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 impact 8/10
Environmental impact 5/10 Environmental impact 6/10 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.
Appearance
Appearance 5/10 They make beaches look messy Appearance 5/10 8/10
These are one
Life time Life time
of the most
25 years 100 years
natural looking
Issues Issues defences
They starve other The walls
Lifetime
beaches making them can create
100-500 years
narrower so they offer a strong
less protection against backwash Issues
erosion. which They do lose marks for the environmental damage
erodes due to transportation.
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 this will wave energy. They are placed at the bottom of energy but also allow sand and sediment to filter
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 Environmental
make
impact 5/10 impact 4/10
Environmental impact 9/10 These don’t look
These retain the natural coastal environment. lovely but they Appearance
They create wetlands habitats for wildlife. actually blend in very well after a few years as 4/10
grasses and plants start to grow on top of them
Appearance 10/10
creating new habitats. Life Span
This creates a
Wooden – 25-30
beautiful natural Appearance 2/10
years
environment. They are ugly and don’t look natural for years until
Concrete – 40
Life span vegetation covers them..
years
Forever Life Span
Issues 10 years Issues
This is often unpopular as much of the land Like a sea wall, these create a strong backwash
Issues
flooded is rural and attractive so popular for which erodes under the revetment.
The cages can be sharp so tourists who walk on
walking, bird watching etc. them can hurt themselves.
 Beach Replenishment Dune Stabilising Off shore 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 them absorbs the wave energy The roots of plants the coast. They lie parallel to the beach.
protecting the cliffs. The sand needs to be replaced like couch grass bind Breakwaters force the waves to break before they
regularly. the sand. By reach the beach so
planting these and absorb most of the
Cost per m
keeping tourists and energy.
From £3-10
grazing animals
Cost per m
Environmental away, the dunes can develop. £300
impact 8/10
Cost per m
Collecting sand Environmental impact
£200
from the sea bed 6/10
can kill organisms like sponges and corals. Environmental impact 10/10 They can damage the sea floor habitat
These defence the natural environment
Appearance 9/10 Appearance 7/10
Other than when the sand is being collected or Appearance 9/10 They don’t look natural but they do preserve a wide
replaced this look natural and creates a wide open These don’t look like a defence method other than beach without the use of groynes.
beach fencing and signage
Lifespan
Lifespan Lifespan Varies dependent on storms and building material
Up to 5 years Forever (if maintained)
Issues
Issues Issues Breakwaters only reduce erosion and they don’t
This needs constant upkeep and as a result is only The fencing and planting can be time consuming protect the cliffs directly.
really suitable for tourist areas. and the dunes will never be as strong as a man-
made defence