • They are designed to absorbed the energy of the incoming wave.
  • They catch sediment from long shore drift which helps to build up a beech.

DISADVANTAGES

  • It stops the rest of the beech further down from getting any more sediment which could course the beech to become smaller (similar to terminal groyne syndrome
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SEA WALLS

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Sea Walls

ADVANTAGES

  • They are curved concrete walls which stop the waves from hitting the cliffs.
  • They are designed to reflect the wave energy back into the sea.
  • It protects the foot of the cliff from erosion.
  • They are extremely strong and have a long lifespan.
  • It can also help to prevent flooding in the area.

DISADVANTAGES

  • They are very expensive to build.
  • They aren't visually pleasing.
  • They dont look natural to the beech as they are mostly made from concrete.
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RIP-RAP

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Rip-rap

ADVANTAGES

  • They are huge boulders of granite or other hard rocks.
  • The rip-rap works by absorbing or deflecting the impact of the wave.
  • They are placed at the bottom of cliffs to prevent erosion.
  • They are designed to allow water to drain through them.

DISADVANTAGES

  • Rip-rap does not maintain the natural look of the beech.
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TETRAPODS

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Tetrapods

ADVANTAGES

  • These are usually made of concrete.
  • Their unique shape allows them to absorbe wave energy but allow water to drain through.
  • They have a good lifespan because they are so strong and stable.

DISADVANTAGES

  • Tetrapods don't maintain the naural look of the beech.
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