Groynes Sea Wall Rip Rap / Rock Armour

How do they work? How do they work? How does it work?

These fences are placed at right angles to the Concrete walls built to protect towns. They absorb Large boulders piled on the beach absorb the wave
beach to trap sand being moved by longshore drift. the wave energy and protect the cliffs behind. They energy so reducing erosion of the beach or cliff.
This creates a wider beach to absorb the waves often have a curved top to reflect the waves back They can be moved if needed.
energy. out to sea.
Cost per m
Cost per m Cost per m £1000
£1200 £5000 (+ any repair work)
Environmental Quality 8/10
Environmental Quality 4/10 Environmental Quality 5/10 Rock armour has minimal effect on wildlife; in some
They cause erosion down the coast to increase by They create an artificial environment and cases it creates new habitats.
trapping all of the sand. encourage tourism which can lead to litter. Usually
Appearance 8/10
leads to a strong backwash.
Appearance 5/10 They make beaches look messy These are one of the most natural looking defences
Appearance 6/10 Very artificial structure, but can
Lifetime Lifetime
be designed as a promenade.
25 years 100-500 years
Lifetime
Issues Issues
100 years
They starve other They do lose
beaches making Issues marks for the
them narrower so The walls environmental
they offer less can create damage due to
protection against a strong transportation.
erosion. backwash
which
erodes
under the
wall.
 Managed Retreat Gabions Revetments
How does it work? How do they work? How do they work?
This doesn’t stop erosion; it allows some coastal Steel mesh cages filled with boulders to absorb These are sloping ramps which absorb the waves
areas to erode and flood naturally. Usually these wave energy. They are placed at the bottom of energy but also allow sand and sediment to filter
will be areas of low value like nature reserves or cliffs like a sea wall. through small holes to build up the beach behind.
farmland.
Cost per m Cost per m
Cost per m £400 £2000
Varies. There are initial compensation payments to
Environmental Quality 6/10 Environmental Quality 5/10
make
Eventually, grasses and plants start to grow on top Affects/blocks
Environmental Quality 9/10 of them to create new habitats. The wires can be a species that
These retain the natural coastal environment. They hazard for large animals, however. require both
create wetlands habitats for wildlife. It can also, land and water.
Appearance 6/10
however, destroy the environment naturally. Eg: crabs.
They don’t look natural for years until vegetation
Appearance 10/10 covers them.
Appearance
This creates a beautiful natural environment.
Life Span 4/10
Life span 10 years Artificial
Forever structure, but beach access.
Issues
Issues The cages can be
This is often Life Span
sharp so tourists
unpopular as much Wooden – 25-30 years
who walk on
of the land flooded Concrete – 40 years
them can hurt themselves.
is rural and
attractive so Issues
popular for walking, Like a sea wall, these create a strong backwash
bird watching etc. which erodes under the revetment.
 Beach Replenishment Dune Stabilisation Offshore breakwater
How does it work? How do they work? How do they work?
Sand is added to the beach to replace sand washed Dunes are a natural defence against wave energy. These are large piles of concrete or cement just off
away. The beach then absorbs the wave energy The roots of the coast. They lie parallel to the beach.
protecting the cliffs. The sand needs to be plants like Breakwaters force the waves to break before they
replaced regularly. couch grass reach the beach so absorb most of the energy.
bind the sand.
Cost per m Cost per m
By planting
From £3-10 £300
these and
Environmental Quality 8/10 keeping tourists Environmental Quality 6/10
Collecting sand from the sea bed can kill organisms and grazing They can damage the seafloor habitat
like sponges and corals. animals away, the dunes can develop.
Appearance 7/10
Appearance 9/10 Cost per m They don’t look entirely natural (some beaches
Other than when the sand is being collected or £200 have natural rock further out similar to this method)
replaced this look natural and creates a wide open but they do preserve a wide beach.
Environmental Quality 10/10
beach
These defend the natural environment Lifespan
Lifespan Varies dependent on storms and building material
Appearance 9/10
Up to 5 years
These don’t look like a defence method other than Issues
Issues fencing and signage Breakwaters only reduce erosion and they don’t
This needs protect the cliffs
Lifespan
constant upkeep directly.
Forever (if maintained). Can be destroyed by
and as a result is
trampling by humans and fires.
only really
suitable for tourist areas. Issues
The fencing and planting can be time consuming
and the dunes will never be as strong as a
man-made defence