Coastal Management Strategies - Hard Engineering

Hard engineering strategies are man-made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion
Sea Walls - These are walls made out of a hard material like concrete that reflects waves back to sea
1. Advantages
  1. They prevent erosion of the coast. They also act as a barrier to prevent flooding
2. Disadvantages
  1. They create a strong backwash which erodes under the wall. Sea walls are very expensive to build and maintain
Rock Armour - This is where boulders are piled up along the coast
1. Advantages
  1. The boulders absorb wave energy and so reduce erosion and flooding. Its a fairly cheap defence
2. Disadvantages
  1. Boulders can be moved around by strong waves, so they need to be replaced
Groynes - These are wooden or stone fences that are built at right angles to the coast. They trap material transported by longshore drift
1. Advantages
  1. Groynes create wider beaches which slow the waves. This gives greater protection from flooding and erosion. They're a fairly cheap defence
2. Disadvantages
  1. They starve beaches further down the coast of sand, making them narrower. Narrower beaches don't protect the coast as well, leading to greater erosion and floods

Resource summary

	Created by chloelouisewilki over 10 years ago